Die Hard 4: Live Free Or Die Hard (4/5)
Posted on 9 Oct 2009
Despite having one very sad title, and dipping into the very tarnished Die Hard franchise once again, this film was quick, cocky, and enjoyable to the final scene. I was rather distracted by the Apple commercial guy playing co-lead, and a villain (Timothy Olyphant) who had diminishing returns. Sequel franchising is a tricky business that rarely goes well, actors get desperate, studios make good money dragging things out as long as the brand has a name. Terminator, Aliens, Predator, Batman (1989), Lethal Weapon, Raiders’, POTC are all examples of brilliant action/adventure films that got driven into the ground by lamer directors/screenwriters and bloated budgets (or as AVP proved, not enough of a budget). The Bourne and LOTR trilogies stand as the few series’ that somehow avoided the problem–perhaps they were approached as single, seamless productions with a comprehensive narrative and not just a cash cow that got thrown up the flagpole every few years. You know how it is, the ol’ cow up the flagpole.
Chad
9 Oct 2009 (15:03)
Well, LOTR should prolly be excluded since the whole thing was shot together and isn’t really whole without it being seen as one piece.
It’s funny that you bring up ‘Terminator’ as a failed franchise as a review I read for this movie when it came out pointed out that the very human (at least as far as action movies go) McLaine basically turns into the Terminator by this film.
After watching him essentially surf a fighter plane at one point in ‘Live Free…’ I’d have to agree.
Still, there are some really, really entertaining set pieces in this pic.