BLU-RAY REVIEW

White House Down

Featured In Issue 181, November 2013

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
41755
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Prolonged sequences of action and violence including intense gunfire and explosions, some language and a brief sexual image
(Retail Price):
$40.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
131
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A, B & C
(Theatrical Year):
2013
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
11/05/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Roland Emmerich
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

In White House Down, Capital Policeman John Cale (Tatum) has been denied his dream job with the Secret Service of protecting President James Sawyer (Foxx). Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country. (Gary Reber)

Special features include a gag reel (HD 06:04); 13 featurettes: A Dynamic Duo (HD 04:09), The Beast (HD 05:15), Men Of Action (HD 03:43), The Full Arsenal (HD 04:47), VFX Boundaries Down (HD 03:33), The Inside Story (HD 02:53), Presidential Treatment (HD 04:28), Lights, Camera, Heart-Pumping Action (HD 03:24), Roland Emmerich—Upping The Action (HD 05:08), Crashing The Oval Office (HD 03:49), Drowning The Beast (HD 03:25), Re-creating The White House (HD 09:23), and Meet The Insiders (HD 05:13); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is fantastic, with a strong dynamic contrast that exhibits deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. The color palette is saturated and exhibits warm and rich hues, which enhances the vibrant imagery. Fleshtones are accurately rendered. Everything looks perfectly natural and dimensional. Resolution is excellent, with impressive detail and fine nuanced textures revealed throughout. Close-ups are finely resolved, which enhances the intense realism. This is a reference-quality picture, with vibrant color saturation and resolution exhibited throughout. As well, the picture is pristine, with excellent clarity. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is driven by an impressively recorded orchestral score that images wide and deep and extends aggressively to the surrounds. Instrument timbre is excellent. Atmospherics and sound effects, as well as Foley, are effectively rendered, which enhances realism. During the action scenes, gunfire, explosions, helicopters, and other sound effects are directionalized and provide an aggressive enveloping soundfield. Deep bass is often intense and reinforced in the .1 LFE channel. Generally, dialogue is nicely integrated spatially. All the elements are effectively fused, for an outstanding holosonic® soundfield experience that perfectly complements the beautiful picture. (Gary Reber)