A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)

John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.

Director:

John Moore

Writers:

Skip Woods, Roderick Thorp (certain original characters)

Stars:

Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Willis	...	John McClane
Jai Courtney	...	Jack McClane
Sebastian Koch	...	Komarov
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Lucy
Yuliya Snigir	...	Irina
Rasha Bukvic	...	Alik
Cole Hauser	...	Collins
Amaury Nolasco	...	Murphy
Sergei Kolesnikov	...	Chagarin (as Sergey Kolesnikov)
Roman Luknár	...	Anton
Zolee Ganxsta	...	MRAP Driver (as Ganzsta Doglegy Zolee)
Péter Takátsy	...	Prosecutor
Pasha D. Lychnikoff	...	Cabbie
Megalyn Echikunwoke	...	Pretty Reporter
Melissa Tang	...	Lucas

Storyline

Iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners cop John McClane, for the first time, finds himself on foreign soil after traveling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack - unaware that Jack is really a highly-trained CIA operative out to stop a nuclear weapons heist. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover that their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes.

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Plot Keywords:

russian | courthouse | cia | escape | explosion | 

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Taglines:

Like father. Like son. Like hell!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian Hindi

Release Date:

14 February 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Duro de matar: Un buen día para morir

Filming Locations:

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Box Office

Budget:

$92,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$24,834,845 (USA) (15 February 2013)

Gross:

$67,344,392 (USA) (17 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, TSG Entertainment, Giant Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Mil Mi-26 transport helicopter seen at the end of the movie was rented from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus. The original color of the helicopter is white. The temporary camouflage paint scheme was applied in Hungary, where the helicopter scenes were shot.

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Goofs

In the chase scene, the blue van with Jack and Komarov. The left headlight is loose (broke). But in the next shot, it looks like he's made. The shot after, the headlight hangs again.

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Quotes

Jack McClane: [looking out the window] John!
John McClane: What do you got?
Jack McClane: A big old bird!

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.23 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"McClane's Brain"
(uncredited)
Written by Marco Beltrami
Performed by Marco Beltrami

User Reviews

I kept an open mind, but so much was left to be desired.

In the early '80s and '90s, the "Die Hard" series of films were all about entertainment. Sure it's not a thought-provoking piece of art, but it's art done with class, integrity and art; these films were made at a time when action films were..actually..action films. They had no quick-style MTV editing that tries to pass itself off as "action", they were done with pure and honest craftsmanship with stunt men willing to put it all out for all to see. And for that aspect alone, they did a commendable job.

So now I look at A Good Day to Die Hard, with all the trappings that action films are known for and ostentatious hijinks that scream Michael Bay-esque action that reeks of his earlier films to date.

Bruce Willis plays McClane to a hilt, but that's all there is. No heartwarming moments, no instances of morality, no deep insights into why he kills his enemies, John McClane is just that. John McClane. A bravado of words and action that homages the earlier films.

The movie at times tries to be gritty and funny at the same time, but with such an inane screenplay and unfunny jokes, it becomes quite apparent that this film was simply not meant to continue the series. To try to adapt an relic of the '80s and '90s into a modern context with current technology, doesn't work anymore. The only exception to this is Rambo, where he was fighting against a brutal regime in Southeast Asia. It worked because the setting was raw in it's brutal intensity; plus Rambo is a timeless hero and much more plausible. John McClane is just a beefed-up Jack Bauer without the hero's legendary outbursts of anger when something goes wrong or impedes him from saving the day. Not once is there a chance for the viewer to root for McClane. He remains lifeless and stiff; the very opposite of his portrayal in the earlier films.

In an attempt to distance itself from its PG-13 predecessor, the film makers decided to make this film rated R. Yet it hardly saved the film from it's mediocre direction. I suspect this was due to the large backlash from audiences of Live Free or Die Hard, a film that was only a Die Hard film in name only, not a "true" Die Hard film, which is evident in the director's inability to handle the material.

I tried to keep an open mind, after the execrable LFODH, but after this, I hope Bruce and co. just hang up the wife beater for the final time. No more. John McClane is a hero of the past and should be left there for all time's sake.