That pretty much sums up the latest entry into the classic Die Hard canon. In what seems like the umpteenth iteration of Bruce Willis's action legacy, the aged Detective John McClane heads to Russia to bail his long-lost son, Jack (Jai Courtney), out of prison, only to find that Jack is actually a CIA operative working to stop a nuclear arms deal. Naturally, trouble finds the McClane boys as they team up to finish Jack's mission.
Now if you're like me, you're one of the millions of "die-hards" who love all the previous movies, even if it hurts to admit enjoying the PG-13, Justin Long version. We all know it's necessary to suspend disbelief when watching these films, especially as star Bruce Willis pushes 60. In 25 years, this guy's fought his way up a skyscraper, single-handedly brought down a jumbo jet full of rogue soldiers, saved all of New York City with Samuel L. Jackson, and even clinged onto the tail of a fighter jet before shooting himself through the shoulder to kill a terrorist. Five rodeos in, Willis has still got it, but it's clear by now that the years haven't been kind to him. It's not so much A Good Day to Die Hard as it is a "good day" to hang up the badge and call it quits.
At 97 minutes, A Good Day to Die Hard (aka Die Hard 5) is the shortest of the series, which is appropriate because it's also the worst. One should never go into an action blockbuster expecting more meat than potatoes, but the dialogue is awful and the plot is far-fetched, even for Die Hard. McClane walks a fine line that nearly sees his cowboy demeanor slip into caricature. Poor writing from Skip Woods (Swordfish, Hitman, The A-Team) is the primary suspect here.
What made the fourth film cool is that it served as a political allegory and re-introduced the concept of "Big Brother" in the midst of our country's technological revolution. Good Day brings the action to Russia, and I couldn't help but think, "Who cares?" It would've made more sense if this was the plot of the very first movie, but the Cold War undertones come off as tired and irrelevant in an action film for today's audiences. We don't need to head to Russia and start beef 25-30 years after the fact.
I also wasn't a fan of the chemistry between John (Bruce Willis) and Jack (Jai Courtney, Jack Reacher, Spartacus: War of the Damned). It improves as the paper-thin plot drags on, but overall I had more fun watching Willis and Long work together in Live Free or Die Hard. There was a stronger father-son dynamic there than in this new film. I think John Sr. and John Jr. are too much alike for their own good, which might be a ploy to eventually pass the franchise onto Courtney once he becomes a bigger star. Again, not a necessary move on the producers's part, but in the ongoing pursuit of the almighty dollar, who's to say we wont get a Die Hard 6 or 7 with Courtney running the show? We've got proof now that two badasses aren't always as good as one, and it's up to the producers now to keep on with an old-school classic and let him go out on top, or pass things off to the new-school. As a fan, I've got my fingers crossed for the old-school.
SPOILERS: The action pieces are plentiful, but they're ultimately too tame for what I've come to expect from Die Hard. They're also packed with some gawdy CG effects that had me shaking my head in utter disbelief. Nothing was dazzling enough to keep me distracted from the lackluster authenticity of the stunts. That's saying something for an action franchise like this. Blowing up a room inside a building full of weapons grade uranium and NOT having the bad guys vaporized by a giant nuclear mushroom cloud? I mean, c'mon. "Yippee ki-yay" my ass.
Speaking of villains, there's a twist around the film's three-quarter point that might've been cool if our baddie (Sebastian Koch) was the least bit memorable. That's kinda why the originals are classics to begin with. Who could forget Hans Gruber at Nakatomi Plaza or his brother Simon out for revenge in the streets of New York? Nobody cares about a quiet Russian who may or may not want to start a nuclear war. I never got the impression that he was a hellbent maniac, and that's why he doesn't stack up against the likes of his cinematic predecessors.
In the end, Willis's performance is still enough to keep A Good Day to Die Hard from becoming a complete caricature of the series, even if it appears to be headed in that direction. There are devices at work that could've seen Willis and Jai Courtney elevate this fifth rodeo beyond expectations; they've just gotta remember to actually READ and REFLECT on the script before taking the next job. Good Day is ultimately too tame, too contrived, and too unnecessary to warrant the time of anyone besides series "die-hards". Having said this, I think most fans will be disappointed and (perish the thought!) might even find themselves running back to the open arms of Justin Long and a PG-13 rating.
4 OF 10 STARS
No comments:
Post a Comment