The fourth installment of the infamous Die Hard franchise caused quite a split between the fans in terms of opinion. Many liked it, others loathed it. Here's why Live Free or Die Hard is actually a good action flick -
1. It's shot and edited very well. The man behind the camera did a great job and the film is entertaining as hell to watch because it's relentless. 2. The action. Now, many complained heavily that this movie turns John McLane into a superhero. Even though the degree of realism gets close to crossing the line sometimes, it's nothing short of pure entertainment. Every Die Hard movie broke certain conventionalities for the purpose of making a fun scene. All Die Hard movies twisted reality a little bit to spice up the action a bit. This one does have more of it, but at least for me it was awesome. Also, the stunts are amazing! Very impressive stuff! 3. Plot. Everyone runs out of ideas. Eventually, even the die hard audience of Die Hard would get tired of John McLane trying to stop baddies from breaking into a vault and stealing money. I like the idea of an old McLane being surrounded by all the technology that he doesn't understand. It also creates another difference between him and the bad guy, which adds more meaning to their rivalry. 4. The character of John McLane. Just as always, Bruce Willis is great as John McLane, it's obviously a signature role. He is just as great in this one as he was in the previous three. His witty remarks about the current situation always make you chuckle and his sarcastic attitude is always relevant.
The only thing that makes this an 8, not a 10, is the continuity errors that were painfully noticeable and lack of the bad guy on screen. Otherwise, this is the definition of an action movie done right. To me, it's not as good as 1 or 3 but better than 2.
1. It's shot and edited very well. The man behind the camera did a great job and the film is entertaining as hell to watch because it's relentless. 2. The action. Now, many complained heavily that this movie turns John McLane into a superhero. Even though the degree of realism gets close to crossing the line sometimes, it's nothing short of pure entertainment. Every Die Hard movie broke certain conventionalities for the purpose of making a fun scene. All Die Hard movies twisted reality a little bit to spice up the action a bit. This one does have more of it, but at least for me it was awesome. Also, the stunts are amazing! Very impressive stuff! 3. Plot. Everyone runs out of ideas. Eventually, even the die hard audience of Die Hard would get tired of John McLane trying to stop baddies from breaking into a vault and stealing money. I like the idea of an old McLane being surrounded by all the technology that he doesn't understand. It also creates another difference between him and the bad guy, which adds more meaning to their rivalry. 4. The character of John McLane. Just as always, Bruce Willis is great as John McLane, it's obviously a signature role. He is just as great in this one as he was in the previous three. His witty remarks about the current situation always make you chuckle and his sarcastic attitude is always relevant.
The only thing that makes this an 8, not a 10, is the continuity errors that were painfully noticeable and lack of the bad guy on screen. Otherwise, this is the definition of an action movie done right. To me, it's not as good as 1 or 3 but better than 2.