White House Down!!!!

White House Down.

Before you start thinking "wait I've already seen a white house siege film this year" and you would be right. Gerard Butler's film 'Olympus Has Fallen' was released this year and had a slightly same running theme as this film but they are different in certain ways. 

I could go through the whole storyline of the film but from what the trailers have shown you have already seen what the main storyline theme of the film is. As John Cale (Channing Tatum) is a U.S Capitol Police Officer he works constantly and never gets the chance to have some quality time with his teenage daughter Emily (Joey King). As John gets two tickets for a tour of the white house for his politics mad daughter he combines the visit for a Secret Service job interview with an old college acquittance Carol Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

With father and daughter seperated and the White House under attack from the inside the safety of the President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). As John is caught up in all the drama he decides to take matters into his own hands, vows to save his daughter, save the president and stop the terrorists who have taken over the White House. 

The storyline doesn't particularly deviate too much from this plot line, the odd few generic twist and turns that you could easily work out take place. Seeing a scene at the start showing head of the Presidential detail Martin Walker (James Woods) taking off his US flag pin badge from his lapel on his jacket clearly gives away straight away who is going to be behind the attack. Some scenes do escalate and at times you think "really oh so it's getting that ridiculous".

Tatum as the hulking hero fits into the film perfectly as he jumps, fights and shoots his way through the White House and looking unscathed at times. Foxx plays a more stupid, naive yet verbally articulate and at times geeky president which can come off as a homage to Barack Obama. 

A film with plenty of action yet the storyline is to be desired at times, if your after non stop action with clichéd plot twists that you could easily work out and don't need to think much about it then you'll enjoy this. An entertaining yet predictable film that brings the action, explosions and interesting storyline. 

5/10.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa!!!!

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

"Knowing me, Knowing you, AHAA!!" a quote from a comedic character who would take off and become more famous than the actor portraying him. I am of course talking about Alan Partridge from the creative and comedic mind of Steve Coogan, The Day Today was our first glimpse of Alan and he was to subsequently finally have his own show "Knowing Me, Knowing You" which was a comedic take on a chat show interviewing fake celebrities. With Alan being let go after just one series he was to return to our screens with "I'm Alan Partridge" a look at how Alan now lives in a local hotel and works at a local radio station. Finally getting a second series but not being too much a success Alan was to stay with his radio show.

This is of course where the film comes in, Alan is still working at North Norfolk Digital and is soon caught up in a situation that will possibly change the radio stations future. As Alan arrives at the radio station he soon finds out that the station is being taken over and changing it's name to be re-branded as "Shape". With his fellow radio DJ Pat Farrell (Colin Meaney) being sacked and Alan being spared his position at the station things take a turn for the worse. 

As the radio station has a new launch for the re-branding ex sacked DJ Pat storms the party with a double barrelled shotgun and decides to take the employees of the station hostage. With Alan being a close friend of Pat he is sent in to speak with him and try to work out what is wrong as Alan put's it "I am siege face".

Over the course of the film you see the classic Alan character come out in full force with facial expressions and one line quips coming thick and fast. As Alan slowly tries to help Pat he also has a secret to hide as well and soon enough Pat will find out. 

This film is classic Partridge and you get to see some great comedic scenes with Alan and it just shows that even after being away for a few years he's still funny. The storyline is a clever idea that works quite well, some ideas like the escaping from a toiler window and old hat jokes are not needed but they're funny ad you go along with it. A definite film for any Partridge fans as it has everything you would expect from him and more which is always a good thing. It's hard to condense a film which has so many one line jokes and also cover the story of the film as it goes by so quick but is so funny as well.

7/10.