Yippie Kay Yay Sir or Madam

Rating: 9/10 (29 June 2007)

So "Live Free or Die Hard" had many preset factors in my head working against it: PG-13 rating, Justin Long in a major role, a 52 year old action star and an untested director.
I went to see it anyway and well, I was greatly surprised. The action is great (no Paul Verhoveen spatters) but John McClane is not hugging it out with bad guys. Sure he isn't dropping the curse words every other line but it doesn't hinder his speech, maybe as an older gent he is finding a bit more time to express himself without colorful sentence enhancers.
Justin Long plays his part well, considering he is a nerdy computer hacker who occasionally cracks wise. . . not to say he hasn't been playing something like that before. . .
Bruce Willis obviously went at this seriously and it shows, from his delivery to his physique.
And the direction is good enough to make me want to go back and check out the personally previously shunned "Underworld" movies that Wiseman has directed.
There are of course some problems with the movie but the sheer enjoyment factor makes you supercede those in favor of the many pluses. The villain isn't Alan Rickman but he's also not William Sadler either. One of the best summer flicks in the official summer sequel fest that is 2007.
Though I needed closure on one thing a semi-main villain didn't get his just desserts in the end, he just disappeared in a "I guess the FBI got him" and while a similar type character in the original "Die Hard" was at least punched out by Argyle the limo driver.
One final thing is if you call yourself a true "Die Hard" fan you have to pick up on the FBI agent one liner when John McClane is first dropping off Farrel.
Go see it if you like action, humor and good ole' bad guy butt kicking movie.