Live Free or Die Hard movie review
Live Free or Die Hard....Die Hard 4.0...Die Hard 4...whatever you want to call it, I think you might as well call it a 'great movie' and forget the different titles. I mean, as far as Die Hard movies go, this one is good. Granted, I wouldn't say it is the absolute best, but it still has all the mixings in there of your typical Die Hard. Sarcastic, jaded, burnt out cop/evil scheming know it all bastard master mind/side kick along for the ride for comic relief/bunch of explosions, gun shots and senseless brutal violence. I mean, who could possibly ask for anything more?
If you are sitting there thinking that this is a 'shoot em up, blow em up' kind of movie...well, ok, you are right there. However, the characters make the movie so much more. MaClane, for some strange reason (besides him being totally invinsible and indestructable...I mean, the guy is like the damned energizer bunny that just keeps coming and coming) is actually incredibly life like and believable. Not a hero, just there to do a job. Making it true that heros are not brave, courageous people that do amazing stunts and feats of strength. A hero is someone that stands up for what they believe is right and holds to that conviction to the end cause it is true. He also pulls of this attitude with humility and doesn't come off as a self righteous twit.
Timothy Olyphant (who I remember from the creepy pimp in 'The Girl Next Door') plays Thomas Gabriel, the evil villian. SOOOOO much is said there right in the name 'Gabriel' that I had to shake my head. I can't elaborate simply because it would spoil too much, but I always find it funny when the writers put in names of people little twists and all. Like in Insomnia when Al Pacino plays a cop that can't sleep is called Detective Will Dormer, with Dormer being a play on the french work dormir (To sleep). However, I thought it was just old video games that made it obvious. I once played a game where the main character 'helping' you through the whole game was named Natas (Satan), only you find out later that he is the evil creature that you have defeat to win the game and you were a pawn. However, he does play his character extremely well. His character was right up there with the other villians of the Die Hard trilogy and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see how MaClane was going to kill that slimey bastard. There are two ways, in my mind, to make me want a character dead. Make him so annoying (any character with Paulie Shore) or self righteous (Optimus Prime) that you want him dead just so that you dont have to watch or listen to him; or make him so evil, so twisted and so heartless that death in the movies is what this bastard deserves because you know he could trick his way out on parole for good behavior and do it all over again. This guy was the latter.
The story and plot I have to admit was not the best. Though, when it comes to Die Hards I think it is just a case of you find a story line that works with the character, why bother changing it? I mean, Rambo works best in the jungle hunting down the enemy of choice that is after him, Predator works best when he is out hunting down people/things that deserve to be hunted (Predator and Alien VS Predator...Predator 2 was just stupid, though would love to see violent criminals being hunted by that thing), and John MaClane needs to be the 'monkey in the wrench, the fly in the ointment'. So while I was not surprised in the whole story, and even found myself calling a few of the plot 'twists', I was still happy with the way that it worked.
So, the only down side was the reused plot for dear old MaClane, but for action, comedy, explosions, sexy daughters and all over good time, I give Live Free or Die Hard 4 out of 5 stars, my butt cheeks were definitly not numb at the end of this movie and I will probably go and see it again, if not buy the DVD when it is released and have a complete Die Hard 1-4 night. I would say, out of all the block busters that have been released this summer, Die Hard has taken the lead.
If you are sitting there thinking that this is a 'shoot em up, blow em up' kind of movie...well, ok, you are right there. However, the characters make the movie so much more. MaClane, for some strange reason (besides him being totally invinsible and indestructable...I mean, the guy is like the damned energizer bunny that just keeps coming and coming) is actually incredibly life like and believable. Not a hero, just there to do a job. Making it true that heros are not brave, courageous people that do amazing stunts and feats of strength. A hero is someone that stands up for what they believe is right and holds to that conviction to the end cause it is true. He also pulls of this attitude with humility and doesn't come off as a self righteous twit.
Timothy Olyphant (who I remember from the creepy pimp in 'The Girl Next Door') plays Thomas Gabriel, the evil villian. SOOOOO much is said there right in the name 'Gabriel' that I had to shake my head. I can't elaborate simply because it would spoil too much, but I always find it funny when the writers put in names of people little twists and all. Like in Insomnia when Al Pacino plays a cop that can't sleep is called Detective Will Dormer, with Dormer being a play on the french work dormir (To sleep). However, I thought it was just old video games that made it obvious. I once played a game where the main character 'helping' you through the whole game was named Natas (Satan), only you find out later that he is the evil creature that you have defeat to win the game and you were a pawn. However, he does play his character extremely well. His character was right up there with the other villians of the Die Hard trilogy and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see how MaClane was going to kill that slimey bastard. There are two ways, in my mind, to make me want a character dead. Make him so annoying (any character with Paulie Shore) or self righteous (Optimus Prime) that you want him dead just so that you dont have to watch or listen to him; or make him so evil, so twisted and so heartless that death in the movies is what this bastard deserves because you know he could trick his way out on parole for good behavior and do it all over again. This guy was the latter.
The story and plot I have to admit was not the best. Though, when it comes to Die Hards I think it is just a case of you find a story line that works with the character, why bother changing it? I mean, Rambo works best in the jungle hunting down the enemy of choice that is after him, Predator works best when he is out hunting down people/things that deserve to be hunted (Predator and Alien VS Predator...Predator 2 was just stupid, though would love to see violent criminals being hunted by that thing), and John MaClane needs to be the 'monkey in the wrench, the fly in the ointment'. So while I was not surprised in the whole story, and even found myself calling a few of the plot 'twists', I was still happy with the way that it worked.
So, the only down side was the reused plot for dear old MaClane, but for action, comedy, explosions, sexy daughters and all over good time, I give Live Free or Die Hard 4 out of 5 stars, my butt cheeks were definitly not numb at the end of this movie and I will probably go and see it again, if not buy the DVD when it is released and have a complete Die Hard 1-4 night. I would say, out of all the block busters that have been released this summer, Die Hard has taken the lead.
posted by Capt_Canuck at 3:39 PM
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