Have you ever wanted to like a film so desperately that you attempted to make excuses to rectify it’s problems? Only to come to the actualization that it truly was that bad? For some movies, realizing this can take a while. When The Phantom Menace was released, reasons were provided for an entire year as I half heartedly quoted The Power of Myth to defend George Lucas’ vision before finally recognizing that there was barely any direction in that film at all. Also, I spent time trying to figure out how Indiana Jones survived an atomic blast by hiding in a refrigerator and tried to logically assess the half assed explanation of aliens being the keepers of knowledge in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This was one of those films I wanted to admire so greatly that I attempted to clarify all the problems it displayed. But it just got too much and three quarters of the way through, I couldn’t take it anymore. A Good Day to Die Hard was one of the most lifeless spectacles I’ve ever seen.
This time, McClane travels to Russia after learning that his estranged son Jack has been imprisoned for performing an assassination. Jack then bargains with the authorities by explaining that he has knowledge that can convict a prisoner named Komarov. A political whistleblower who possesses information that can bring down a powerful corrupt politician named Chagarin. Upon arriving at the courthouse where Jack is testifying against Komarov, McClane is surprised to see the place get leveled in an explosion with Chagarin’s henchmen storming the place trying to kill Komarov. He then catches up with Jack and Komarov attempting to escape and is surprised to learn that his son is actually a well trained CIA agent assigned to transport Komarov to the United States. This silly, lazy set up occurs within the first fifteen minutes. After this, It turns into an extremely loud, explosive bore fest.
I can’t comment on the plot because there hardly isn’t any. The dialogue however small, was delivered with no effort in a script packed with pointless one liners. In fact, they have McClane say the same damn line over and over and over again. It was marginally funny at first but then it became awkward. Don't get me wrong. In between the barrage of gunfights the director tried to put in tender moments between McClane and his son to show family dynamic, but it seemed really forced. Also, with no prior mention of their relationship it seems they were trying to build up a narrative that never existed in the first place. Couple this with a villian who has no personality and you have the most senseless performances ever created.
Clocking in at 97 minutes it is the shortest movie in the franchise which doesn't lend much to any type of development. Especially for McClane's son who the audience is supposed to care about. Instead were treated to a fantastic fireworks show whose sole purpose evidently is to sell Mercedes Benzes. A lot of films are product endorsed but directors find ways to cleverly blend them into the scene. But I guess everyone in Russia drives a Mercedes. Here, It was the most blatant approach to commercialism I've ever seen. McClane gets dropped off at the airport by his daughter who happens to be driving a Mercedes. All the bad guys have a Mercedes. When they rig cars on the street for an explosion, the only ones that blow up are Mercedes and when the McClanes need a getaway car they happen to steal a Mercedes. The Mercedes symbol share most of the shots in the film. Even the military vehicles proudly sport the Mercedes logo on the front grill and the camera has no problem providing close-ups of it.
Its official. The Die Hard franchise has gone the way of the Crystal Skull. The R rating is back in, but all the profanity and violence couldn’t make this movie better. With minimal feeble dialogue and one liners that don’t make a lick of sense, this made the previous movie look like a masterpiece. The fourth entry strayed a lot but at least the story was comprehensively well put together which is the only thing I ask for when viewing a film. I don’t expect a lot. I just want it to make sense. Even if a movie does a good job of explaining the most poorly contrived story, I’ll accept it. I just need a reason to invest in the concept and with a franchise like Die Hard that had so much developed previously, it’s heartbreaking to see that they couldn’t create something worthwhile. It would be a shame if this is the last film in the series, because it deserves to go out on a better note. But I might have to accept that it’s another fond memory that has been ruined along with Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
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