Review - Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

      Hey guys, Chuck here. Hope everyone is having a great Fourth of July weekend, and I hope you enjoy today's review: the 2007 Len Wiseman directed action movie Live Free or Die Hard, which marks the fourth film in the Die Hard series, and stars Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Smith, Cyril Raffaelli, and Cliff Curtis. 

       So, Live Free or Die Hard sees John McClane placed in a situation where he's in way over his head. At the request of the FBI, McClane collects a hacker named Matt Farrell, who is being hunted by men working for former Department of Defense analyst turned cyber terrorist Thomas Gabriel, who hatches a plan , ack the American digital infrastructure and take it down in what the movie refers to as a "fire sale." And, it all takes place over the Fourth of July weekend.

        There is definitely plenty of action and stunts in this movie, and some of that action comes in the form of parkour and free running, which is easy when one of the supporting cast members of the film, Cyril Raffaelli, also happens to be one of the pioneers of parkour and free running. Aside from that, the action and stunts are pretty standard for the Die Hard series. 

       The performances of Bruce Willis as John McClane, Justin Long as Matt, Timothy Olyphant as Gabriel, and so forth were a lot of fun. One addition I appreciated was Mary Elizabeth Winstead as McClane's daughter Lucy. Seeing John McClane's daughter as an adult, and starting off as annoyed and resentful of him, was a nice touch. Now, there were rumors of early plans to also include John McClane's son, Jack, in the movie, but he was ultimately cut from the script and saved for the sequel. Which, yeah that's fine. 

       Ultimately, the plot of the movie is the biggest point of contention. Some people enjoy the idea of John McClane dealing with a threat that is modern and something that he isn't equipped to deal with due to his nature, while others feel as though this concept goes against the very nature of the Die Hard franchise. As for me, I feel that the plot works in parts. I find that when McClane is able to do what he's best at, the movie works well. Unfortunately, the only version I can recommend is the Unrated Cut, as itfeels the most like a Die Hard movie than the PG-13 theatrical version of the movie. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you in the next review.