Die Hard 4.0 (15)

From the Oxford Mail, first published Thursday 5th Jul 2007.

The Die Hard franchise is back - and this time it really is with a vengeance.

Returning to his most famous role after a 12-year hiatus, Willis is back on form as cranky anti-hero John McClane, and turns what could have been just another predictable and cliche-ridden adventure-flick into a thoroughly entertaining movie with comedy, suspense - and of course, a heavy dose of action.

Seemingly ageless, and although minus the characteristic white vest, Bruce Willis is sexier than ever - and you can tell he's out to impress after two mid-franchise flops.

With director Len Wiseman (Underworld) at the helm, a great supporting cast, including Timothy Olyphant as bad guy Thomas Gabriel and Maggie Q as his gorgeous-but-deadly sidekick, Die Hard 4.0 is refreshingly real and unashamedly brash.

The movie wastes no time getting stuck in and after a quick update - McClane is divorced, his daughter doesn't speak to him, his job is uninspiring - the action begins with a fantastic shoot-out.

So, yet again the New York detective is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and seems to be the only man who can save the day.

But McClane is a fossil living in a modern world, and faced with callous criminals using technology to attack the US from within, out of his depth.

Old school and stubborn as ever, McClane uses brawn against brains, guile against greed, and with help from computer nerd Matt Farrell (Justin Long) starts a personal crusade to get the bad guys.

It's a bit like McGyver on acid. McClane, reckless as ever, uses brute force and anything at his disposal - at one point launching a car into a helicopter - to get the job done.

The stunts are top-class, and mostly real except for a few exceptions - one of which because, as Willis pointed out, 'you can't fly a jet down the streets of Washington'.

Couple the cracking action sequences with clever dialogue and the movie's unrelenting momentum and you've got not just a worthy action movie, but a worthy movie.

But like McClane, Die Hard 4.0 has its faults.

His Terminator-like resilience wears a little thin towards the end- he rolls out of death's path too smoothly, kills one batch of henchmen too many.

But even the kidnapped daughter hook and a cringe-worthy oneliner at the end can't stop you from loving this loud-mouthed cynic in an increasingly PC world.

McClane is a tonic and although he claims to care about the little man and fight for what he believes in, it could be just one big ego trip because fighting crime is the only thing John McClane is good at, so whether his intentions are real or not doesn't matter.

A fitting end to the franchise, or the perfect beginning for a whole new generation of Die Hards.

JENNIFER HOUGH

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