A Crisis Worthy Of John McClane
Bruce Willis (and the Die Hard franchise he perpetuated) will always be judged next to the other famous action franchises of the 1980s, such as "Rocky", "Rambo", & "The Terminator". While all those series got re-booted in the 2000s, they also contained a heavy dose of nostalgia for the past. In "Live Free or Die Hard", however, it is "full steam ahead" with little time for remembrance.
For a basic plot summary, "Live Free" sees John McClane (Willis) pulled into another tense criminal situation when villain Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Oliphant) executes an event of cyber- terrorism severe enough to bring Washington to its knees. Along with "hack-boy" Matt Farrell (Justin Long), McClane sets out to find the perpetrators and bring them some 1980s-style justice.
This film really works primarily due to airtight direction & pacing. Director Len Wiseman never lets the pace flag whatsoever. When the action dies down, the wisecracks & humor ramps up. Suffice it to say that there is never a boring moment what with all the action, chases, explosions, technology, & typical Willis humor.
The main plot ("cyber-terrorism") also serves to usher McClane into the 21st century. McClane's old-school justice provides a nice counterpoint to the tech-nerd played by Long (who is actually, on a rare occasion, watchable in this effort).
Actually, the only negative thing I can say about this movie is that I almost wished it would have harkened back to the themes of the original even perhaps a bit more. There is a subplot involving the daughter of McClane, but little more is mentioned (besides a few "easter egg moments") regarding the original Die Hard trilogy.
Overall, though, "Live Free" is a great addition to the Die Hard cannon (already better than parts two & three). For an action-oriented film, it really holds its weight.
For a basic plot summary, "Live Free" sees John McClane (Willis) pulled into another tense criminal situation when villain Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Oliphant) executes an event of cyber- terrorism severe enough to bring Washington to its knees. Along with "hack-boy" Matt Farrell (Justin Long), McClane sets out to find the perpetrators and bring them some 1980s-style justice.
This film really works primarily due to airtight direction & pacing. Director Len Wiseman never lets the pace flag whatsoever. When the action dies down, the wisecracks & humor ramps up. Suffice it to say that there is never a boring moment what with all the action, chases, explosions, technology, & typical Willis humor.
The main plot ("cyber-terrorism") also serves to usher McClane into the 21st century. McClane's old-school justice provides a nice counterpoint to the tech-nerd played by Long (who is actually, on a rare occasion, watchable in this effort).
Actually, the only negative thing I can say about this movie is that I almost wished it would have harkened back to the themes of the original even perhaps a bit more. There is a subplot involving the daughter of McClane, but little more is mentioned (besides a few "easter egg moments") regarding the original Die Hard trilogy.
Overall, though, "Live Free" is a great addition to the Die Hard cannon (already better than parts two & three). For an action-oriented film, it really holds its weight.
- zkonedog
- 10 mar 2017