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Die Hard 4.0 (2007)-

In some ways it feels that there has been too much time since the last film and as a result I didn't quite feel as connected to the character, like I needed a catch up of what he had been doing in the mean time.

It does have similarities to the third instalment though. As with that one, John has a civilian tagging along and I have to say I enjoyed the way that they bounced off of each other. Farrell gives John the knowledge to complete the task and John keeps Farrell alive to save the world.

There is also another team of experts back in an office trying to keep a grip on the situation and failing, so once again it does come across a bit like an episode of '24' (2002-10).

I did have to wonder if I was reading the map wrong though? How did McClane, a New York cop end up in Washington DC and then get to West Virginia and back to Baltimore and then DC again so quickly? It seems like it would take a lot longer than the time they had.

There's also a lot going on and if you're a bit technophobic, it's very easy to get lost. My advice would be to try and forget the jargon and just enjoy the action. I got completely set adrift, but still enjoyed the journey, despite some of the stunts being quite hard to believe, but that's the style of the film at the end of the day. However, it's also getting harder still to believe that McClane is the only one that can save the day.

With all of that said, I totally wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was, what with the 12 year interlude and it being a third sequel. I thought that I would be playing solitaire or sudoku half way through out of boredom due to repetition and a lack of interest. It's still got the fast pace though and you can't help but like the hero, despite and somewhat because of his faults.

The threat has been brought up to date even if John is still "Old School", but yet it still feels like something the character would react to.

If it wasn't for the technology, you could easily believe that the film was made more recently, as it hasn't really aged, but I suppose that could be said for the other 3 as well.

I really liked it. It's just what you want from an action film and with an established character that you know will win the day.

665.69/1000.

This series has it's silly moments, but you can't deny the action. Yes, it's over the top and ridiculous, but it's fun. The villain here is pretty good, and Justin Long brings some humour to it. Even the daughter is pretty good. If they keep making these movies, I"ll keep watching them.

The fourth installment of the infamous Die Hard franchise caused quite a split between the fans in terms of opinion. Many liked it, others loathed it. Here's why Live Free or Die Hard is actually a good action flick -

1. It's shot and edited very well. The man behind the camera did a great job and the film is entertaining as hell to watch because it's relentless. 2. The action. Now, many complained heavily that this movie turns John McLane into a superhero. Even though the degree of realism gets close to crossing the line sometimes, it's nothing short of pure entertainment. Every Die Hard movie broke certain conventionalities for the purpose of making a fun scene. All Die Hard movies twisted reality a little bit to spice up the action a bit. This one does have more of it, but at least for me it was awesome. Also, the stunts are amazing! Very impressive stuff! 3. Plot. Everyone runs out of ideas. Eventually, even the die hard audience of Die Hard would get tired of John McLane trying to stop baddies from breaking into a vault and stealing money. I like the idea of an old McLane being surrounded by all the technology that he doesn't understand. It also creates another difference between him and the bad guy, which adds more meaning to their rivalry. 4. The character of John McLane. Just as always, Bruce Willis is great as John McLane, it's obviously a signature role. He is just as great in this one as he was in the previous three. His witty remarks about the current situation always make you chuckle and his sarcastic attitude is always relevant.

The only thing that makes this an 8, not a 10, is the continuity errors that were painfully noticeable and lack of the bad guy on screen. Otherwise, this is the definition of an action movie done right. To me, it's not as good as 1 or 3 but better than 2.

Well, I must admit that I am rather impressed that the "Die Hard" franchise can remain this exciting and entertaining four movies into the franchise.

Initially I found the plot of the 2007 movie "Live Free or Die Hard" from writers Mark Bomback and David Marconi a bit off-putting, given the thematic cyberterrorism that the movie revolved around. But it grew on me and I came to like it as director Len Wiseman managed to put out a movie that was every bit up to speed with the previous three movies.

There is as much action and excitement in "Live Free or Die Hard" as there was in every previous installment in the franchise, so if you enjoyed any of the previous movies, you will also enjoy this 2007 movie.

"Live Free or Die Hard" had a pretty impressive cast. Of course you have action star Bruce Willis returning to the John McClane character. But the movie also have talents such as Justin Long, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis and Timothy Olyphant on the cast list. I was thrilled to see that they cast Timothy Olyphant for the villain in "Live Free or Die Hard", however he just wasn't given as much material to work with as the previous villains did in the previous 3 movies, so his character came off as being less detailed and interesting actually, which was a shame, because Olyphant is a good actor.

The storyline in "Live Free or Die Hard" deviates somewhat from the formula used on the previous three movies, for better or worse. I guess this gamble from writers Mark Bomback and David Marconi is something that you either like or dislike. Personally, I enjoyed it, as it brought some freshness to the franchise, while it kept the essence of the franchise at heart.

My rating of "Live Free or Die Hard" lands on a 7 out of 10 stars, once the dust has settled.

I think the criticism this movie has received is a little unfair. Personally I think it's great.

Are there plot holes? Sure. Does everything seem to magically work out? Yes. Does that take away from the entertainment value? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I love that you have low-tech, luddite, badass John McClane trying to solve a technology based terrorism plot. McClane and the tech whiz kid playing off each other is wonderfully hilarious.

Stop thinking too hard and just enjoy the sarcastic quips and pretty awesome action sequences.