Movie: A Good Day to Die Hard
Director: John Moore
Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Rating: ***
There are Bruce Willis fans and “Die Hard” Bruce Willis fans. I belong to the second group and with all due respect to the franchise, I feel this is the weakest “Die Hard” film ever. That said, if you’re an action aficionado then you’re in for some memorable action sequences from the word go. There’s more action than talking in this film. If you really want to enjoy this film then I suggest you stop comparing it to its predecessors. On the action front, this “Die Hard” film is impeccable and doesn’t disappoint. Call it CGI facilitated stunts or whatever you want to but I loved every minute of the action.
Our American hero, John McClane, sets foot on foreign soil for the first time, only to attract more trouble than ever. Let me just put the plot in few simple lines. John travels to Russia, Moscow to meet his long forgotten son, Jack. Much to his surprise, McClane junior is a spy working under cover for CIA, and is currently on a mission to stop few Russian Terrorists from using Uranium to construct weapons of mass destruction. A caring father that he is, John, even after being welcomed by his son with a gun to his head, decides to extend a helping hand. I don’t have to tell you what happened next!
With every “Die Hard” film the makers have changed the backdrop; it was a tower in the first part, an airport in the second, New York City in the third and the whole of United States in the fourth installment. It was evident that the next part, which is this film, had to have a foreign backdrop, and guess what, we have one. It’s heroic to see an American hero pulling off age-defying stunts in Russia with his son even when most of it appears clichéd.
As I was reading few reviews of the film over the last few days I came across a pattern of criticism. It was mostly around weak plot, shorter running time and bad characterization. I couldn’t disagree but as a John McClane fan boy, I didn’t pay attention to neither the low rating on IMDB nor the reviews. You may blame the film for its lack of a story but there’s no way you’ll hate John’s likability and essence. There can’t be a better McClane than Bruce, and god bless him for he has proved it again. All those who complained about shorter running time need to acknowledge the fact that how in the hell the film could have had a longer running time when there is hardly any story. Its 97 minutes of non-stop action. So, shut up, sit back and enjoy.
The opening car chase in Moscow is undoubtedly one of the best chases of recent times. On the contrary, I found the climax to be way out of McClane’s league but given the fact that he is John McClane, it’s understandable. Besides Bruce, the rest of the cast, including Jai Courtney, fail to impress. But, my dear Bruce, at 57, is kicking and going strong with action and humour, courtesy his one-liners. Would it be wise to say that this film rests entirely on Bruce’s shoulders? Oh yes, one hundred percent.
Having said all this, if there’s a 6th part in the offing then it should have a better plot, better characters and definitely an intimidating villain. This franchise definitely needs a better farewell.
