ACTION; 2hr 11min
STARRING: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Leading role: from left, Tatum and Foxx
Director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day ) has his eyes on the White House prize, and you’d better believe that all bets are off. After a no-muss, no-fuss intro establishes the main players, Emmerich exhales and gets cracking on his explosive thing to frankly eye-popping effect. With 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue overtaken by rabid terrorists, visiting Capitol cop John Cale (Tatum, all muscle and not much else) becomes the sole hope of survival for the President (Foxx). Shades of Olympus Has Fallen, except that this puppy has sturdier, suspense-driven legs. For of course, there are wheels within wheels: Mike’s daughter Emily (Joey King) is in grave danger, along with every other poor sap unlucky enough to be bailed up inside. And the rats in the official ranks aren’t going anywhere without a dirty fight.
Emmerich isn’t a man to scrimp on locations and effects — this may be poppycock but it’s plush poppycock at full, ring-a-ding volume, with the added, loopy bonus of Foxx basking in his Obama moment. It’s so OTT it’s lonely but the blast knows no bounds.
