Live Free or Die Hard...Doesn't Die

Rating: 9/10 (27 June 2007)

I just saw Live Free or Die Hard at the midnight showing at my local movie house. And while the theater was not packed (it was about fifty percent full) the film actually delivered. John McClane makes his return to the big screen, after a twelve-year absence, on a much more grand scale then we have seen him in previous films. The films central plot involves a countrywide shutdown of all its computer systems. The plot itself is entertaining enough, but lets face people go to a Die Hard movie for the action, and there is lots.
All of the action is over the top and absurd, but going in the audience is fully aware of that fact, and judging by the crowd's reaction could care less. There is a scene at the end of the film where a 52 year-old McClane is riding the wing of a harrier jet. He jumps off the trouble jet to a collapsed piece of freeway 60 feet below him and doesn't limp away, he just scowls and grunts and then gets up and walks away. Thats one of about 6 or 7 inane action related occurrences. But, nobody's going to the movie for realism, they just want to see stuff blow up.
Action aside, the movie does have its flaws. Most of them revolve around the films rating. Since the film was originally shot as an R rated feature it was heavily edited down to achieve a PG-13 rating. There a plenty of shots in the movie when you see McClain's mouth moving but the wrong words are coming out (kind of like a Godzilla movie), obviously covering his usual profanity filled tirades. There is not one single f- bomb in the entire movie; even his trademark line (Yippee-Ki-Yay Mother F**ker) is edited down. But hey, that's the MPAA for you. Hopefully the studio will release an unrated DVD witch should correct the problem.
Over all, the film is worth a look. It's not quite on the level of the first or third film, but it works as a decent entry to the franchise. The plot, action, and production value is all done well enough that the film plays just as well as any of the other summer blockbusters it's competing with. And while the movie may not find the audience it deserves (you can thank the studio for that, giving it a PG-13 rating) its certainly worth the money you pay to see it.