Live Free or Die Hard

Bruce Willis reprises two roles in one! John McClane from the original Die Hard series, and David Dunn from Unbreakable. While not totally indestructible in this movie (he does get some cuts and scratches), John McClane sure does laugh in the face of Death time and time again, and with no sleep at that!

This a pretty standard action movie, with just a few subtle touches to make it that much more enjoyable than your typical factory-direct action movie. Most of these come from John McClane being a bit surprised as well as very pleased with himself whenever he's just cheated death yet again. These moments not only add a bit of humor to this movie, but make the usual indestructible action movie superhero seem just that much more human, and that much more likable. I also loved that he's always communicating with his target by radio, like the bogeyman stalking him, and keeps giving the guy updates on how long it is until he dies.

Justin Long as the dweeby sidekick John McClane is protecting is playing pretty much every character you've ever seen him play¹, but this time with a pathetic little beard. He adds most of the humor to this movie, and holds his own next to the likes of Bruce Willis. He even does some stunts and gets beat up a little, which is nice to see in the brain-not-braun character.

Timothy Olyphant is almost convincing as a bad guy, but not totally. Bad guys don't wear pants that tight and well pressed, so he was pretty hard to take serious as the kind of criminal mastermind capable of bringing the most powerful nation on Earth to its knees. Yeah he's supposed to be the brilliant young computer programmer who designed the very system he's melting-down, but who ever saw a young brilliant computer programmer (especially one who works for the government) who dresses like that, and who could ever get a girlfriend like kung-fu Maggie Q? He's ok as a villain, but I wasn't convinced until near the very end of the movie.

This is a fun movie, and I'm glad they kept it PG13. If you go expecting a typical action movie, you'll walk away with a little more awesomeness than you bargained for. After all, it is a Die Hard movie.

high points: John McClane is the only person in the theater surprised that he just cheated death again. Warlock's command center. The shortest distance between barrel and freedom is through your own shoulder.
low points: After I destroy the USA I'm going to buy a whole new wardrobe of all black clothes that are too small for me, have my nails done, and get another haircut... then scowl a lot more.

1) Except in The Break-Up.