Double Feature: “White House Down” and “Monsters University”

One of my favorite things to do on a hot summer day is see a double feature at a movie theater. I often see two films that coincide time-wise and that I like. They usually have nothing in common which makes it fun: “Crank” and “the Illusionist” is a past example of this idea.

Recently, I caught two summer movies on the same day. What follows is a brief review of each:

“White House Down”-In this action movie about a White House siege, John Cale (Channing Tatum) is a Capitol Policeman for the federal government who hopes to join the Secret Service. After an interview with Special Agent Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal), he gets the news that this is not going to be possible. To gain favor with his daughter, he brings her along that day and takes a tour of the White House with her.  During the tour, chaos ensues in the form of a militant attack. To figure out who is behind this takeover, Cale has to use his training to protect President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) while keeping in mind his daughter is being used as leverage.

My Verdict: This movie is a victim of Hollywood’s recycled plot ideas. No one bases this on its own merit; they compare it to the earlier 2013 film “Olympus has Fallen”.  As for me, I judge it as an action movie that interjects humor amongst tense situations. Jamie Foxx is great as President Sawyer, and plays well against Channing Tatum’s John Cale. Tatum himself carries the action sequences well as John Cale. Other actors worth noting for their performances are James Woods (Agent Martin Walker), Jimmi Simpson (Tyler), and Richard Jenkinson (Eli Raphelson). (5.5 out of 10)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Monsters University”-This Pixar movie is an animated feature adults can enjoy as much as the kids. I see this story as “When Mike Met Sully”: the two “Monsters Inc.” team members meet up at Monsters University as rivals with a similar major: Scaring. They are opposites as Mike Wazowski (voiced by Billy Crystal) has the intellect and James P. Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman) has a legacy and presence that makes him popular.  Circumstances compel them to join forces with a lowly regarded campus fraternity- Oozma Kappa.  Through a series of Monsters University campus games, they face the issue of how to fit in at an academic institution.

My Verdict: In the past, Pixar has made you care about the emotional bond between a boy and his toys, and have shown that cars can carry more than just cargo.  In this prequel to “Monsters Inc.”, viewers see familiar characters Mike and Sully as college students with a self-assurance that gets quickly grounded to reality. The common higher education experience is oddly reflected in the characters’ journey.  I appreciate a good animated feature that tells a story, and “Monsters University” did just that. (7 out of 10)

*I want to credit the sources for my blog: www.whitehousedown.com/site, and www.imdb.com