White House Down Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A cop takes his daughter on a White House tour, which is immediately interrupted by a disgruntled ex-employee, forcing them to buddy-cop their way through saving the president, the country, and each other.

🍿 White House Down: Detailed Plot Synopsis

An Ordinary Day Turns Chaotic

John Cale, a Capitol Policeman, takes his daughter Emily to Washington D.C. where he has an interview for a position with the Secret Service, hoping to protect President James Sawyer. His real motivation is to impress his politically enthusiastic daughter. Unfortunately, he’s deemed unqualified by interviewer Carol Finnerty due to a lack of respect for authority.

The White House Under Siege

Disappointed but unwilling to reveal his failure to Emily, Cale joins a tour of the White House. Simultaneously, President Sawyer proposes a controversial peace treaty aimed at withdrawing military forces from the Middle East. During the tour, a bomb detonates in the Capitol Building, and shortly after, a mercenary group, led by Emil Stenz, launches an assault on the White House.

Cale’s Fight for Survival

Amidst the chaos, Cale becomes separated from Emily. As mercenaries take hostages and attempt to seize control, Cale manages to escape and find a weapon. Meanwhile, the head of the Presidential Detail, Martin Walker, escorts President Sawyer to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, only to reveal himself as the mastermind behind the attack.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• John Cale (Channing Tatum): A Capitol policeman and former serviceman who finds himself protecting the President and his daughter when the White House is attacked.
• President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx): The U.S. President who proposes a controversial peace treaty and becomes a target during the White House siege.
• Emily (Joey King): John Cale’s politically enthusiastic daughter who gets caught in the White House attack and aids in the rescue.
• Martin Walker (James Woods): The retiring Head of the Presidential Detail who orchestrates the White House takeover for revenge.
• Emil Stenz (Jason Clarke): The ruthless leader of the mercenary group executing Walker’s plan to seize control of the White House.
• Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal): A Secret Service agent who helps coordinate the response to the attack from the outside.
• Eli Raphelson (Richard Jenkins): The Speaker of the House who orchestrates the attack because of his disagreement with President Sawyer’s treaty.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• President Sawyer: “Martin, as the President of the United States, this comes with the full weight, power and authority of my office. Fuck you.” – President Sawyer delivers this line with conviction to Martin Walker to show he will not be intimidated.
• John Cale: “This is so stupid!” – John says this during one of the more absurd action sequences, acknowledging the ridiculousness of the situation.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $150,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $73,103,784
• Worldwide Gross: $205,366,737

💥 White House Down Reviews

Personal Review

I went into this movie expecting a cheesy action flick, and that’s exactly what I got, but with a surprising amount of heart. Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx had great chemistry, and the father-daughter relationship felt genuine. Sure, the plot is ridiculous, and the action is over-the-top, but it’s a fun ride. I especially loved the scene where the President is forced to change into his Air Jordans to escape – peak action movie silliness! It’s not high art, but it’s highly entertaining.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of action movies with a ‘Die Hard’ or ‘Under Siege’ vibe”
  • “Viewers who enjoy political thrillers with a good-versus-evil narrative”
  • “Those looking for a popcorn movie with plenty of explosions and heroic moments”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Intense violence and gun battles”
  • “Some profanity”
  • “Threats of nuclear attack”
  • “Brief scenes of torture or interrogation”

Professional Reviews

• MovieXclusive.com: “Despite a bigger budget and bankable stars, ‘White House Down’ is a letdown. It’s a dumb, boring farce, failing as a thriller. The humour sits at odds with the self-serious tone and there is neither finesse nor technique to distinguish one action from the other. Ultimately, even as a summer popcorn flick, it just isn’t thrilling enough.
• The Hollywood Reporter: “While not as gritty as ‘Olympus Has Fallen’, this film offers plenty of explosions and action. Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum provide charismatic performances. The movie gets caught in bizarre surroundings with a foolish plot. A calamity of underdeveloped ideas, half the film is flat out brain damaged and the other half is pure schlock.

Audience Reactions

The buddy-cop dynamic between Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx was surprisingly funny and engaging.: Most viewers agreed the chemistry between the two leads made the movie enjoyable despite the far-fetched plot.

The non-stop action and over-the-top explosions kept viewers on the edge of their seats.: Many people found the movie entertaining despite its silliness.

Overall Consensus: While criticized for its ridiculous plot and political undertones, ‘White House Down’ is generally regarded as a fun, albeit silly, action movie thanks to the chemistry between the leads and its over-the-top action sequences.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Almost all filming took place on sound stages in Montreal, Canada, relying heavily on blue screen technology to create the White House and Washington D.C. environments.”
• “The movie shares a similar plot with ‘Olympus Has Fallen,’ which was released earlier the same year, leading to comparisons and debates about which film was superior.”
• “Roland Emmerich, known for disaster films like ‘Independence Day’ and ‘2012,’ returns to destroying the White House once again in this film.”

🖥️ How to Watch White House Down?

White House Down is available for streaming on various platforms. You can rent or purchase it on demand through services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. Check your local listings for broadcast options as well. For those preferring physical media, the movie is also available on Blu-ray and DVD.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed White House Down, you might like these similar films:

• Olympus Has Fallen (2013): Shares an almost identical plot about terrorists attacking the White House and a lone agent saving the President.
• Air Force One (1997): Features a President who takes direct action to protect his family and country from terrorists on board Air Force One.
• Die Hard (1988): A lone wolf cop takes on a group of terrorists in a confined space.

🛒 White House Down Related Products

• White House Down Movie Poster: A high-quality print of the official movie poster, perfect for fans of the film or action movie enthusiasts. Makes a great addition to any movie room.
• Air Force One Model Plane: Display model of the presidential plane, as seen in the movie. Has a high level of detail. Authentic design.
• LEGO Architecture White House: LEGO model. Build your own white house!
• Movie-Inspired Graphic T-Shirt: A comfortable t-shirt featuring a design inspired by the movie’s poster. Available in various sizes and colors.

🎧 Soundtrack

White House Down features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Spanish Flea” – performed by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Secret Service Agent Rates 11 POTUS Protection Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It?

Curious about how realistic the presidential protection scenes in movies like ‘White House Down’ are? Check out this clip where a Secret Service agent rates them based on her own experience!

Channing Tatum’s 45-Second Handshake With Young Co-Star | Good Morning America | ABC News

Watch Channing Tatum and his young co-star from ‘White House Down’, Joey King, have some fun with a complicated handshake on the set. You’ll get a glimpse of their off-screen chemistry in this cute clip!

✨ Rate