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Live Free or Die Hard

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

June. 27,2007
|
7.1
|
PG-13
| Action Thriller

John McClane is back and badder than ever, and this time he's working for Homeland Security. He calls on the services of a young hacker in his bid to stop a ring of Internet terrorists intent on taking control of America's computer infrastructure.

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Reviews

Ghoulumbe
2007/06/27

Better than most people think

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Odelecol
2007/06/28

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

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Curapedi
2007/06/29

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

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Matho
2007/06/30

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

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djfrost-46786
2007/07/01

This movie went to the future and back too. The action is bad a$$. The computer stuff made it up to date. Him wanting to save his bad a$$ daughter was great. Everything was great, but one thing. The bad guy. He's not really a bad guy like in the other Die Hards. Still I liked it better than 2 and 3.

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bitomurder
2007/07/02

Twelve long years without a John McClane movie is like an eternity to an action fan. This one spent so many years in production hell that it was easy to believe that it would never happen. But after years of eagerly awaiting another, and possibly final, adventure from the now classic character of John McClane we got what we wanted. A brand new, original, and action packed sequel that delivers in more ways than one. This is a great additon to the franchise and, except for a few flaws, it lives up to the hype that so many years away from the screen had produced. The story is one of the reasons that this one is so good. A brilliant cyber-punk exposes the faults of our information age in what is called a 'firesale'. A systematic deconstruction of our advanced and computer dependent society into the dark ages. The simple ideas expressed in the movie bring a fear that many Americans wish they never see in their lifetimes. With everything going awry, John McClane is asked to escort a computer geek to Washington who could be responsible for the calamity or possibly know how to stop it. Its a great idea for a Die Hard movie, but did the director and cast make it what it had the potential to be? Quite simply, yes. Like the third installment in the series, we get to see a new John McClane. An older, wiser, more mature, and cynical John. He gives us the feeling that he has been here before and he has seen so much in his life that this is just another story he can tell his grandchildren. He also makes you feel a little sad for him. After all he has done and been through, his wife and children still want nothing to do with him. Joining him to hose out the 'firesale' is our computer geek Matthew Farrell played by the always good humored Justin Long. This one brings back the buddy film vibe from Die Hard With A Vengence, but our buddy is a lot more funny and incapable of handling the situation he finds himself in. The only disappointment from the actors in this one comes from an actor I usually enjoy. Timothy Olphant plays our cyber-punk villian trying to destroy everything our current society relies on, and his performance seems a little weak and hollow. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays John's estranged daughter Lucy and her acceptance of her father give the ending of the movie a nice heart touching power. Overall, the movie turned out MUCH better than I had expected. With the exception of the ending, which seems a little too ridiculous, the movie is good in almost all respects. The action kicks in early and never relents. The ferocity of the violence and the humor of both our leads give credit to another installment in the Die Hard saga. If anything you must watch this just for the ten minutes that Kevin Smith is on screen. It is priceless.

