Written by: Guest Bloggers at 1:17 pm
Written By: Wes
It has been twelve years since Die Hard With A Vengeance, the last installment of the popular “Die Hard” series. A lot has changed since then. Bruce Willis is older and balder. Action films deal more with superheroes then regulars guys like John McClane. Michael Bay has popularized clichéd action filmmaking with rapid cuts and a glossy look. The original Die Hard was a revolution for the genre, when it was released in 1988. So how could the aged concept live strong in 2007?
The film opens up with McClane (Willis) doing what would be expected: being an overprotective father to his estranged daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, that little bit of exposition fades quickly, when he gets called to pick up a computer hacker, Matthew Farrell (Justin Long), and take him to Washington, D.C. Things don’t go as planned, of course, when the two are ambushed by assassins connected to a hi-tech terrorist group, led by Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant).
In two of the three Die Hard films, the terrorist plots were small-scale: create a hostage situation while secretly pilfering money from the bank (the second film dealt with rescuing a drug lord from prison, and then getting rich). Live Free is different in that it is a BIG scale plot. These guys are using computers to destroy America’s infrastructure, no guns or explosives needed. This creates an issue in terms of generating tension.
McClane was always steps away from a bad guy. Not so here, since most of them never leave their monitors, even as McClane and Farrell are driving across the eastern U.S. How difficult is it for a tough cop to take down computer nerds? With that said, it feels quite arbitrary that there are a few who just happen to be experts in martial arts.
As mentioned before, Bruce Willis is old…really old for an action movie (Willis is 52). Having a hero beyond his prime can be compelling entertainment, if the filmmakers choose to accept his age. After all, McClane has always been a regular guy; as Gabriel says in the film, he’s “always in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Unfortunately, while the McClane personality is in full force, you get a lot of great quips thrown around because he is able to take a beating and perform stunts that would kill a 20 year old. He looks and talks like our favorite hero, but doesn’t act like him. As exciting as they were, superhero stunts aren’t John’s bag.
Bruce clearly relishes reviving his popular character. McClane, who had always hated electronics, is now trapped in the information age. This provides some entertaining moments, especially trying to deal with the geeky Farrell. Long has fun as the reluctant sidekick, though he can sometimes generate annoyance. Thomas Gabriel is the lamest villain in the series (so far?). For most of the film, he isn’t very threatening, and it isn’t until the end that he and McClane are face-to-face. I’d like to also mention that this film is proof that super-sexy female baddies can have a downside. It was heartbreaking for me to watch the lovely Maggie Q die.
With all of its negatives, Live Free was still very entertaining. It is more than a cut below the other films, but with a franchise as strong as this is, a weak sequel is still worth a look. If this was not a Die Hard film, I’d give it a more enthusiastic thumbs-up. However, with that title, plus the immortal hero, you have to rise to certain expectations. With that said, the only thing I can recommend to the audience is this: Have fun, but don’t be surprised if you feel something isn’t right.
Technorati Tags: Live Free or Die Hard, Die Hard Series, Bruce Willis, Movie Review, John McClane
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A mix of work by writers who have written for Literary Illusions over the years.
