Live Free or Die Hard
Review by Bryan Kenny
Directed by Len Wiseman
Produced by Michael Fottrell
Starring:
Bruce Willis as John McClane
Justin Long as Matt Farrell
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lucy McClane
Timothy Olyphant as Thomas Gabriel
Kevin Smith as Warlock
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Quick Overview:
Die Hard (1988) follows the explosive exploits of Officer John McClane of the New York Police Department, trying to save his wife and her co-workers from a well organized terrorist-like group of thieves led by Hans Gruber (played by Alan Rickman).
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990), Mr. McClane finds himself battling terrorists who have taken control of an airport from their base that was setup in a small church, while his wife's plane circles the runway and gradually runs out of fuel.
Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), John partners up with a racist black man (played by Samuel L. Jackson), they are sent on a wild goose chase around New York City disarming bombs, solving riddles and dodging bullets all the while, John is battling a hangover. All that befalls the unlikely duo is orchestrated by a man who calls himself Simon, playing a twisted, sadistic game of Simon Says. You later find out that Simon is the brother of Hans Gruber, which explains the question that one may have about his fixation on making life for John, to say the least, miserable.
Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Review:
I have to say, Bruce Willis still has it in him, reprising his role as John McClane in the fourth installment in the Die Hard series, mounting a one-man war on a terrorist group. In Live Free or Die Hard, McClane is ordered to escort a hacker to Washington DC for questioning by the FBI. This hacker, Matt Farrell played by Justin Long is a target for the terrorist group. The group had enlisted the aid of numerous hackers from all over the United States to write various programs, viruses, coding etc. under the pretence that it was to help check the stability of various systems. The terrorist group would actually put these various things to use in what is called a Fire Sale. Once they receive the file from each hacker, they eliminate any possible interference via exploding computers. The terrorists, as always, did not count on John McClane being there to throw a wrench into their plans, so now John becomes a target as well. Then they make the mistake of kidnapping his daughter.
As a fan of the series, I was very much impressed with this one. I was a little hesitant when I heard the announcement, but there has not been a Bruce Willis movie that I have not recommended, and that still holds true with Live Free or Die Hard. This is an action packed thrill ride, with the classic John McClane attitude and infamous one-liners.
I did not follow the development quite as closely with this one as I did with Transformers. I went into the theatre with high hopes, because the first of the series, Die Hard was amazing. The second, Die Hard 2: Die Harder did not live up to its predecessor, but it was still viewable. The third installment, Die Hard With a Vengeance redeemed the franchise after Die Hard 2. Live Free or Die Hard is the exception to the common mindset of sequels always being worse than the first in a series. In this case, Live Free or Die Hard, in my opinion, is better than the previous two installments and is almost on par with Die Hard.
Aside from the fact that it is a Bruce Willis flick, Die Hard, is just my kind of movie, a big selling point for me was that Kevin Smith plays a semi-significant role in the movie. This movie has something for everyone; comedy, suspense, action, and a touching story of a man, who never asked to be a hero, so dedicated to his job as a New York police officer that it ruined his marriage and his children want nothing to do with him. I wholeheartedly recommend Live Free or Die Hard to everyone.
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