Went to a preview of this action movie with my hubby and I enjoyed it. I don't usually go much for action films where the violence is gory (in this case where innocents get shot down in a bloodthirsty way) but somehow, it fitted the premise. Also sadly, considering recent events with North Korea and the tragic Boston marathon bombing, it seemed a far more plausible plot that the Whitehouse would be attacked by terrorists.
When the Whitehouse is attacked by terrorists, disgraced ex-Presidential guard Mike Banning, Gerard Butler (The Ugly Truth, Machine Gun Preacher) uses his inside knowledge to rescue both the President, Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Battle Los Angeles) and his son Connor, Finley Jacobsen (Marmaduke, Marley and Me). The brilliant Morgan Freeman (Seven, Shawshank Redemption) plays Speaker Trumbull who is made Acting President following the attack and the excellent Angela Bassett (Malcolm X, Waiting to Exhale) plays Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs. All are convincing, as is Rick Yune (Die Another Day, The Fast and the Furious) as big bad Kang and the only let down is Dylan McDermott as Forbes (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Practice), who you know is a bad guy when you first get introduced to him and he hasn't betrayed anyone yet.
There are holes, e.g. how does Forbes get in and out of the locked-down bunker to try and kill Banning? But if you bypass this, it is similar to an episode of 24 (save America from nuclear meltdown) or the new Die Hard.
Obviously, as it plays like a Die Hard film, you have to leave your brain at the door in terms of believability: that one man could save the day in this situation, but once you do this, it is a very engaging film.
More Die Hard than Bruce Willis 7/10
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