The much-awaited return of John McClane...

THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE THEATRICAL VERSION

"All you gotta do is go pick up a kid down in New Jersey, and drive him down to D.C. How hard can that be, huh? Can't be that hard, now, can it? No, gotta be a senior detective. Think like a traffic jam, throwing a car at me's gonna stop me? Huh?"

According to Bruce Willis, money wasn't the reason he agreed to return to the Die Hard series for this fourth entry...he just wasn't satisfied with Die Hard 2: Die Harder or Die Hard: With a Vengeance. The second Die Hard movie was highly entertaining nonsense, but it was fairly undercut because it replicated the original too often and there were too many utterly preposterous action scenes. The third, while almost on par with the original, altered the formula to create more of a Lethal Weapon style buddy action flick. Willis reportedly wanted to give John McClane a more fitting farewell. Live Free or Die Hard (known in other countries as Die Hard 4.0) thus entered pre-production.

From the outset Willis aimed to go back to the original formula of focusing primarily on John McClane and diminishing the humour in favour of pure action. In tradition with any action movie sequel, the film had to up the ante and push the envelope. This time the old-fashioned John McClane finds himself battling cyber-terrorism. While Willis wanted Live Free or Die Hard to be superior to the previous sequels (in an interview he even stated it was better than the first film), this is the weakest in the series. However, that's a fairly faint criticism. The film still supplies the action, it moves at a breakneck pace and it's wholly exhilarating.

Prior to the eventual release of Live Free or Die Hard, there were countless controversies and concerns. First of all, Len Wiseman was handed the reigns. While his Underworld movies were fun and action-packed, they were too digital...and the Die Hard series is anything but digital. Justin Long was another worry. This is the guy from the Mac commercials! Last but not least, the most significant controversy was this being the first Die Hard movie to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA. The previous instalments were rated R for good reasons: violence was severe, profanity was frequent, and bloodshed was graphic. The decision to dilute the content was because this was a summer blockbuster and it'd die at the box office with so many other PG-13 titles hitting the cinema. This proves that Hollywood studios no longer possess the balls or backbone to continue producing R-rated action flicks. I had reasonably low expectations for this film with the PG-13 rating in mind, though it didn't stop me from looking forward to it (especially with the incredible trailers, rave reviews and a temporary position on the IMDb Top 250). While this fourth Die Hard outing is a mild disappointment, it's still an entertaining action romp and a worthy film to rest under the Die Hard banner.

"You're a Timex watch in a digital age!

The terrorists this time are a group of hackers who begin a cyber-terrorism plot to systematically shut down the United States. We find John McClane (Willis) who has now passed his prime. He's long divorced and having trouble establishing a relationship with his daughter Lucy (Winstead). Now McClane works for the NYPD and occasionally does jobs for the United States Department of Homeland Security. On the eve of Independence Day, there's a breach in the FBI computer system. In retaliation the FBI wishes to interview all the most notorious hackers who could be capable of hacking their system. John McClane is contacted and ordered to collect a young hacker named Matt Ferrell (Long). This seemingly straightforward assignment results in McClane becoming entangled in the cyber-terrorism attack. It's a call of duty for McClane as he feels compelled to do whatever he can. Once again the FBI and the regular police force are useless, and the duties of saving the day fall to McClane.

Live Free or Die Hard is a straightforward summer blockbuster. There's an abundance of action to witness, and there's a lot of fun to be had. Needless to say, the action is extremely over-the-top. The over-the-top nature of the action is among the film's downfalls. One of the most controversial sequences was McClane battling an F-35 fighter jet while a highway collapses. It's an exhilarating sequence, but some of the CGI is somewhat obvious and similar to that of a video game. There's also a ludicrous scene during which McClane jumps out of a car that conveniently keeps moving at full speed and crashes into a conveniently placed helicopter. It's preposterous to extremes, but then again all the Die Hard films have their fair share of ridiculous moments. This is a film that was made to entertain, and it accomplishes this goal.

I'm pleased to report that the traditional shootouts are both exciting and energetic. The first shootout (in Matt Ferrell's apartment) is simply thrilling to watch. Arguably the best action scene of 2007 is also present in this movie: a helicopter pursuing guys on the street. A car chase ensues. It's pulse-pounding and exciting. When this sequence concludes with a car crashing into a helicopter it may be preposterous but it's a practical special effect. Normally, in this digital age, heavy CGI would be employed. This is not the case. For relying on stunt-work and practical explosions, the creative team deserve to be lauded. There's also a scene in an elevator shaft that'll have you on the edge of your seat. Len Wiseman lacks the flair of John McTiernan and Renny Harlin, but for a young and moderately inexperienced lad his efforts are commendable. However, the directing/editing collaboration at times is appalling. Painfully obvious ADR (popular theory is that these scenes were profanity-laced but had to have new dialogue recorded to obtain the PG-13 rating), close-ups not matching long shots, continuity looking utterly messy, and so on. For such a modern action movie, I never expected to witness this low standard when it comes to editing.

