Live Free or Die Hard
Directed by Len Wiseman
Twentieth Century Fox, 2007
By David Hollands
Some time ago, I read a phrase that would haunt me for months. It went something like this: “Live Free or Die Hard, rated PG-13.” After three entries in a franchise that guaranteed deliciously brutal violence, would a watered down Die Hard still be worthy of the title? Absolutely. This film rocks. It is paced, written, directed, and acted almost perfectly.
John McClane is called on to arrest a computer hacker named Matt Farrell, suspected of infiltrating the Pentagon’s system. Soon after McClane arrives at his door, armed assassins make an attempt on Matt’s life. Mr. Farrell was unknowingly a cog in a machine designed to cripple the United States in cyberspace. Terrorists now hold the country hostage, and it’s up to John McClane and Matt to save the day.
The spectacle begins five minutes in, and every ten minutes there’s a new set piece. Surprisingly, this avoids tedium since the moments in between offer the audience a breather. Also, the filmmakers are able to create sympathy for the protagonists. Matt, for example, could have easily dissolved into a wisecracking annoyance, but actor Justin Long prevents that. Matt has a good heart and a flaw to overcome: his cowardice. How he accomplishes that is one of the halcyon surprises in the film. McClane’s daughter is hardly the terrified female victim one finds in action flicks. If there’s ever fear in her eyes, it’s for her father’s safety, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance helps this greatly. McClane now goes about his action-packed business with extreme weariness. The world has passed him, though his character still plows on even after experiencing so much crap. For him, it’s for the good of the citizens of his country. Frankly, that brings a tear to my eye.
The action sequences are edited into oblivion, though coherence is never sacrificed. Each cut, each shot, and each camera movement deliver a maximum visceral impact. While most of the set pieces are hardly realistic, the filmmakers still achieve a realistic feel; the impossible is made plausible because there is always consequence in this world. Anyone would be killed if put through what McClane has to endure; the fact that pain is present keeps the spectator involved. Plus, the set pieces themselves are jaw dropping. Every one of them, achieved through a combination of practical stunt work and seamless CGI, makes up any action fan’s wet dream.
There is a weakness though: head antagonist Gabriel, played by Deadwood’s Timothy Olyphant, never reaches the standards set by Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber. Gabriel is more of a wimp than any of the antagonists in the franchise. He’s like an emo kid with a mean streak, i.e. hardly menacing. His inevitable end is unsatisfying as well, especially after so many showstoppers.
But don’t let that detract you. This is easily the most fun you’ll have at the movies all summer. Do yourself a favour and make sure this franchise gets the love it deserves. Yippee Ka Yay.
