Die Hard 2 + 23 Years
Die Hard with a Vengeance + 18 Years
Live Free of Die Hard + 6 Years
Why I Saw This: I like the series even if the returns have been diminishing.
Cast: I am always happy to see Bruce Willis as John McClane. He is the franchise and knows exactly what he needs to do. Jai Courtney is the only other vaguely recognizable actor (ok, Mary Elizabeth Winstead has about 3 minutes of screen time too). Courtney is pretty generic in this. He and Willis have very little chemistry in what is essentially a buddy cop movie.
Plot: I'm not kidding when I say that I really don't know what this was about. Somehow, John McClane learns that his estranged son, who works for the CIA (or FBI or something) has been arrested for murder in Russia. He decides to go there and somehow they are abandoned by the CIA and there's something about a file, and the word nuclear was used a lot. Most action movies I know what is going on and forgive the inconsistencies. For this, I honestly didn't follow it. Basically, everything is a setup for big action sequences and even those were a little phoned in. I mean, they spent to money to make things go boom, but they all went one step too far and felt sloppy as a result. Oh yeah, and what's this shit about an estranged son? I don't think he ever said he didn't have a son or anything, but this strikes me as some major reworking of the character history, doesn't it? (I'm happy to admit if I'm wrong about never mentioning a son. I don't care to do the research though)
Franchises: Here's the thing about a franchise like this one. If there is a story, I am more than happy to have a sequel so I can hang out with that character again. The Pirates series is another good example. I love Captain Jack. He's a great character, as is John McClane. When I start getting irritated is when the movie seems to think merely having the character there is enough. That's my problem here. McClane was extremely muted in a way that even Live Free of Die Hard didn't include. Considering Willis' age and the trajectory of the movies, I hope this is the final installment.
Elephant in the Room: This one's at least R rated, right? Yes. The minimum requriements for this series is 1) Bruce Willis, 2) guns and explosions, and 3) Yippee ki yay Mother Fucker. It was refreshing to have them not working around that last part like they did in the last one.
To Sum Things Up:
If you absolutely adore the Die Hard movies, you will probably walk out disappointed but content. If you are fan of stupid action movies as long as things explode, guns are shot, and people are killed, then you will have a lot to like. If, say, you've been looking forward to see Amour all week, like buy don't love the Die Hard movies, and found yourself disappointed by Taken 2, you will be pretty unimpressed by this on almost every level.
To End on a Good Note:
It was refreshing to see a movie that looked good in an XD theater and WASN'T in 3-D.
Verdict (?): Strongly Don't Recommend
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