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Movie Review
Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4.0)
Directed by Len Wiseman

They finally came up with another Die Hard movie, after all these years. After a summer full of so-so sequel, I don't have a high expectation over this one. But I was not disappointed, since the movie turned out to be a real Die Hard movie all the way through. I heard that the rating PG-13 was much talked about, especially from fans fearing that the action would be tame. Well, the character John McClane is a little bit more reserved: he doesn't talk that much or swear that much either, for that matter (no worries, he's still got some nice taunts in him). It is to be expected however, because the guy is older and has gone through a lot. However, the action is pure Die Hard, and the character casting turns out to be an excellent blend.

This time around, the story is about cyber-terrorism. A mastermind hacker managed to hack almost everything that is connected to the internet and started creating havoc within the United States. John McClane (Bruce Willis) got dragged into the mess while he was asked to escort another hacker named Matt Farrell (Justin Long) to safety. I guess it's the story writers' intention to pit McClane against technology advancement that they chose cyber-terrorism as the theme of the movie. It also made the movie more relevant to the present time (technology and terrorism), even though in an extreme way.

Putting Willis and Long together as a hero/sidekick pair turns out to be an excellent decision. Even though Long's portrayal of a hacker isn't entirely that convincing, his role as McClane's reluctant, wide-eyed sidekick is excellent. Long's Farrell is like a counter-balance to Willis' more reserved McClane, who has a strong been-there-done-that vibe about his character. McClane provides many of the actions and some hard-hitting word-play when he was taunting, while Farrell provides many of the wacky quips and some technological updates for McClane, who's obviously haven't been keeping up with the times.

Other casting works out just fine as well. Timothy Olyphant gave an excellent performance of a villain who is not that entirely composed at times but quite cold-blooded and determined in achieving his goals. Maggie Q and Mary Elizabeth Winstead also provided some classy eye candies, with Maggie Q playing a villain whose character is reserved, well-composed yet highly desirable and Winstead as McClane's daughter, who obviously has some of her father's traits.

Enough about casting and performances. This movie is Die Hard, afterall, and Die Hard has always been about action. And regarding action, the movie delivers. A police car ramming into a helicopter, a trailer truck going against an F-22. Those are just glimpses of the action that you'll find in Die Hard 4.0. McClane's more cold-blooded and brutal this time around, with an air of effectiveness in dispatching the bad guys (been there, done that). He gets down and dirty, as always. It is also worth reminding that many of the actions are pure stunts and not computer-generated.

In the end, Die Hard 4.0 is another worthy addition to the franchise. Aside from that, it's also one of the best summer movies of this year.

"Where did you get these guys? Did you dial 1-800-Henchmen?" - John McClane -