Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Live Free or Die Hard a.k.a. Die Hard 4.0 is a fair Bruce Willis action movie. It doesn’t feel like a Die Hard film - like at all - but the stunts and action setpieces are well done and exciting. So why can’t I muster much excitement for it?
NYPD detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is bringing Matthew Farrell (Justin Long) to the FBI - he’s suspected of contributing to a nationwide computer outage. Actually, the outage is just the beginning of an elaborate cyber attack designed to disable the United State’s infrastructure. Having unknowingly written the algorithm that Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) is employing, Farrell is now a target for assassination.
I’m at odds when it comes to Live Free or Die Hard. There are plenty of exciting scenes. While a part of your brain might die a little at the sight of McClane “throwing” a car at a helicopter, the pyrotechnics are impressive. Seeing him go toe-to-toe with Maggie Q is exciting, as are the gunfights and scenes of improvised weaponry. The cyber attack certainly offers meaningful stakes, as Thomas Gabriel has killed several people to orchestrate his plan and can use anything from redirected traffic to gas lines as weapons. You want him taken down if only so you can see that smug look on his face wiped away.
Unfortunately, the premise raises so many questions. When you find out why Gabriel is doing what he’s doing, you can’t help wondering if there wasn’t an easier way to go about it, particularly since he’s got the money necessary to set up a mobile hacker base, employ international assassins, put together convincing disguises, sneak explosives into key buildings, cover his tracks and more. You might want him stopped but he never achieves the level of menace previous Die Hard adversaries have. Some of this is due to the film’s constantly changing attitude towards hacking. Sometimes, it’s magic. I can buy Gabriel and his cronies cracking the government firewalls and security measures - they’ve been building towards this plan for months - but they can do basically anything with just a few keystrokes, including hacking into well-know hacker systems - which you would assume would be immune to that kind of thing. This tells us hackers are something to be feared… unless they aren’t. Anyone outside of Gabriel’s circle is a weiner who plays with dolls/action figures, “probably doesn’t go on a lot of dates”, and/or lives in their mother’s basement. It isn’t McClane’s meathead attitude misinterpreting what’s going on either. I mean, he does that plenty, showing an inability to wrap his mind around even basic computer-related concepts but Matt Farrell constantly proves himself the opposite of McClane: always frightened, whiny and nervous. He does manage to grow on you over time, however. McClane? I’m not sure. He gets things done because he’s an invincible action hero but there are very few times where he does any sort of outwitting. Mostly, he gets lucky.
Though I doubt the flaws I spotted while viewing Live Free or Die Hard would ever disappear, I suspect they would feel less important on a different day. The plot is unbelievable but certain elements feel true and as an action power fantasy, it's certainly impressive. Bruce Willis is still at the point in his career where he cares and brings his A-game. He and Justin Long make a pretty good double-act by the time the movie is over. I think I've talked myself into giving it a soft recommendation as a movie that will inevitably play on TV, probably around the holidays as part of a Die Hard marathon. At that point, you’re watching it “for free” from the comfort of your couch. That price feels right. (January 2, 2022)
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Free Doughnuts 🍩 - The Simpsons Movie (2007)
🍩 MMM Donuts! 🍩 - The Simpsons
Very Customers Get Eats Donuts 🍩
The Simpsons Movie (2007) from 20th Century Fox and Gracie Films.
MMM Donuts! 🍩😋
😋🍩
Homer Simpson's Donuts 🍩
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when his best friend dies trying to cross the creek on a rope so he builds a bridge so nobody can fall into the water and drown like she did
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The horror movie genre would be nowhere if Bratz Kidz: Sleep-Over Adventure was never created. There is nothing you can say that will change my mind.
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I feel like boza priestly from ten inch hero if he wasn't in love with tish would definitely go for a plus size girl
You're going to look me in the face and tell me this guy wouldn't go for a plus size girl if tish didn't work out
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