A Good Day to Die Hard
This, the fifth installment in the "Die Hard" franchise, is unfortunately the most uninspired entry to date. Despite all the anticipation for another sequel in the series, "A Good Day to Die Hard" finds Willis merely going through the motions delivering his patented McClane one-liners with an all time low-level of lethargy. Sure, there are a smattering of scenes here and there that really ramp up the action but the final product will leave you desiring more.
Clocking in at a mere 97 minutes, "A Good Day to Die Hard" is notably the shortest running "Die Hard" to date. In most instances this would be a relative non-issue, but the ending in particular felt hurried and the plot could have easily benefited from at least one more explosive showdown. Considering how the "Die Hard" franchise is hinged upon a series of false endings which eventually culminate in a grandiose explosion-riddled finale, it's a real head-scratcher as to why this fifth installment failed to follow suit.
As was perfectly demonstrated in "Rocky Balboa", some iconic 80's heroes are simply never too old to have one last hurrah in them. Willis himself proved the same to be true with "Live Free or Die Hard", an exceptionally efficient summer thrill-ride that breathed a fresh breath of air back into the series. Perhaps he was pushing his luck with a fifth installment because Willis is seemingly uninspired with his role as John McClane. Luckily, Australian bred actor Jai Courtney contributes an added layer of depth in the role of John's estranged son Jack, as does Sebastian Koch playing the role of the resident bad guy in the film.
The plot is fairly one-dimensional. When John goes on search for his recluse son, he finds Jack imprisoned in a Moscow prison. Come to find out, Jack is actually a CIA operative hired to protect Yuri Komarov (Koch), a political prisoner who holds the key to a top secret Chernobyl file. Komarov is thus targeted by Chagarin, a high ranking Russian official and former partner who has the most to lose if the contents of the file were to be released. Ultimately, Komarov turns out to be the wolf in sheep's clothing whose ultimate goal is to sell weapons grade uranium which is stored in an abandoned Chernobyl site. It is now up to the father and son McClane duo to spoil Komarov's plans.
While I did enjoy the reprisal of the Red Scare threat and the 1980's vibe that it evoked, the film is ultimately a hollow affair equipped with expensive explosions. Ostensibly, there are three varying parts that make up the movie. The opening and endings sequences are where the ridiculous action sequences transpire. The significantly smaller sliver of time in the middle is spent establishing a superficial relationship between father and estranged son. The running gag is that the McClane's don't hug, and this pointed tough guy act is predictably played upon throughout.
The extravagant opening car chase and over-the-top finale, while thrilling, are the only hallmarks of an otherwise lack-luster "Die Hard" entry. The rest of the movie is spent establishing meaningless character relationships and Willis constantly reminding us that he's "on vacation". Even his trademark "Yippee Ki-Yay" was delivered with such apathy that I barely noticed it had been uttered until after the fact. The use of special effects and the myriad of stunts are quite impressive to say the least. Yet, there's hardly any of that classic McCLane charm that has sustained this series up to this point. If you care to see a hollow facade of a "Die Hard" movie than venture forth, but if you're looking to be thrilled, cross your fingers and hope that the next one returns to true from...barring that "A Good Day to Die Hard" hasn't effectively ended the series altogether. To go out on such a low-note would be disappointing.
2.5 Yaps
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVkzZD92cMQ]