Another tired sequel - no "Die Hard" feeling left

Rating: 5/10 (3 July 2007)

Saw it last night.
It was... tired. Had a strong feeling of déja-vu about it... this practically was "Firewall" 2.0 with added scenes from "Speed" and "True Lies", using McClane as a connection to the previous "Die Hard" movies, and rehashing plot elements from other recent Bruce Willis films, like "Hostage"... Come to think about it, "Hostage" could've been a better choice for a "Die Hard" sequel than this.
It also felt cramped and unrealistic. Which is strange, considering that we're no longer dealing with an enclosed, claustrophobic setting, and McClane is now zipping along the East Coast with ease (helicopter lessons, anyone???) I think some sequels should never be made... this is one of them.
In my opinion, this film was just as bad as "Alien vs. Predator", and demonstrates that: 1) when a studio (FOX) itches to continue a franchise, it sweeps aside the mythos and character development (like the above-mentioned "AvP", someone else suggested "Superman Returns") and 2) Len Wiseman, far from being a hot young director with bright ideas (personally, I found the "Underworld" films idiotic) is just another run-of-the-mill hack like Uwe Boll. Definitely, Wiseman is no David Fincher; sadly, he can't even be a Michael Bay!
Last, but not least, what's with all these bad hacker stereotypes? Back in '95 they would've still been cool and fresh, but this is a 2007 film, and even the hacker in "The Core" was more believable.