Die Hard Again (Die Hard 4.0 (DVD))

Member Name: Jake Speed

Product:	Die Hard 4.0 (DVD)
Date:	26/08/07 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Action-packed fun

Disadvantages: A bit contrived

Die Hard 4.0 (or Live Free or Die Hard) saw Bruce Willis return to the iconic role of detective John Mclane for the first time in seventeen years. I think Die Hard (1988) might be the greatest action film ever made so a new John Mclane adventure certainly piqued my interest despite a lot of negative internet coverage prior to the release of the film. The geeky film sites were not happy with the choice of Underworld director Len Wiseman or the decision to cut the film to obtain a PG-13 certificate. Die Hard was a product of the action-packed and frequently violent eighties. Back then a lot of the blockbusters (Robocop, Total Recall, Predator) were 18 certificates. The original Die Hard had its share of blood and violence but was also the most inventive and compact action film you'll find. The lesser rating for Die Hard 4.0 was a mild concern for me but, unlike some it seems who couldn't wait to savage the film, I was prepared to give it a chance.

The beginning of the film doesn't quite feel right. Bruce Willis (playing Mclane completely bald for the first time) looks older and underplays it. He seems a lot more benign and we see him meeting his now grown-up daughter in a slightly akward scene. The titles are full of computer screens and keyboards which isn't the most exciting thing in the world to look at. About ten or fifteen minutes in I was struggling to stay awake and starting to wonder if the whole thing was a mistake. The excellent and underrated Die Hard With A Vengance might have been a good place to leave Mclane, I thought to myself.

Happily, Die Hard 4.0 clicked into gear soon after and my early doubts faded. Mclane is assigned to pick up a nerdy computer hacker played by Justin Long. The team of Mclane and Long sounded awful to me and an attempt to pander to a younger audience. Actually though, Long is quite amusing and likeable and makes a good team with Willis. Mclane gets to Long just in time to save him. The noisy and claustrophobic action scene that follows kickstarts the film and gets Mclane/Willis back to doing what he does best.

The plot of Die Hard 4.0, even by the standards of popcorn action epics, is a tad contrived. Timothy Olyphant heads the villains, a high-tec bunch who gain control of the United States' computer systems. I remember reading a review of the Die Hard 4 script a long time ago and I wasn't convinced by the set-up, especially the baddies and the evil computer hackers angle. I'm still not quite convinced that it was the best or most plausible mcguffin for another Mclane adventure but Die Hard 4.0 is so entertaining you gloss over it in the end. I'm not quite sure what the exact goal of the villains was but I though they were pretty good. Timothy Olyphant is no Alan Rickman (or Jeremy Irons) but he was nicely effective.

As the villains begin to exert their control over the US computer systems and tinker with traffic lights, shut off power and pretend to blow the White House up (!), Len Wiseman amps up the action. Mclane destroys a helicopter with a plane and drives a jeep down a liftshaft. Bruce Willis starts to wisecrack and you really feel like Mclane is back. One of the best things about the Die Hard films is the banter between Mclane and the villains. Willis is given a lot of this in Die Hard 4.0 and he recaptures that well, be it insulting Maggie Q as he drives a car with her on the bonnet or goading villain Timothy Olyphant on a walkie-talkie. Mclane was always funny and I was happy to see the filmakers understood this and used it. Also, Mclane was a reluctant hero forced into incredible situations. In this film you get a slight sense of that again. You don't feel that this (older) Mclane is leaping into trouble for fun. He's trying to help just because he might be the only one who can.

The close quarter fights pack a punch and people pay a price for each punch or fall. As far as action goes Die Hard 4.0 doesn't feel like a PG-13. The only problem is language. Being a PG-13 Mclane doesn't swear in this film and I did miss that. It doesn't quite feel right to have mild language in a Die Hard film.

The film goes a little over the top near the end with a scene that will remind you of True Lies but I smiled all the way through it. Len Wiseman directs the film in an efficient and businesslike manner. I liked the fact that he kept the film moving at a good pace. He's a decent action director and he sticks to what he knows best for much of the film.

Complaints? Nothing major. The story could have been better and I never really understood what the final goal of the villains was. Mclane not being allowed to swear was slightly disappointing. Also, at 130 minutes the film could probably have lost ten or fifteen minutes without losing anything. Kevin Smith's cameo as a computer hacker didn't really work for me and seemed a bit out of place.

Overall though, Die Hard 4.0 is great fun and I felt more than satisfied that I got my money's worth. If you want two hours of undemanding action nonsense and fun you should check this film out.



Directed by Len Wiseman
Produced by Michael Fottrell

Written:
Mark Bomback
Story:
Mark Bomback
David Marconi

Cast:
Bruce Willis
Timothy Olyphant
Justin Long
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Maggie Q

Music by Marco Beltrami
Editing by Nicolas De Toth
Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Running time 130 minutes

Summary: Great fun