Live Free or Die Hard (imdb)
When I had initially heard of another Die Hard sequel, I was pretty skeptical of any enjoyment other than humorous amusement coming from the flick. After all, Bruce Willis is getting a bit old for action (and so is Harrison Ford but that’s a different franchise) and it doesn’t seem like he’d be able to live up to previous Die Hard flicks. Then came the announcement that Live Free or Die Hard would be PG-13, I believed my skepticism was confirmed.
After having seen Die Hard 4.0, I’d have to say I was happily surprised and that the critic reviews are right on the mark (see Manohla’s NYTimes review here). Live Free or Die Hard is quite enjoyable, and it’s an awesome action movie. While the PG-13 rating is clear, the film pushes the envelope for PG-13; f-bombs are replaced with a lot of yelling “shit!” and the violent action sequences are quite exciting and hard hitting.
The movie is suspenseful as John McClane fights cyber-terrorists with his geeky sidekick in the form of Justin Long, and the action scenes don’t let up. The movie keeps your blood pressure high for 2 hours, and while not all of the scenes are great (a jet vs. semi-truck? wtf?!), the flick manages to entertain on the whole. Maggie Q is great as a villain henchwoman and Timothy Olyphant holds his own, though his Thomas Gabriel is no Hans Gruber. Also, note the inclusion of that dude from District B13 as a major henchman - his stunts in the film are quite extreme, and it’s great to see old school McClane fight against this new wave of martial arts action.
All in all, Live Free or Die Hard strikes gold and works as a solid action popcorn flick. It’s not the best of the Die Hard movies and may be my least favorite McClane outing (I can’t decide if its better, equal, or worse than Die Harder), but it is a worthy Die Hard entry as it did deliver the action desired. While I can’t say I’m a fan of Len Wiseman yet, I’m a little more encouraged that he can make a good action flick. Hopefully, when the DVD for Live Free or Die Hard comes around, we get an unrated/R-rated cut that brings out more profane McClane-isms, solidifying this flick into the Die Hard series with greater John McClane attitude.
3.5-4 cars crashing into helicopters out of 5
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