Talking Pulp
All things pulp and then some
Film Review: Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)
June 2, 2020 by Talking Pulp	in Film Review, Reviews and tagged 2000s, 2007, action, Bruce Willis, Cliff Curtis, crime, Die Hard, film, Justin Long, Kevin Smith, Len Wiseman, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, review, thriller, Tim Russ, Timothy Olyphant, UK
Also known as: Die Hard 4.0, Die Hard 4, Die Hard: Tears of the Sun, Die Hard 4: Die Hardest, Die Hard: Reset (working titles), WW3.com (original script title)
Release Date: June 12th, 2007 (Tokyo premiere)
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Written by: Mark Bomback, David Marconi
Based on: A Farewell to Arms by John Carlin; characters by Roderick Thorp
Music by: Marco Beltrami
Cast: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Cliff Curtis, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Smith, Tim Russ
Cheyenne Enterprises, Dune Entertainment, Ingenious Film Partners, 20th Century Fox, 129 Minutes
"You know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. You get a little pat on the back, blah, blah, blah, attaboy. You get divorced. Your wife can't remember your last name. Your kids don't want to talk to you. You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me, kid, nobody wants to be that guy." – John McClane
When this came out, I liked it but it didn't quite blow me away in the same way as the original trilogy of films did. I haven't seen this since it was in the theater, however, so I was pleasantly surprised by it this time around, as it was better than I remembered. I still wouldn't put it on the same level as the first three but it is a much better action movie than the majority of action flicks since the turn of the millennium.
One thing that I like about this series, besides the awesomeness that is Bruce Willis, is that each film takes place in (or around) a different major city. The majority of this picture is set in Washington DC It gives it a fresh look but at the same time, it has the same problem that a lot of the more modern action flicks have and that's that it looks too polished.
While metropolitan DC is cool, it is kind of a sterile and generic looking city when away from the famous monuments and iconic government buildings. Also, I don't think that the film really utilized how batshit crazy DC's streets are in that there are big diagonal avenues that cut through the standard grid system that most large American cities have.
I typically get annoyed by Justin Long after about five minutes. However, there are a few films where he is really good and this is one of him. While he starts to grate on you pretty early on, he grows as a character and you end up really liking him. But like other Die Hard characters, he's sadly a one-off and doesn't ever return to fuck shit up with John McClane again.
Side note: I'd love a spinoff of John McClane sidekicks meeting up at a John McClane sidekick convention that is taken over by terrorists and they have to team-up without McClane there. That'll never happen but a kid can dream. But if anyone ever gets the comic book publishing rights to the Die Hard franchise, this should be a miniseries.
Anyway, Timothy Olyphant is a decent villain but he just isn't on the level of the villains from the three previous films. I actually found Maggie Q's character to be more interesting and engaging but she's sort of just thrown away in the second act, which is just used as fuel to make Olyphant go over the edge and sort of self-sabotage his own plan due to wanting revenge specifically on McClane.
Additionally, as good as most of this film is, it jumps the shark once John McClane has to fight a fucking F-35 fighter jet around a maze of bridges. Is it badass? Sure, but it is also so far removed from the rest of the picture that it's no longer grounded in reality and feels more like some bonkers Michael Bay bullshit. Then I also remembered that this was directed by the guy behind the Underworld films, which really feels like a weird fit when you think about it.
Still, this is a good, solid way to waste a few hours with some mindless action and a character that has become beloved in American culture.
This is definitely weaker than the three previous entries but that doesn't make it a bad movie. It's really good, has a good pace and just gives you more of John McClane being an absolute badass.
Rating: 8.25/10
Pairs well with: the other Die Hard movies, as well as other Bruce Willis action films.
← Film Review: Maniac (1980)
Vids I Dig 346: The Critical Drinker: Kathleen Kennedy "Saves" 'Star Wars' (Again) →
Featured Lists (42)
Retro Relapse (121)
Talking Pulp (33)
The Bullshit Series (17)
List (100)
Comic Review (706)
Documentary Review (204)
Film Review (2,192)
TV Review (222)
Video Game Review (170)
Vids I Dig (557)
Film Review: The Game (1997)
Comic Review: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Classics, Vol. 15
Vids I Dig 557: The 6:05 Superpodcast: Pat Patterson Special
Film Review: Leprechaun In the Hood (2000)
Documentary Review: Spaceship Earth (2020)
Vids I Dig 556: Yesterworld: 5 Stories of Abandoned & Destroyed Disney Theme Park Icons
Film Review: Coming to America (1988)
Book Review: 'The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane' by Robert E. Howard
Vids I Dig 555: Tech Insider: Why Movie and TV Show Phone Numbers All Use "555"
Film Review: Silent Hill (2006)
Retro Relapse: Making 'May Madness' A Thing
Vids I Dig 554: Midnight's Edge: 'Snake Eyes' Is a 'G.I. Joe' Reboot, 'Transformers' and 'M.A.S.K.' Crossovers In the Works?
Film Review: Nightmare (1964)
Comic Review: The Witcher, Vol. 4: Of Flesh and Flame
Vids I Dig 553: The Critical Drinker: 'Batwoman' Season 2: The Funniest Thing I've Seen All Year
Film Review: Bloodshot (2020)
Book Review: 'Florida Mat Wars 1977' by Robert D. VanKavelaar & Scott Teal
Vids I Dig 552: Cartoonist Kayfabe: Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali! Neal Adams Brings The Ruckus!
Film Review: Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)
Documentary Review: World of Darkness (2017)
Vids I Dig 551: Filmento: 'Tenet': How High-Concept Becomes Harmful
Film Review: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
Comic Review: Deathstroke: The Terminator, Vol. 3: Nuclear Winter
Vids I Dig 550: Razörfist: Enter 'Solomon Kane' – Razör vs. Comics
Film Review: Ricochet (1991)
Retro Relapse: Fighting In Hockey
Vids I Dig 549: Whang!: Who Made Dir en Grey – Sea of Rs? – Tales From the Internet
Talking Pulp Update (1/4/2021): New Year Notification Nonsense!
Film Review: The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
Book Review: 'Ghost In the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker' by Kevin Mitnick