A highly enjoyable, if slightly guilty, pleasure.

Rating: 8/10 (20 June 2016)

Preposterous, ridiculous, and silly, this exciting action flick will nevertheless get your pulse racing.
Bruce Willis as the foul mouthed John McClane gives a career defining performance, matched by an excellent turn from Alan Rickman. The film never tries to create believable human beings; instead we are invited to marvel at McClane's banter laced heroics as he kills each terrorist. They're only terrorists, so we can unashamedly enjoy each demise with glee.
It's action set pieces are put together with aplomb. John McTiernan paces the film brilliantly, interspersing breathless action with humour and reflection. However, it's not remotely believable. The tension that any suspension of disbelief would create is missing. We know what's going to happen from the outset. An all American action hero like McClane predetermines the ending.
It's a film you can happily revisit. The excitement isn't generated by tension or doubt, it's caused by expertly created pyrotechnics, and excessive & ridiculous heroics. A solid actioner that spawned many inferior copycats. A highly enjoyable, if slightly guilty, pleasure.