The plotting is ridiculous, just as it was in “Olympus Has Fallen,” but Emmerich does a far better job with the over-the-top material. He recognizes and embraces the silliness of the story, turning “White House Down” into a bracing action film that is often funny and always entertaining. Tatum, of course, has a great deal to do with this. His natural charisma and impressive physique allow him to be witty and heroic simultaneously, and he is particularly good when playing across from Foxx. 

His early light science-fiction films garnered him much attention in Hollywood, but nothing compared to the 1996 blockbuster "Independence Day" (which also put Will Smith on the map as a blockbuster film star). Two years later, his film "Godzilla" topped the groundbreaking visual effects of "Independence Day", further proving the quality of his films. "The Patriot" (2000), a great historical piece set in the time of the American Revolution, traded widespread terror from aliens and monsters for widespread blood and gore.