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MaximumMadness
2007/07/03

"Die Hard" is pure cinematic gold. Upon release in 1988, the original film in what would soon become a franchise was met with critical acclaim and went on to be an instant classic of action and adventure. Audiences were in awe of its spectacle and sharp writing, and to this very day, it remains a cherished and beloved masterwork that few are able to compare to. Two sequels followed in the 90's, and while not quite able to come close to matching the high bar set by that first film, both were strong and wickedly exciting chapters that continued the series well and maintained its integrity.For a while, it seemed that the series was finished, with the third film having capped off the series while also giving a sense of completion to Bruce Willis' legendary action-hero John McClane. More than ten years passed before we heard the murmurings of a fourth film. Years of anticipation and dreams of a new film would finally be answered. But there were some snags along the way. Most troubling being a studio-mandated PG-13 rating, which betrayed the hard-R tonality set by the previous entries. Some also took issue with the choice in Len Wiseman as director, with his previous directorial efforts in the "Underworld" series being exciting but a little light on story. But even still, we held onto our hope that the newest chapter would be a worthy installment.And oh boy, was it!"Live Free or Die Hard" (also known as "Die Hard 4.0" in some territories) is a darned-good modern take on the franchise, that skillfully mixes the best of both old and new-school cinematic techniques and storytelling to deliver yet another grand installment in the series. While there are some inherent problems with the film (particularly in the tamed-down PG-13 theatrical cut), it was like seeing a dear old friend again walking into the theater. McClane was back. The explosive entertainment was back. The attitude was back. And it was a pleasure to behold.The FBI is tracking a potentially dangerous situation, as a number of highly skilled computer hackers have been assassinated. When it appears hacker Matt Farrell (Justin Long), who is on the FBI's watch-list, may be a potential new target, New York cop John McClane (Willis) is dispatched to collect him for questioning and protection. However, McClane soon finds himself a target for murder upon collecting Farrell when he comes into the sights of deranged former Department of Defense official Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant), who is seeking retribution for his dishonorable termination. Together, McClane and Farrell must do whatever they can to stop Gabriel's ultimate goal- to cripple the US by initiating a devious scheme known as a "Fire Sale"... where every computer-based network will be eliminated, throwing the country into utter chaos.The strength of the film is that it is pure, unadulterated "Die Hard" in virtually every sense, only given a fresh spit-and-polish with modern day effects and a contemporary storyline. Director Len Wiseman masterfully weaves a tale that takes McClane out of his comfort zone and puts him into a worst-case- scenario where his hard-boiled wit will again be put to the test. Together with writers Mark Bomback and David Marconi, Wiseman delivers non- stop thrills and thorough entertainment from start-to-finish, with some of the most mind-bending action set- pieces of its decade. It's over-the-top... but over-the-top in all the right ways that only "Die Hard" can pull off.Willis is phenomenal as always in his trademark role, and its nice seeing that the script gives him a bit of development as he's struggled in the years that have passed. McClane might be doing things no other man could reasonably survive, but there's a humanity beneath the surface. Olyphant makes for an adequately menacing villain, even if he's far more hands-off than previous foes. He's got a good look and voice for the part of such a treacherous baddie, so I didn't mind that he was more of a behind-the-scenes figure. But the stand-outs here are the delightful Justin Long, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kevin Smith in supporting roles. Long might just be a sidekick to McClane, but he's a ton of fun and is never grating. His attitude compliments and contrasts with Willis quite nicely. Winstead, a delightful young actress, portrays McClane's daughter Lucy, and she's a welcome addition, as her small role helps ground McClane and give him a bit more heart. And Smith is just a ton of fun as an underground hacker known as "The Warlock." He hams it up well and gets some good zingers.However, this is not a perfect film, and it loses a few points for a few big issues I have with it. To start, Gabriel might be a decent villain, but he is very underdeveloped. Despite trying his hardest, Olyphant's good performance cannot overcome weak motivation and a lack of screen time. Hans Gruber, he ain't. The film also pushes the boundaries of believability a few too many times, which bugged me. And oddly enough, the problems I had don't lie in a certain sequence involving a jet that I will not spoil. No, to me, it's more that there's a bit too much CG work and inorganic wire-stunts in the earlier half of the movie that feel out of place. And a few too many moments of McClane and Farrell being saved by unlikely circumstances. And finally... the edits made to get the film down to a PG-13 are very obvious. It's blatant where dialog has been redubbed with lighter language and where the film had to cut so they didn't show too much blood. It's a tad irritating. Thankfully, an R- rated edition was later released that corrects these issues."Live Free or Die Hard" is a complete blast and re-invigorates the franchise after a prolonged break. It's exciting. Entertaining. And pure "Die Hard." It's a very good 8 out of 10.

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srbrajapakse
2007/07/04

Yes, he is definitely back. This was undoubtedly one of the best action movies I have ever watched. Intense plot and heaps of quality action (I won't count fighter jet action amidst a maze of bridges in a civilian crowded city). Bruce Willis pulls off a great performance. Timothy Olyphant is not a bad villain either. I am amazed why some people think this ruined DH franchise. It's 2007 people, come on now. If you are craving Matrix, then this is not the one. But, trust me you will be highly entertained with non-stop action. Cinematography scores very high on this unlike so many action movies. If you are an action movie buff, this is a MUST watch! Yeah, Yippee-ki-yay-moth3rfvck3r.

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