They couldn't cast Bruce Willis in the title role, so they settled for that Scottish actor who can't do an American accent without raising the right side of his upper lip. As Secret Service agent Mike Banning, Gerard Butler is tough (he boxes with the President), tender (he teaches the First Son all the ins and outs of White House security), and altruistic (he's married to a nurse who leaves it all on the ER floor, each and every day). So you know things aren't going to go well for Mike.
The bad news - Ashley Judd is the First Lady. The good news - she gets a side order of limo rear window to the face and dies after plunging into the icy Potomac within the film's first five minutes.
Then all the fun ends. Banning gets banished to a desk job at the U.S. Treasury because the mere sight of him now makes POTUS sad. As Banning's pushing paper, the White House suddenly and ridiculously gets taken over by a mob of angry North Koreans. Yes, kids, the No-Kos are Hollywood's new Nazis. Within minutes, virtually every agent guarding the Oval Office is dead, and the President, Vice President, and Secretary of Defense are being held hostage in the bunker by the Asian version of Dr. Evil. This guy even appears on a giant TV screen to taunt the Speaker of the House and the Secret Service Director, played by Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett - Central Casting's go-to people when a movie calls for stern, level-headed, well-spoken African Americans in positions of great power.
Somehow, Banning manages to survive the hail of gunfire and sneak into the White House all by his lonesome to save the day. Fortunately, no one has bothered to remove Banning's White House security codes and passwords (even though it's been seven months since he was given the boot), which make it quite convenient for him to come to the rescue.
But it's not all computers and electronic devices for Banning, no. When the No-Kos come at him with their guns, knives (you know how good those Asians are with knives, what with Benhihana Restaurant and all), and karate-kwon-do stuff, he takes 'em all down, one by one, until he finally reaches the Prez and walks him right out the front door.
When you're not raising your palm to your forehead over the torrent of impossible situations, you'll be laughing out loud at the dialogue that practically writes itself. When taunted by the nasty No-Kos, for example, virtually every character sneers and growls, "F**k you," including the President himself. How raw!
Two stars - one for the wise decision to violently dispose of Ashley Judd right off the bat, and one for Melissa Leo for being costumed up to look like Debbie Downer.
The bad news - Ashley Judd is the First Lady. The good news - she gets a side order of limo rear window to the face and dies after plunging into the icy Potomac within the film's first five minutes.
Then all the fun ends. Banning gets banished to a desk job at the U.S. Treasury because the mere sight of him now makes POTUS sad. As Banning's pushing paper, the White House suddenly and ridiculously gets taken over by a mob of angry North Koreans. Yes, kids, the No-Kos are Hollywood's new Nazis. Within minutes, virtually every agent guarding the Oval Office is dead, and the President, Vice President, and Secretary of Defense are being held hostage in the bunker by the Asian version of Dr. Evil. This guy even appears on a giant TV screen to taunt the Speaker of the House and the Secret Service Director, played by Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett - Central Casting's go-to people when a movie calls for stern, level-headed, well-spoken African Americans in positions of great power.
Somehow, Banning manages to survive the hail of gunfire and sneak into the White House all by his lonesome to save the day. Fortunately, no one has bothered to remove Banning's White House security codes and passwords (even though it's been seven months since he was given the boot), which make it quite convenient for him to come to the rescue.
But it's not all computers and electronic devices for Banning, no. When the No-Kos come at him with their guns, knives (you know how good those Asians are with knives, what with Benhihana Restaurant and all), and karate-kwon-do stuff, he takes 'em all down, one by one, until he finally reaches the Prez and walks him right out the front door.
When you're not raising your palm to your forehead over the torrent of impossible situations, you'll be laughing out loud at the dialogue that practically writes itself. When taunted by the nasty No-Kos, for example, virtually every character sneers and growls, "F**k you," including the President himself. How raw!
Two stars - one for the wise decision to violently dispose of Ashley Judd right off the bat, and one for Melissa Leo for being costumed up to look like Debbie Downer.