Well, if this one doesn't kill the series, what will?

Rating: 6/10 (27 December 2007)

Die Hard (1988) started it all. I hope this one finishes it  the John McClane franchise...
That's not to say that this story and film are all bad.
Look, I like Bruce Willis as an actor; he's done some fine work  e.g. In Country (1989), Pulp Fiction (1994) and, yes, Die Hard, already mentioned, and many others.
But, with each successive chapter in the McClane saga, the stories just get worse. This last one (I hope) is saved from going down the toilet completely because, for me, it was more a comedy than anything else. Honestly, I nearly fell off my chair laughing at the great one-liners in the script and the absurdly comical and out-of-this-universe action sequences that defy physics and the imagination. For pure action fans, it's manna from heaven, no doubt; for serious cinema-goers, who want a modicum of reality to the story, it's utter tripe.
But, as a story, it's entertaining to a point.
What's more interesting and entertaining is the subtext of this story: the real probability that, one day, some very smart extremists may in fact succeed in wreaking havoc throughout fundamental services that keep the engines of American political economy working. Now, that is a very scary prospect that could happen.
Hence, the need to reduce the whole scenario to comic book proportions so that the mass market can be suitably indoctrinated  and have a bit of fun also. I'd venture to say that the entire Bush administration is gung-ho about the whole production, as are DHS and TSA nationally.
Bruce, once again, is the (almost) indestructible tough guy who's caught up in the (home grown) terrorist plot to have a "fire sale" across USA: everything must go, man, everything. And that means all the money too, as the bad guy boss, Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) overacts shamelessly as he begins to shut down all the vital services in the nation. Why? Well, he wants the money because he feels slighted: yes, because the darn Pentagon brass didn't listen to him when he told them what was wrong with national defense and, well, by golly  he's just gonna show them all what can happen, all right?
Ably supported by yet another female terminator, Mai (Maggie Q), and an army (almost) of real tough guys  because they're Frenchies, okay, and therefore real baaaad  little Tommy spits the dummy and slugs when John turns up to spoil his party. Wouldn't you just know it?
Now, there are some truly spectacular stunts and I have nothing but admiration for those stunt people who put their (real) lives on the line to bring about breath-taking action. Watch, particularly, for a couple of those tough baaaad Frenchies and what they do; almost unbelievable.
And, of course, with such a fast-paced story, the editing is stunning, with so many shot-reverse-shot sequences, you just can't keep up. But, hey, it's a Bruce Willis action flick, so it has to be good --- er --- great, right? Pity the producer and director had to copy so many action sequences from other movies  like Jurassic Park 2 (1997), for example. When you see John trapped in a car hanging over an abyss (almost), you'll know what I mean.
However, having said all that, is there any action fan who will miss this one? I don't think so...