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Since 1996 |
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Live Free or Die Hard Stars: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q and Mary Elizabeth Winstead Director: Len Wiseman Scriptwriter: Mark Bornback 20th Century Fox Rated: PG 13 Running Length: Two hours and ten minutes Away with men and women who fly, have colorful costumes, muscles that ripple like ocean waves or secret identities, here comes the real hero. Bruce Willis reprising his role as NYPD Detective John McClane. The only thing he needs are his wits, a gun, a badge and not necessarily in that order. Yes, it is Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth film in the Die Hard series. Fans that couldn’t wait won’t be disappointed. Stunts are spectacular and the bad guys are dumber. Why don’t they just run in the opposite direction? This time, McClane has a late teens/twenty-something daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who is as sassy as her old man. Also, John picks up a sidekick (Justin Long), someone he is supposed to protect, but turns into a babbler most of the time. The story begins with a series of hacker deaths. Why? No one knows, yet. In the meantime, one notorious hacker (Long) is located and McClain dispatched to take him to Washington, D.C. This takes John away from hassling his dating daughter and her new “boyfriend.” You can see that with Dad on the prowl, daughter Lucy will be a spinster. Along the way, groups of armed militants try to kill the hacker and John is suspicious that something is terribly wrong. Back at F.B.I. headquarters, all manner of things are wrong as the USA is under cyber attack from an unknown whacko (read disgruntled employee played by Timothy Olyphant) who is trying to shut down the country electronically and drain it, financially. We go from one attack to another, including armed vehicles, helicopters and even a fighter jet. These guys are serious. Lucy is taken hostage and now John starts a rescue, in earnest. A bit of humor is provided by a cameo appearance of an almost-actor found living in a natural abode. You begin to see what would happen if the USA were cyber-attacked and how crippling this would be. Everything, and that is everything, is run by computer today. Maggie Q? She is one kick-posterior villain, and girlfriend of Olyphant. It’s one great fight when she and John McClain go at it. Live Free or Die Hard leaves a path of destruction behind it, but oh, is it fun. John asks politely for something, then may show his NYPD badge, after that, the gloves are off. He doesn’t need large weapons when his trusty revolver and never-say-die police car are handy. Along the way, John taught his daughter self-defense, because she takes care of herself. However, there are slow moments back at F.B.I. headquarters or in the techno-babble cyber-fans like to spout. In the meantime, you can relax because the next action moment is around the corner. Bruce Willis is in fine shape
as John McClain. This character is his, no doubt of it. I think Willis
has a few more McClain films left in him. He not only looks good in action,
the dialogue suits him. Can’t say this for the supporting F.B.I. staff
who seem stiff, or the villain, Olyphant, who doesn’t seem to understand
his own computer jargon. This franchise is kickin’, though and if
you thought your traffic was rough in the morning commute; wait until you
see what happens here. It will make you want to buy a bicycle.
Copyright 2007 Marie Asner
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