Live Free or Die Hard 4.0 [spoiler potential]

[Brendocon]

Wooha. That was great fun.

Thought it started a bit slow, but that was proper bo in a popcorn stuff exploding movie fashion.

In the days of Michael Bay and 24, we probably didn't need another Die Hard film, but I'm so glad we've got one. I thought it was really enjoyable. This may fade, but I doubt it.

Nifty set pieces, decent acting. Even from Kevin Smith. Great acting from Timothy Olyphant - I think he's picked up a little something from working with Ian McShane on Deadwood. He's got The Glare.

Die Hard is, like, The Godfather of high concept big dumb action films... and I think finally it's got itself a decent sequel.

Helicopters! Planes! Parkour! Geeks! Explosions! Explosions! Lots and lots of explosions!

... did I mention the explosions?

Agent Johnson got precisely two laughs. One of them from me. Have these people not seen the original? Blasphemers!

[Leatherneck]

Yeah, enjoyed it. A good 10yrsremoved sequel

[spiderfrommars]

Yeah, good fun, but not better than the original or the third I reckon. Inventive set pieces, except for the truck/jet chase which was a step too far IMO, and felt like it was in the wrong film.

I'd be happy for Die Hard 5.0 tho!

Great acting from Timothy Olyphant - I think he's picked up a little something from working with Ian McShane on Deadwood. He's got The Glare.

Wouldn't Ian McShane have made a better villain though? Die Hard films benefit from Brit baddies.

edit- The US name for this film sucks. I'm glad we were spared.

[Brendocon]

Don't think McShane could have plausibly pulled off the "l33t haxx0r who used to work for the DoD" angle.

Yeah, the face off between the plane and the truck was a little dodgy - I thought for a moment the reel had slipped and I was watching the new TF film. The jump off the plane and the slide between the bits of bridge as it went boom was ******* cool, though.

Been reading a bit online about how it's not a "real Die Hard" film because it's only a PG, because they cut all the swearing for a lower certificate. One - saying "[composite word including 'f*ck']" lots of times does not inherently make a movie better, it just makes it swearier.* Second - I didn't even realise it was a PG until I read an article afterwards! All this whining from people who hadn't seen it yet, I should add. Way they were going on, you'd think they'd made Starbuck a chick.

* - Back to Deadwood for a case in point. Full of swearing. But it's not the swearing that makes it good, it's the fact that it's ******* brilliant that makes it good.

[spiderfrommars]

I would've liked more gore to be honest. Die Hard 1 really was a trendsetter. As eye-wateringly violent as all the other brainless 80s action movies, but with much clever scripting (in fact, there's no action for the first half hour!) It did feel watered down a bit, and when you compare it to say, Casino Royale, it does look a bit more tired.

To sum up, without John McClane it would be just an average action film.

I realise I sound like I'm down on it but I had a lot of fun. Some stunts had me wowing with the rest of 'em.

And I know what you mean - about 2 people got the Johnson gag here too.

Don't think McShane could have plausibly pulled off the "l33t haxx0r who used to work for the DoD" angle.

Course. Sticking with Deadwood for a mo, isn't McShane's character one of the best in telly ever? Love it. Lovejoy who?

[Shanti418]

I would've liked more gore to be honest. Die Hard 1 really was a trendsetter. As eye-wateringly violent as all the other brainless 80s action movies, but with much clever scripting (in fact, there's no action for the first half hour!) It did feel watered down a bit, and when you compare it to say, Casino Royale, it does look a bit more tired.

To sum up, without John McClane it would be just an average action film.

Isn't that most of those 80s coppish movies though? What is Beverly Hills Cop without Eddie Murphy? Lethal Weapon without Mel Gibson and Danny Glover? Can you even IMAGINE a Police Academy without Steve Guttenberg? That's a world I don't want to live in.

[Legion]

Can you even IMAGINE a Police Academy without Steve Guttenberg? That's a world I don't want to live in.

errr... police academy 5?

[Metal Vendetta]

I loved it. I thought it had some witty dialogue and some very nice references to #1. I'd say it's the second best Die Hard film - #3 always stuck me as cheesy and Samuel L. was a bit too overblown compared to the way the first movie was nicely underplayed.