Analog Man In A Digital World...

Rating: 8/10 (12 December 2007)

It wouldn't be stretching it to say that the first DIE HARD installment has been hailed far and wide as one of the best action-thriller films ever made, having garnered a following of rabid fans worldwide and rightfully so. Few heroes have ever been as resourceful and resilient, yet reluctant and vulnerable as John McClane and Bruce Willis has worked overtime to develop the character beautifully over the span of twenty-something years.
Sadly, I can't say the same for the series itself. DH2 was still pretty good, but DH3 (DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE) left me feeling curiously unmoved, in spite of the potentially promising teaming of Willis with Samuel L. "Action" Jackson, and the sneer-rich reliability of Jeremy Irons as the necessary "big baddie".
So how does LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD stack up to its predecessors? Well, I was so convinced that the fourth installment would be an absolute mess, that I didn't even bother with it until it hit DVD, so I could at least see the "Unrated" version as it was intended to be shown. I was not as turned off at the news about the casting, unlike other fans were: Tim Olyphant can do evil pretty convincingly, and I happen to be a fan of Justin Long's back from GALAXY QUEST and JEEPERS CREEPERS.
What didn't have me jumping for joy was the fact that Len (UNDERWORLD) Wiseman was directing. Though both films in that series looked and sounded impeccable, they also played like what I imagine XBOX 360 games must look like, and left me just as cold as DH3 did. I was not optimistic to say the least.
It sure is nice to get surprised! Wiseman takes a few pages from the John McTiernan playbook and keeps the action sequences taut and brutal, without resorting to rapid-fire MTV-type cutting, which is a welcome relief. As McClane, Bruce Willis at 50-plus seems to cut an even more impressive, world-weary and cynical figure, showing off his physical prowess in some unbelievable stunts that would wear out guys half his age. It's also nice to see him given a situation that's more of a challenge than ever before, as he is tasked with taking down a group of domestic cyberterrorists led by Olyphant, who are determined to bring down the entire electronic infrastructure of the United States.