"Another day in paradise.

In tradition with the rest of the Die Hard series, the special effects are (for the most part) absolutely terrific. A lot of stunts and practical effects are employed with remarkable results. And of course, no Die Hard flick is complete without the customary tense music and spectacular sound effects. This is the first instalment in the series without the music of Michael Kamen. Instead, young composer Marco Beltrami was brought onboard. This was subject to further worrying, but Beltrami's efforts are incredibly effective. The trademark Die Hard music is frequently employed. This music raises the tension when it wants to, and gets your heart racing during the action.

Mark Bomback has constructed a surprisingly terrific script. To be honest, I never expected this guy to produce anything worthwhile. Bomback did write that turkey known as Godsend, after all. Despite his previous bombs, Bomback mixes classic McClane wisecracks and witticisms with enjoyable scenarios. McClane's sarcasm, wit and hilarious remarks are continual. Other characters are also given legendary, quotable one-liners.

It's been twelve years since Die Hard: With a Vengeance, yet Bruce Willis is capable of slipping into the character of John McClane again with ease. He's a much older and more mature McClane, but at heart he's still the action hero we all know and love. It's a shame he wasn't given more f-bombs to drop, though. This is among the script's shortcomings. But Willis is in good shape: he's still handy in close combat, he's still dexterous with a gun, and he is still an utter badass. In fact, despite the diluted violence there is still a lot of killing. There isn't much blood, but McClane is brutal and efficient in dispatching enemies. Naturally, McClane is still a hero who's easy to root for. This time he has found no solace in a life of being a hero. It must be said that McClane's occasional superhuman capabilities are somewhat distracting, though, especially towards the end. Thankfully it's still fun and exhilarating.

Justin Long is McClane's sidekick for this adventure. A young actor famous for Mac commercials, I hear you ask? Fear not. Long has done everything the script called for him to do. He offers a very believable character.
Timothy Olyphant was endlessly criticised for not being as sinister or as evil as the other villains in the series. Truth be told, he's probably a little underwhelming. Nevertheless, his character is a disgruntled government worker who goes postal on the system he helped design. Being more sinister would have made his character far less realistic in my opinion.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead appears as John McClane's daughter. Not only is Mary a great actress, but she's quite hot. As Mary is playing McClane's daughter, she's also feisty and witty.
Other additions to the cast include a very memorable Cliff Curtis and a slick Maggie Q. Jonathan Sadowski and Cyril Raffaelli are also terrific. Then there's Kevin Smith as an overweight hacker literally still living in his mother's basement. Smith is a delight to watch.

Live Free or Die Hard scratches an itch that needed scratching. Over the course of the past 10 years, the traditional shoot 'em up action flick morphed into something else. Something...lamer. Take The Mummy and its sequels. Or anything Tony Scott has done lately: style over substance plagues the frame, with the shaky cam/fast cutting syndrome dominating modern action films. Die Another Day was widely criticised by audiences, and regarded as the worst Bond in history for the overuse of digital effects instead of miniatures or more practical effects. If everything is digital or incomprehensibly filmed, it feels like there's less danger. CGI these days barely enhances...it overwhelms to the point of distraction. You have to be a really talented director to pull off a CGI fest. Len Wiseman is the right man in the right place. Despite the Underworld films being the worst offenders of cheesy CGI, he wisely eschews his big bag of digital tricks for Live Free or Die Hard. He goes old school; making use of stuntmen, real exploding cars and extensive sets. This is a movie a little out of touch with modern times and frankly it's a breath of fresh air.

Live Free or Die Hard is the weakest in the Die Hard series, but by no means is it a terrible movie. There's so much creativity being offered in the scenarios, characters and one-liners. Cyber-terrorism is also a potent issue in this digital age, thus creating an interesting premise. This is a summer flick, and a damn fine summer blockbuster at that! The action never slows down, the suspense keeps building and the wisecracks keep coming. It's competently made as well. There are shortcomings, such as the ridiculously over-the-top action sequences, the crummy editing and the lack of genuine Die Hard content...but it doesn't matter. This is a beer and pizza/popcorn event. It exists to entertain, and it does that. It's by far one of the most solid action movies of the 2007 summer season. I loved it! The film was later re-edited in and uncut version.

"You know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. You get a little pat on the back, blah blah blah, attaboy. You get divorced. Your wife can't remember your last name. Your kids don't want to talk to you. You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me, kid, nobody wants to be that guy."

7.7/10

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Added by PvtCaboose91 1 year ago on 8 November 2008 11:51