Explosive thriller

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2008)

Bruce Willis returns as NYPD John McClane, the tough cop, who looks to find a group of terrorists who are hijacking the New York computer systems.
Willis is juxtaposed with Justin Long (Jeepers Creepers) who plays young computer hijacker Matt Farrell.
Together the two look to outwit stereotypical villain Timothy Olyphant (Scream 2) who, with a team of computer geniuses and feisty martial arts experts, look to take control of New York.
The plot folds into a collection of high tension stunts and visual effects with stunning graphics and a tense feel to the storyline. Though the first hour or so the dialogue s pretty poor and lacks the cutting edge that the first two Die Hards did, its still engaging and tense, justifying the thriller genre.
Although Long's character can be annoying and extremely stereotypical of teenagers and computer nerds, he does bring a good feeling of tension and anxiety to the plot, which helps the story flow. Willis to is not at his best, especially in the first hour but as the stakes are raised and we are comfortable in the film's presence, do we see the real cheeky and smart guy John McClane that we all love with his smart and funny catch phrases. Not Willis' fault as there could have been more dialogue encoded during the first period to add a bit more humour and a light hearted side to McClane.
As with all action sequences there is always a question of realism in context. But these particular sequences involving planes, bridges, tunnels and warehouses are too enjoyable and tense to criticize.
The audience is kept guessing as director Len Wiseman provides spills and thrills at a regular basis with a mixture of medium close shots and a variety of other camera angles.
Probably the best action/thriller of the year, Die Hard 4.0 brings tension and excitement to a new level with fast cars, helicopters and explosions. Not a patch on Die Hard or Die Harder but a great and exciting thriller nonetheless.