'Yippee-ki-yay'

Live Free Or Die Hard

In the 80’s and 90’s we had action movie franchises. Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop, Rambo, Indiana Jones, and my personal favorite Die Hard. I can’t believe it’s been over 10 years. I can’t believe how many times I’ve seen the original Die Hard. It was one of the first action movies I really felt drawn too. What would I have done if I was in the Nakatomi Plaza that night? Thank God For John McClane.

Bruce Willis is back as All-American tough guy John McClane. The movies picks almost 20 years after McClane has rescued us from Hans that dreadful night in Los Angeles. Now the FBI database is hacked and John is sent to retrieve a hacker. When McClane arrives to pick up the kid he realizes he’s not the only one looking for him. Now John is on a mission to protect this kid and figure out why people are out to kill this harmless hacker.

This movie takes a new angle with hi-tech terror. This films bad guy is Thomas Gabriel (who’s constantly called by his full name through the movie) played by one of my favorite actors Timothy Olyphant. He’s believable as the cyber geek who’s hell bent on proving his point. He’s like that nerdy math tutor who’ll do anything to prove his point about hyperbolic geometry and will lecture you for hours about it, except in this film he’s proving a point about national security and putting everyone’s lives at risk, but I think you get the point. He’s also pretty cruel and equally funny at times. He’s almost likeable until you realize, “Wait a minute! He’s killing people”

Matt Farrell (Justin Long) is the hacker caught in the middle of this national disaster. He also provides some of the movies funny moments. As usual McClane provides classic one-liners as well as this hysterical laugh. It’s one of those, I can’t believe this is happening to me/ maybe I’m losing my mind laughs. He also seems to enjoy killing these people. He contiues to warn Gabriel that he's going to kill him as if he knows how something that the rest of us don't. Clerk’s Kevin Smith plays Warlock, another hacker in the film. His character alone is funny. He’s this hacker who ranks high on the FBI’s list but he lives at home with his mom. I think there is more truth in that than I want to believe.

You get the feeling in the movie that McClane is one of the last heroes we have left. When the country needs him, nobody can stop him. He even fights Gabriel’s girlfriend Mai (Maggie Q) and does not go easy on her. My pick for MTV Movie Awards – Best Fight next year. We are all in need of a hero these days and I think that’s why I was drawn to this movie.

Live Free Or Die Hard is a throwback to the old action movies. One of the best action movies I’ve seen in a while. Decent plot, good villain, and some pretty unbelievable action sequences. It’s a formula that worked for the first three Die Hard installments and does not disappoint this time around. Who would have thought a PG-13 action movie could be this good? Thank God for John McClane.

My Suggestion: Go see it! Especially if you’ve seen the first 3 or even watch the heavily edited versions on USA or TNT.

My Grade – 3.5: Great Job! You’re pretty consistent. Let’s hope you make the Dean’s List.