Whenever I hear that they re planning a sequel to a franchise that came out of the 80s, I always wonder what good can come of it and yet I hope, often against hope, that if they weren t going to make it better than the previous films, they wouldn t even be entertaining the idea of another one. Well, I went into Live Free or Die Hard with this same hope, and I have to admit that the trailer got me very excited about the movie because it looked like everything I thought it should be. Die Hard set a sky-high standard for action movies with a good guy battling terrorists long before the heightened age of terror we live in today.
The original made Bruce Willis the tough, shining star he has become and paved the way for him to star in such hits as Sin City, Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, The Fifth Element, Armageddon and 12 Monkeys. The Die Hard title belongs to Willis and it s his Rocky, his Beverly Hills Cop, his Terminator. Only this latest installment, with blood so fresh its still wet behind the ears being directed by Len Wisemen (whose sole yet impressive directing credit belongs to the Underworld franchise) and written by Mark Bomback (with no significant writing credits in the very short list to his name to speak of) is arguably the most enjoyable of all.
Following his crazy, death-defying cowboy-style adventures Die Hard, Die Harder and Die Hard with a Vengeance, NYPD officer John McClane is back in action. He s faced terrorists of all kinds in every bad situation and tough spot that any normal person would never survive. This time though, McClane is called upon to bring in a computer whiz/hacker named Will Farrell (Justin Long, Jeepers Creepers and Galaxy Quest ).
Will s being set up for a big fall by bad guy of the moment Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant, Dreamcatcher and Go ) and McClane must protect him on a hectic day in Washington D.C. When the country s electronic systems are taken over by the evil suit and his Kung Fu girlfriend (Maggie Q, Mission: Impossible III ), McClane must help the nation get back the technology that allows us to go about our everyday lives.
And of course, he gets some help from his equally snarky and quick-witted new sidekick Will. McClane must also deal with his daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winston, Bobby and Grindhouse ) who has a fierce independent streak and her father s attitude. This could have so easily become a cliche string of explosions and forgettable one-liners, but Live Free lives up to its Die Hard name.
McClane is as lovable, priceless and audacious to a fault as ever. He doesn t have everything figured out, but he knows what he has to do and he does everything he can to do it, no matter what. Willis never misses a beat and the adrenaline keeps you wired the whole time as you re cheering him on the whole way.
It s everything Die Hard should be, and there s not a second to disappoint. The threat and the situation that grip McClane and the country are plausible and worked to the best of their ends. There s plenty of cars, trucks, aircraft, shoot-outs, fights, explosions and punch to engage audiences that probably wouldn t think they d be interested in this movie at all, and if you haven t seen any of the first three movies, it s still possible to get caught up in the thrills and spills, tangles and tight spots of this one.
The characters draw you in and keep you interested, and McClane is as up to the task as ever, pulling off some really outrageous, but wholly entertaining stunts to get the job done. If you re looking for a movie just to have a good time, this is the one you want. Live Free couldn t be more of a fun ride with all the stops pulled out to keep you on the edge of your seat and hanging on as everyone s favorite cowboy cop bursts onto the scene to remind us what real action movies are made of.
Sure the way he does it is unbelievable and impossible, but Willis does it like nobody else can and he s got what it takes to keep you with him every step of the way. And don t miss out on Kevin Smith s cameo as the Warlock, the greatest tech geek to ever live and the only one to ever trade quip-filled screen time with Bruce Willis that could make you laugh at the absurd irony of their juxtaposition alone. It boils down to simple high-octane Die Hard perfection.
Every shot is awesome scene for scene for scene, and the stunts are rockin time and time again, and you ll root root root for McClane because you know he s your guy; he s why you have to see it and he s why you ll love it. Want nonstop entertainment that lives up to its reputation? Yippee-ki-yay… (You know the rest.
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Transformers Review by Victoria. Sunshine (2007) Review by The Dude. Whenever I hear that they re planning a sequel to a franchise that came out of the 80s, I always wonder what good can come of it and yet I hope, often against hope, that if they weren t going to make it better than the previous films, they wouldn t even be entertaining the idea of another one.
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