Pretty decent for a modern action film

Rating: 7/10 (25 June 2016)

Long-awaited (release twelve years after the last instalment in the series) and eagerly-anticipated, I went to the cinema to see DIE HARD 4.0 with huge expectations, being a massive fan of the series. The good news is that this deserves success as a sequel. Action-packed, with an involving plot and some solid action scenes, this is above average for the modern action film, revitalising the classic action formula with updated editing and style. Probably the best thing about this film is the quality of the acting. Bruce Willis gives maybe one of his last true efforts as the ageing hero, and he breathes new life and comedy into an old character. Surprisingly, his partner in the film, Justin Long, who plays a computer hacker, is just as good, a real charismatic everyman whose humour and warmth infuses the movie despite the irritating character quirks and hipness he's saddled with.
It's fair to say that this film doesn't quite match the quality of the first three films in the series, but it's still good and fun on a superficial level. The film is long but never flags for a second; the script, about terrorists utilising computers to take over America, is cleverly-written and novice director Len Wiseman adds plenty of style to the proceedings. The action is large-scale; from the opening apartment explosion to the car vs. helicopter showdown, this is involving stuff. The good news is that there's also plenty of old-school heroics with Bruce tackling villains in brutal bouts. Things do get a little over-the-top with the climax, but this is forgivable.
CGI is utilised throughout but there are still plenty of stuntmen involved and nothing about the action disappoints. There's a high level of humour in the movie, which doesn't always hit the mark, and there are a couple of great, skillful villains in Maggie Q and Cyril Raffaelli. The latter, riding high after the cult success of DISTRICT 13, provides the film with some pumping free running stunts, and Bruce's showdown with the Asian beauty is one of the film's best, and most surprisingly brutal, highlights.