Who would've thought a Bruce Willis action movie could still be so much fun?

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2008)

Yeah, it's not deep. Yeah, it doesn't really advance the world of film anywhere past what it was in 1980. And yeah, Willis is getting a little old for this #@$! (his words, not mine).
But guess what? You won't care! Die Hard 4 (as it might as well be called) is so much fun that you will be hard pressed to feel guilty for enjoying it.
First, the plot is actually decent. No, it's not GREAT, or original, or anything notable outside the genre of action movies. But it's pretty solid for what it is. With no glaring plot holes, it moves the movie along at a breakneck pace and opens up a little of "oh my god, could it get any worse?" situations. It adapts the Die Hard formula to the modern age very well, opening up several hilarious scenes with Willis trying to get acquainted with the idea of computers and technology. It was easy to see coming but the snappy one liners and balls to the wall Willis performance make for a few cheap laughs. It's often a little hammy, and fairly cheesy, but it's Bruce Willis and he's at the top of his game still.
A pleasant surprise comes with Justin Long as Matt Farrel. Originally, casting a nerdy computer hacker as McClane's sidekick seemed like it would be more annoying that entertaining, but Farrel's a great Yin to McClane's Yang. It helps that this seems like the exact sort of role that Long should be playing.
Die Hard 4 delivers. The action is constant and manages to top itself continually right until the end of the movie, climaxing with the ridiculous but still downright cool duel between McClane in a tractor trailer and a FIGHTER JET. It's just as over the top as it sounds but you'll enjoy every minute of it.
Watch the flick with an open mind. It's a summer action movie, through and through, but it's about the best we've had in quite awhile. Sometimes watching a movie just for fun is alright.