Die Hard 4.0 (2007)

Directed By: Len Wiseman
Cast: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q, Kevin Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cliff Curtis

It’s been twelve years since the last Die Hard outing and in the interval Hollywood has delivered a new stronger Bond and an even better hero in Jason Bourne, redefining modern action heroes in a similar way to how McClane did nearly twenty years ago. Add to this the definitive modern action Jack Bauer and suddenly McClane is jostling for attention in an overcrowded category. And yet this Die Hard, despite falling short of its predecessors (except maybe Die Hard 2) never embarrasses itself in the way most die hard Die Hard fans feared. Like Rocky Balboa, Die Hard 4.0 has delivered an excellent romp containing all the elements that made the original great but reshaping slightly for the 21st century. Since Die Hard began McClane has had deal with larger issues, the Nakatomi Building, Dulles International Airport, All the Gold in New York and much of the city itself. So it makes sense, in a purely Hollywood definition that McClane now has to save the entire Eastern seaboard of the USA. Also, McClane age and character belonging to another era is highlighted by the new villains being techno-terrorists. This makes Willis’ pairing with the young Justin Long as computer hacker Matt Farrell all the more entertaining and highlights the fact that McClane is now an aging police officer and not a young buck like the Bond reboot.

And so to the film, what makes Die Hard 4.0 so enjoyable is that it somehow manages to stay on the right side of ludicrous. Despite battles against fighter jets and lorries, cars and helicopters and an elevator sequence which couldn’t further away from the originals iconic scene. And yet it all seems incredibly plausible. It shouldn’t, you should be scoffing at the screen and laughing at its ridiculous set pieces. The reason is simple. Willis. Giving the film a grounded human touch, Willis is at his most comfortable for years, and gives us an evolved, older, slower but no less a wise ass hero. Despite being considerably outmatched against most of the villains, especially the sexy and dangerous Maggie Q, Willis uses his know-how and sheer stubbornness to see of his opponents. This is a film which is trying to be as fun as possible without ever falling into the Bad Boys 2 trap of coming of as downright dire.

The supporting cast is very good also. Standouts include Justin Long who has a camaraderie and chemistry with Willis making them the most unlikely of double teams. Long manages who delivers hilarious, endearing and emotional scenes making him as watchable as Willis. Olyphant does his best to chew the scenery but going up against such previous villains as Alan Rickman and Jeremy Irons fall way short of the enjoyably brilliant evil of those incarnations. Maggie Q looks amazing and does little else but increase the female quota in the film along with Mary Elizabeth Winstead as McClane junior, who is just a chip of the old block and provides notable laughs and could go on to form her own McClane series. There’s also a notable performance from Cliff (Sunshine) Curtis has the head of the FBI taskforce responsible for dealing with the current dilemma. But it’s Kevin Smith who steals the show as a computer hacker who clashes with Willis brash honesty and provides the films funniest scene.

But this is a film which stands out due to the inventive and exhilarating action set pieces. From the brutal, loud and abrasive opening sequence, the helicopter chase and eventual destruction to a McClane taking on a fighter jet with nothing by a big truck on a flyover, and winning, to said elevator fights and the final inevitable showdown. All in all, the film action sequences achieve that holy grail of requirements. The film feels fresh, inventive and not a rehash of old ideas. And with the indomitable McClane as the films anchor, you can’t help but be overawed by the whole experience.

John McClane’s latest instalment does nothing to undermine his previous outing and actually stands tall in a summer of bloated, underachievers. This may not be the definitive action movie of the year, but it is certainly a cracking attempt to reboot the Die Hard franchise for the new Millennium.