Die Hard 4.0

Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Cliff Curtis, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith

Dir. Len Wiseman
Scr. Mark Bomback

This movie could have been absolutely terrible. The fourth in the series – nearly 20 years since the first Die Hard movie graced our screens and a 12-year gap since the last one – with an aging hero, and a largely unchanged formula. A recipe for disaster? A tragic, stale farce? Well, no. Far from it, actually. Die Hard 4.0 is entertaining and funny, with some of the best action set pieces seen this year.

The plot is, as usual, rather convoluted. A bad man is bringing America to its knees by basically pressing the “reset” button – no transport system, no telecommunications, no money market … and on it goes. And all that stands between him and total world domination is John McClane. Yeah baby! Oh, and a hacker genius he rescues along the way. Throw in a little family turmoil and, hey presto, you have your humanising element (in this case, McClane’s rebellious daughter).

And then there’s the action. Die Hard is all about old-school stunts, always has been, and that’s what we’re treated to in 4.0. Much crashing, lots of explosions, many fist-fights. All the basic elements of an exhilarating action film are present and are done well. You won’t necessarily see anything that will blow your mind (although I did cheer when the car killed the helicopter), but it’s a solid action spectacle – completely unrealistic and highly improbable, but thoroughly entertaining.

There are even some noteworthy performances from a quality cast. Bruce is, well, Bruce. He has lived and breathed this role and plays it with ease. He’s funny, he’s tough, he’s endearing and (as always) he’s the hero. Justin Long (of Dodgeball fame) plays the sidekick – Matt Farrell, a computer genius who has unwittingly contributed to the disaster unfolding before them. Long plays Farrell as suitably green around the gills and in awe of McClane’s awesomeness. He’s funny and likeable, as all sidekicks should be. Solid performances from Curtis and Olyphant as a FBI deputy director and the villain, respectively. A fantastic turn from Kevin Smith as Warlock, hacker extraordinaire. This cast knows what’s expected of them and they deliver.

Not much more to say really. If you like Die Hard movies, you won’t be disappointed by the latest instalment. It’s funny, it’s entertaining, it’s ludicrous – everything a good Die Hard film should be. If you don’t like Die Hard movies, well, you’ve just wasted three minutes reading this review.

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Matt Farrell: You just killed a helicopter with a car!
John McClane: I was out of bullets.