All that you have is your soul (Tracy Chapman).

Tuesday 31 July 2007

Movie Review: Die Hard 4.0



These days, there are a helluva lot of action movies out there. The vast majority consist of some guy going around shooting criminals and getting himself into all kinds of bother in the process. The pyrotechnics often take over the plot, which usually looses steam by about the second reel in.

Then there is Die Hard.

In my opinion, this group of movies have always stood apart from the usual fare, due to clever scripting and plotting and of course, not least as a result of the maverick casting of Bruce Willis in the title role. You want to believe that John McLaine does exist somewhere. His physical pain and vulnerable vest reminds you that this hero can bleed and despite it all, kill the bastards who came to get him. He wisecracks his way through numerous adventures, managing to carry us along with him - hoping that he'll succeed in the end.

Yes, I like the Die Hard (or DH) movies!

However, twelve years is a long time to wait for a new movie and on the face of it, I didn't hold out too much hope. After all, 52 is no real age to be jumping around athletically bumping off nasties is it?

Then again, in Hollywood, almost anything is possible and to my delight, the film-makers managed to come up with yet another sterling installment in the DH canon. This is a cracking movie, with Mr Willis in fine fettle, smartly allowing younger stars to steal a little of his limelight - which is why the movie works so well.

Yes, it does go OTT sometimes, but hey, this is Die Hard! At the end of the day, you root for McLaine, because this guy is so fallible and human. There are clever moments accompanying the action and you can see that time and care has been taken to make this a most enjoyable movie.

Or as McLaine would say:

"Yipee Kay Yay Motherf......."

If you're a DH fan, don't miss this one and even if you're not, treat yourself, because this is a roller coaster of a movie.

My Rating

****

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