Live Free or Die Hard is pretty damn fun. It feels way shorter than its 130 minutes and way harder than its PG-13 rating. It’s relentlessly entertaining, a big summer action film in a summer that’s been missing just that. Sure, it’s been twelve years since we last saw him but the only thing that’s changed is the hairline. McClane can still bring it.
The storyline of LFoDH is an evil mastermind’s plot to shutdown the nation’s infrastructure. We’re talking utilities, transportation, and the economy – basically everything that makes the country run smoothly. These guys are good too, the ultimate in super villain organized. Sadly, the main bad guy here, Timothy Olyphant, isn’t so strong. Also the FBI guy McClane interacts with, Cliff Curtis, isn’t so strong. But it doesn’t really matter. They are mere speed bumps on the ride, 15 second annoyances lodged between long stretches of Die Hard entertainment.
Guess who is strong? Justin Long. Yep, I called this kid being a star from the moment he was on the hit TV show Ed and now, years later, my prediction has finally come true. He’s the perfect partner for Bruce Willis, he handles the majority of the one liners until it’s time to kick some ass. Long carrying the comedic load also helps Willis’ funny moments seem that much better because he’s not forced into becoming a catch phrase machine.
I’ll get to the massive action in a second, but I want to take a moment to reflect how full circle things have come. In the opening scenes of the original Die Hard John McClane uses something that looks much like an Atari to check into the Nakatomi building to see Holly. He remarks on the fancy machine, and even then you can feel his disdain for anything that’s not a handgun. Here, Justin Long plays a super hacker that’s been unwittingly duped into helping the terrorist, this kid is all about the internets (yes, I like the plural version better). True to form McClane is still hating on technology and just looking for the next guy to punch. The only difference is that now the whole world is run by things that look like really suped-up Ataris.
As for the action here, it’s stellar. Tragically they’ve given some away with the advertising, probably in an attempt to prove to everyone that the movie isn’t soft, but there will be a few surprises for you too. The baddies sport all kinds of excellent killing weapons, and with new methods too. Hey, if you’ve got the power of the internets and nation’s utilities at your fingertips you’re not really limited as to how you can counterattack the guy that just won’t die (hard). The script does well with innovative methods of peril at its disposal.
I would recommend this one in a big way. No, it won’t add up, no it won’t always be logical, and yes every so often you’ll get a groan worthy moment. But in between all of that you’ll find 90 percent of your time spent in the theater alternates between laughing and smiling at the carnage. Live Free or Die Hard is a worthy addition to a classic franchise, and I have no issues at all with telling you to see this one on the big screen. Explosions, logic flaws, bullets, and gallows humor – that’s the stuff living free is made of.
