Exactly what we expected, and nothing more or less

Rating: 9/10 (4 July 2007)

Die Hard. The name that comes to mind whenever you think of a stereotypical action film. The original Die Hard became extremely influential almost 20 years ago upon it's first release, and now, 19 years later, the fourth sequel of the series has finally come upon us. While people were skeptical as to whether or not they could match the greatness of the original trilogy after such a long break (the 3rd was released 12 years ago), and while they grew even more skeptical upon learning that the film was PG-13, I daresay that Live Free or Die Hard definitely lives up to the franchise name.
This is a Die Hard for a new generation, and I kinda like that aspect of it. While the elements of the classic films are there, this time it's given an upgrade, with lots of the technological exploits that plague other modern action films, and a much sleeker, cooler feel. The fights are just as wild and crazy as ever, Bruce Willis has not lost an ounce of his charismatic action-hero energy, and the performances all around are good overall. The directing is good, and the special effects are definitely something to be praised, with explosions all around. In this movie, everything blows up. My one criticism is how Timothy Olyphant makes a pretty lame villain, and he dies way too fast. Most of his henchmen put up much more of a fight than he did. Just a minor quip, though.
While they may have lost the genuine '80s/90s gritty action flick' feel with this one, it's still incredibly badass, and something to see if you're an action movie fan. This one destroys Paycheck, Thoughtcrimes, Wake of Death, and every other mediocre action/thriller movie in the past couple of years. Recommended.