Live Free or Die Hard: Die Hard 4
Live Free or Die Hard is about John McClane’s (Bruce Willis) entanglement in the newest bout of terrorism against the United States. This time, he faces a foe beyond his technological intelligence: techno-terrorism. The terrorists (American with aid of the French) initial what’s called a Fire Sale: a shutdown of all major digital services, including services, power, Wall Street, banks records, FAA, communication and on.
What I find most interesting about this film, outside of the fact that it is a kick ass summer action film that will forever be burned into the back of my mind, is that it addresses such a real threat that currently exists. We live in an age where we rely very heavily on technology, be it our business, social services, hospitals, communication, whatever. It was interesting to see how the world might be crippled if such services were rendered useless or unavailable. Overall, the “concept” of the film was rather believable. That’s not to say that such sequences involving fighter jets, and semi trucks are everyday happenings; I’m saying that the terrorists, their motives, and their actions are very believable and convincing.
I think there are two major things that make action films good: being able to relate and root for the main characters, and being in a situation where the action doesn’t dull to tell story. This film achieves both. John McClane is a character we’ve followed for years. We know who he is, why he does the things he does, why he laughs, why he stones up. We know his past about his wife, his daughter and why he finds it easy to kill. On the flip side, he’s paired with Matt Ferrell (Justin Long), a weaker character looking to find the way to sturdy up. These two men work together to find a balance to solve the problems at hand. And both characters actually keep their depth without going into unnecessary exposition to explain their fears.
That being said, the action doesn’t stop once it gets going. The bad guy, Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) never yields as the calm, soft spoken but powerfully dangerous nemesis in this film. The action, though not necessarily realistic, does make this film an excellent watch in terms of action films. Director Len Wiseman and crew do an excellent job keeping the audience visually interested in both the exterior shots of the nation falling apart, as well as the cyber world crumbling at the fingertips of Gabriel.
If you love the Die Hard series, you’ll enjoy this film. It might not be your favorite, but it certainly does have its moments. As a stand alone action, it holds its ground, relying very little on the previous McClane films. It’s what I will call the better of the two “near-July 4th” releases, up against Michael Bay’s Transformers. I suggest seeing Live Free or Die Hard as I enjoyed it from reel to reel. It’s worth the ticket regardless of the city. 7.7 of 10 (A- in action)
What I find most interesting about this film, outside of the fact that it is a kick ass summer action film that will forever be burned into the back of my mind, is that it addresses such a real threat that currently exists. We live in an age where we rely very heavily on technology, be it our business, social services, hospitals, communication, whatever. It was interesting to see how the world might be crippled if such services were rendered useless or unavailable. Overall, the “concept” of the film was rather believable. That’s not to say that such sequences involving fighter jets, and semi trucks are everyday happenings; I’m saying that the terrorists, their motives, and their actions are very believable and convincing.
I think there are two major things that make action films good: being able to relate and root for the main characters, and being in a situation where the action doesn’t dull to tell story. This film achieves both. John McClane is a character we’ve followed for years. We know who he is, why he does the things he does, why he laughs, why he stones up. We know his past about his wife, his daughter and why he finds it easy to kill. On the flip side, he’s paired with Matt Ferrell (Justin Long), a weaker character looking to find the way to sturdy up. These two men work together to find a balance to solve the problems at hand. And both characters actually keep their depth without going into unnecessary exposition to explain their fears.
That being said, the action doesn’t stop once it gets going. The bad guy, Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) never yields as the calm, soft spoken but powerfully dangerous nemesis in this film. The action, though not necessarily realistic, does make this film an excellent watch in terms of action films. Director Len Wiseman and crew do an excellent job keeping the audience visually interested in both the exterior shots of the nation falling apart, as well as the cyber world crumbling at the fingertips of Gabriel.
If you love the Die Hard series, you’ll enjoy this film. It might not be your favorite, but it certainly does have its moments. As a stand alone action, it holds its ground, relying very little on the previous McClane films. It’s what I will call the better of the two “near-July 4th” releases, up against Michael Bay’s Transformers. I suggest seeing Live Free or Die Hard as I enjoyed it from reel to reel. It’s worth the ticket regardless of the city. 7.7 of 10 (A- in action)
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