Die Hard (as long as there isn't too much blood) 4.0...

(as posted on HPOTD 3 weeks ago)

Okay folks, I sat my arse down tonight to watch Die Hard 4 and here's what I thought put as simply as possible as I'm too lazy for a big old jibber jabber like I did in my review of 300.

* The major set pieces are too flashy OTT even for Die Hard, for instance - the bit with the freeway (you'll understand when you see it).

* Bruce Willis still kicks ass.

* Justin Long is surprisingly up to the task in this flick, he was enjoyable, nowhere near as annoying as I was expecting. I was expecting more muggy/witty flash back dialogue from McClane with Long's character asking him a constant stream of similar questions like "have you done this before" (we get it once, that's enough).

* Kevin Smith rocks in this flick, loved his entire involvement, loved it. Big kudos to Smitty, he was hilarious without pulling you out of the flick, really acted "within" the movie ... if that makes sense to you guys? Bravo!

* Olyphant is also rather good in this flick, I've been a fan of his for a few years now, so it's cool to see him out and about in more mainstream fare these days.

* While the action was too OTT for Die Hard, it was still a bloody good ride.

* CCR music used - noiiice.

* McClane's last word in the movie shouldn't have been "hospital", the previous few words were ideal for finishing ... just a little loose edge that bugged me personally.

* Perhaps a tad too long at times.

* There's plenty of runny/shooty/punchy stuff going on, but you can totally tell the bite has been taken out of the bark due to that really annoying PG-13 rating..."ass" and "sh*t" ... oooh, I'm shaking in my boots. I wanted his damn catchphrase uncut damn youze!! Also - I want blood with the violence, it's Die Hard after all. Hell, the first movie has great big gloopy, splodgy blood sploshes flying out after a gunshot hit - that's what I want.

* Hopefully there'll be an unrated version on DVD which will return the bite to McClane's bark, and that'll be a guaranteed purchase from me, Fox can count on that.

Over all - nowhere near the first film's league, but it's a solid flick, quite enjoyable. As for Len Wiseman, he certainly did a better job than he did on Underworld Evolution - what a pile of sh*t that flick was! (Yet I totally dug the first Underworld).

7/10