Friday Flix: The Death of “Die Hard”

Thursday was one of the most disappointing days of my life. No, not because I didn’t have a Valentine this year. It was all because of a movie I was so excited about. A movie I wanted so badly to see, the fifth installment in the “Die Hard” series, “A Good Day to Die Hard.”

“A Good Day to Die Hard” starts off sort of the way all the films did, John McClane (Bruce Willis), bad guys, suspicious activity, and him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This time we get to meet his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney), who was arrested in Moscow after shooting someone in a nightclub. Jack agrees to testify, for a shorter sentence, against political prisoner Yuri Komarov, who is set to blow the whistle on a corrupt government official named Chagarin. With his son Jack at trial, McClane shows up to try to help his son only to get caught up in a massive explosion set up by Chagarin to apprehend Komarov and obtain the file he has against him.

We come to find out that Jack is a CIA operative who is trying to help Komarov and bring Chagarin to justice. With what seems like the entire country of Russia chasing them down, and the father and son team at odds with one another, can the McClane’s overcome the odds, and bullets to complete a mission of National Security?

Verdict: The action sequences were mind blowing but you really should wait for the rental if you’re a casual fan. Die hard “Die Hard” fans will most likely go out and see the film but any REAL FAN will be upset.

Why it sucked: My biggest issue was the story. It was like writers went on lunch and in an hour just came up with this half-assed version that played out like a spin off. John McClane could have been in a movie like this year’s ago written by anyone with a glimmer of an imagination. The reason why this film wasn’t made years ago was that there was not a memorable villain, Jack as a main character didn’t work because we know nothing about him, and ultimately the plot in “A Good Day” does not stack up to the four previous movies. Even Bruce Willis didn’t look like he was having any fun playing this version of John McClane minus the wit and cool catchphrases. “A Good Day to Die Hard” felt like John McClane was airlifted into another action movie and just went through the motions.

One reviewer wrote a negative review and stated “Die Hard’s” death as being 1988-1995, I’ll give “Live Free or Die Hard” some credit, at least that film made the series modern again, but this one killed the franchise. As a “Die Hard” superfan I can only hope John McClane will ride again just to right the wrong of “A Good Day.”

But for now…“Die Hard,” 1988-2007, may you rest in peace.