White House Down

White House Down is the lighter, funnier companion piece to Olympus Has Fallen — same premise, radically different tone. Channing Tatum plays a Capitol Police officer who must protect Jamie Foxx’s President (clearly modeled on Obama) during a paramilitary takeover of the White House. Where Olympus went dark and brutal, Emmerich goes big and bombastic: a presidential limo doing donuts on the White House lawn while firing a rocket launcher is peak Emmerich excess. The Tatum-Foxx chemistry is genuine, the action is spectacular and silly, and the film embraces its absurdity with a smile. It underperformed domestically but found an audience worldwide.