Better than 2 and 3, and next to 1

Rating: 7/10 (24 July 2007)

With the controversy of the USA rating of the film aside (the b.b.f.c. yet again gave a '15' certificate like 2 and 3), the fourth instalment of the die hard franchise lives up to its predecessors, expanding the franchise even further - die hard 1 centred terrorists in a skyscraper, die hard 2 in an airport (slightly bigger), die hard 3 set in a city (bigger), and die hard 4 set across the entire USA (huge). This evolution of the core plot allows die hard 4 to be bigger, better and even a little over the top, but works well, allowing for plenty of action, thrills.. and a car crashing into a chopper. Bruce Willis reprises his role as the fearless John McLane, who is now over his fear of flying. Fans will be glad that McLane gets the job done in the same manner as the previous films, in the cool and calm manner that every guy wishes they could be. Despite his famous catchphrase being disrupted with a gun shot and the lack of strong language, die hard 4 still has the brutal fighting and gory deaths, including someone meeting a nasty end in a grinder. It's been 12 years since dh3, too long in my opinion. Whatever happened to the two year gap between sequels? Better than 2 and 3, Die Hard 4 is a refreshing breath of fresh air for (excuse the pun) die-hard fans, which lives up to its title. Worth watching, and is one to buy when it comes out on DVD. 9/10.