It has been twelve years since John McClane graced the movie screen. He was last seen in the VERY underrated "Die Hard With A Vengeance" (which is where I get my blog name of course). In my opinion, the "Die Hard" series has been a series in which each film gets progressively better. There is no bad "Die Hard" movie, and for me, the third was always way ahead of its time when it was released. That having been said, this summer is all about "Live Free or Die Hard," the latest entry in the iconic series.
"Live Free or Die Hard" is a technology driven movie. Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) is an ex-government employee, who after 9/11, attempted to warn the government about their technology being wide open for terrorist attacks. He was denied by his superiors. When he attempted to go public, they destroyed his credibility and his career and he was left with nothing. The film begins with a hack job on various government systems, using programs designed by various low key hackers. These hackers are they killed one by one by the organization lead by Gabriel. One of these hackers is Matthew Farrell (Justin Long). Enter Detective John McClane (do I even need to tell you?), whose job is to escort Ferrell to the DHS in Washington DC to aid in stopping Gabriel. Gabriel's goal is to release a "fire sale," which essentially shuts down the world. First it starts with traffic accidents because of faulty signals, then it gets bigger with the stock market crash and eventually half of the Eastern seaboard shutting down. So McClane protects Gabriel against the usual henchman and dispatches them in interesting and unique ways, followed by a one liner that only McClane could make work in a film like this.
What makes this film work for me is its ongoing theme. John McClane is an analog cop in a digital threat. The bad guys are smarter this time around, and he is up against a plot that he never fully understands. To me, the film mainly showcases the high tech action films of late with the old school nature of "Die Hard" injected right in.The action in this entry is some of the best so far. Anyone who has seen the trailer knows exactly what I am talking about. The scene in the tunnel where the car flips through the air and nearly crushes McClane and Ferrell is amazing to me. I could watch that stunt over and over again. Most people have complained that the final showdown with Jet and the Semi was straight out of "True Lies," a movie in which I don't remember ever seeing a semi truck.
This "Die Hard" had the most at stake, or so it seems. This threat basically effects all of America this time around, as opposed to just New York or a single airport. I was impressed with the level of detail they had for the threats. Traffic accidents that occur due to faulty signals does not sound very menacing until you see an overhead shot of the city and you see dozens of accidents at every intersection. The very fabric of the country seems at stake and it basically is all leading up to a world wide meltdown.Bruce Willis easily slips right back into the character of John McClane without skipping a beat. All the same rules apply to McClane here (ie. McClane has to bleed, and you can't ever stop McClane). He has some great one liners here, but nothing quite as memorable as those found in the third movie. Justin Long did a good job with his jokes as well. To me this kid is one of those instantly likeable characters regardless of what movie he is in, and he worked well here. Above all else, Maggie Q held my attention the longest. She plays the girlfriend of Thomas Gabriel, and man, she was smoking hot. People are afraid of the PG-13 rating, but I can honestly say that at no time did I ever feel that anything was being watered down. It certainly did not feel PG-13.
Many people complain that it does not feel like a "Die Hard" movie. These are the same people who disliked "Die Hard With A Vengeance." The only time it didn't feel like "Die Hard" to me was the opening. Each "Die Hard" just starts. No credits. No nothing. This one had credits. Small problem, but not enough to take away from the overall experience. Also, the villian is by far the weakest of the series. I will give "Live Free or Die Hard" credit, however. A villian who is nothing more than a nerd with the know how to shut down the world is still just a nerd, therefore his actions are more menacing than his looks. Not everyone can be Hans Gruber.
This summer was all about "Live Free or Die Hard" for me. I was eagerly awaiting this movie and I am looking forward to the years that go by so that it settles in with the rest of the others. There is already talk from Bruce Willis that he wants to get one more "Die Hard" out before he gets too old. More good news.
No comments:
Post a Comment