I hadn't heard from my estranged son for a couple of years, so I had a cop buddy run a search for him. Turns out he was in a Russian prison, charged with killing a government official. Since this could be it for him, I decided to go see him at his trial.
As I'm waiting at the court house, there's a huge explosion, and who do I see escaping in the confusion? You got it - my son, along with a Russian dissident! I steal a truck, and follow the gang of thugs who are trying to kill him. After crashing into about a thousand other cars and stealing another vehicle, I save him from the bad guys. As I'm giving him hell, I discover he's not really a criminal - he's CIA!
Of course, the bad guys crash our safe house, somehow miraculously missing us with all the machine guns, and we make our escape. After some close calls, we steal another car and catch the bad guys, foiling their nefarious plot. My son and I trade wisecracks throughout, and bond between dodging bullets. The world is once again safe for democracy!
What's that you say? You aren't buying this story? That's OK - I know you're shocked, but this didn't really happen. I've just given you the plot to the latest of the "Die Hard" movies - A Good Day to Die Hard.
I'm not a big fan of violent movies, but this Bruce Willis series is fun - filled with plenty of cartoon-style smashups. You always know John McClane (Willis) will be OK in the end. There are plenty of dead bodies, but they're mostly bad guys, so who cares, right? This one is typical of the series - McClane lives through beatings, car crashes, and gunfire that would kill any normal human. Of course, the trademark wisecracks flow as swiftly as the bullets.
Does this movie sound silly and illogical? Do you have trouble believing the McClanes can arrive at Chernobyl in their stolen car just moments after the Russian crooks in their helicopter? Do you find it unlikely they'd be able to survive massive gunfire, and avoid local police? Of course you do - this movie is not realistic in the slightest! You know what else? It doesn't have to be. This is a fantasy - like any super hero story, you need to disconnect your disbelief and just enjoy the show. John McClane, like Superman, Spiderman, or The Green Lantern, exists in another universe - where men can fly, walk on walls, or get the living hell beat out of them while cracking wise.
As long as you're willing to accept the realities of his world, you'll find this to be an entertaining movie. The plot, if you can call it that, is OK. Willis is fun as the aging McClane. Everybody else is forgettable. There's no deeper meaning, no hidden message to it. Good guys win, bad guys die, I eat popcorn and enjoy the action. Yeah!
I don't know, Gregg. The first Die Hard was lots of fun, and I kind of remember the sequel, too. But I think I'd had enough by then. If I saw any of the others, I don't remember them.
ReplyDeleteAnd this one? I guess I can't get too enthused about it. If I want Die Hard, I might as well just watch the first one again, don't you think? :)
Die Hard 5 - Watchable if you like action flicks..And if not and want to spend your money wisely then go watch Kai Po Che..
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