---- Figured i'd just put my review in here ----
First, an admission. I saw the first Die Hard when I was probably only 10 or 11. My parents were never very strict with films and stuff, and we could watch whatever we wanted really (hence my manic serial killing spree). I loved it, like many other 80s action films, BUT… I never got around to seeing 2 or 3.
Until this last week. With 4.0 coming out, I finally sat on my bum and downloaded the films. 2, I thought was a very fun film, but the supporting cast and villains dropped it a bit. I loved 3. Great action, great villain in Jeremy Irons and the interplay between Willis and Jackson was gold.
So, fully psyched up for 4.0, lil_miss and I trundled down to see it on Saturday. We were not disappointed.
The first thing that hit me was how modern and slick it was. It’s about cyber-terrorists after all, and high-tech runs throughout the film. This let them continue the these of McClain being anti-technology, and it works just as well as in previous incarnations. I feel that each of the films (perhaps with the exception of 2, which straddles two decades), really stands out as being in it’s decade. 1 is 80s, 3 is 90s and now 4.0 is very 21st century.
Willis is on top form. McClain is his most famous character, and he appears to have slipped back into the role with no effort at all. He’s into his 50s, but he’s a credible action star here. He’s not pretending to be some hot young stud, he’s an older cop, who happens to be a badass mofo. The supporting cast is well rounded too. Justin Long is good as the sidekick. Not a patch on Jackson, but still good. I liked Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lucy too.
The villains are of course a big part of Die Hard, and they don’t disappoint. Maggie Q makes a good enforcer. I preferred her to the butch woman in 3, that’s for sure. And then there’s Timothy Olyphant. He’s a convincing villain in this piece. Not as good as Irons or Rickman, but he’s definitely better than the guy in 2. The fact that I can’t remember his name says it all I guess.
The action is thick and fast. There’s all the usual gun play and whatnot, but in true 21st century style, everything is bigger. There are a few bits that they couldn’t do, so they used cgi. Nothing stands out too much. The most over the top bit brings back True Lies memories.
I’ve seen a few reviews that paint the film as disappointing, toned down or just not worthy of the series. I disagree, I think it’s an excellent addition and stands as a pretty fitting end. I’d rank them 3, 1, 4, 2, but 3, 1 and 4 are all fairly close for me.
Yippee Ki Yay Mofo
First, an admission. I saw the first Die Hard when I was probably only 10 or 11. My parents were never very strict with films and stuff, and we could watch whatever we wanted really (hence my manic serial killing spree). I loved it, like many other 80s action films, BUT… I never got around to seeing 2 or 3.
Until this last week. With 4.0 coming out, I finally sat on my bum and downloaded the films. 2, I thought was a very fun film, but the supporting cast and villains dropped it a bit. I loved 3. Great action, great villain in Jeremy Irons and the interplay between Willis and Jackson was gold.
So, fully psyched up for 4.0, lil_miss and I trundled down to see it on Saturday. We were not disappointed.
The first thing that hit me was how modern and slick it was. It’s about cyber-terrorists after all, and high-tech runs throughout the film. This let them continue the these of McClain being anti-technology, and it works just as well as in previous incarnations. I feel that each of the films (perhaps with the exception of 2, which straddles two decades), really stands out as being in it’s decade. 1 is 80s, 3 is 90s and now 4.0 is very 21st century.
Willis is on top form. McClain is his most famous character, and he appears to have slipped back into the role with no effort at all. He’s into his 50s, but he’s a credible action star here. He’s not pretending to be some hot young stud, he’s an older cop, who happens to be a badass mofo. The supporting cast is well rounded too. Justin Long is good as the sidekick. Not a patch on Jackson, but still good. I liked Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lucy too.
The villains are of course a big part of Die Hard, and they don’t disappoint. Maggie Q makes a good enforcer. I preferred her to the butch woman in 3, that’s for sure. And then there’s Timothy Olyphant. He’s a convincing villain in this piece. Not as good as Irons or Rickman, but he’s definitely better than the guy in 2. The fact that I can’t remember his name says it all I guess.
The action is thick and fast. There’s all the usual gun play and whatnot, but in true 21st century style, everything is bigger. There are a few bits that they couldn’t do, so they used cgi. Nothing stands out too much. The most over the top bit brings back True Lies memories.
I’ve seen a few reviews that paint the film as disappointing, toned down or just not worthy of the series. I disagree, I think it’s an excellent addition and stands as a pretty fitting end. I’d rank them 3, 1, 4, 2, but 3, 1 and 4 are all fairly close for me.
Yippee Ki Yay Mofo