Friday, 22 February 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard

Most previews (and in some cases reviews) that I read about this one were dissing the movie to no end.  Calling it one of the worst action movies ever made in the history of the world and definitely the worst Die Hard movie to date.  Some of them even said that they struggled to sit through the movie.  To them I say, “Forgive them lord for they know not what they say or do”.

When you walk into a Die Hard movie, you are going in with just one expectation in your mind – NON STOP MINDLESS ACTION.  From the first frame to the last one and if the makers had it their way, there would be some action in the end credits as well.  But then more often than not, good sense does prevail.
 
A Good Day to Die Hard (AGDTDH) is no different from the 4 editions of the movie that we have seen to date.  It begins on a simple somber note where John McClane (Bruce Willis) is taking off on a vacation or a break and before you know it, there has to be trouble of some sort walking down the road.  And if you are McClane, then you cannot look the other way when there is trouble right?
 
This time around, the vacation takes our hero in search of his son – Jack McClane (Jai Courtney) into the land of the Kremlin.  He has been told that his son is in an Russian prison awaiting sentence.  If Jack gets a life sentence then he should consider himself exceptionally lucky.  So, after an Aeroflot flight and a cabbie who thinks Frank Sinatra is his 2nd cousin, our hero finds himself in front of a court room.
 
Unbeknownst to him, his son, is simultaneously cutting a deal with a government official on how he has dope against Yuri Komarov (Sebastian Koch) a Chernobyl veteran and a friend of a leading politician – Chagarin (Sergei Kolesnikov).  Chagain was responsible for Komarov being in jail.  He wants Komarov dead because the latter has a disk that could mean the end of his political career.  But in between all of this is John McClane.
 
If you are a “Die Hard” fan then you will enjoy AGDTDH despite what the rest of the world says.  There is enough and more action to keep the world busy.  And a lot of heartache for car lovers in the first 20 minutes.  238 cars are destroyed by a Mercedes Van that is being chased by an armoured truck that is being chased by a Mercedes 4 x 4.  An excellent advertising campaign for one of the greatest automobile makers of our time.
 
After all of this, you have to go thorugh some random and frenetic shooting sequences.  Some scenes that show 2 McClanes jumping off tall hotels.  And of course the climax that follows a long drive to the heart of radioactive territory.  If you can overcome the cheesy dialogues on the way then it should all be a comfortable walk in the park as they would say.  Don’t look for performances or technical brilliance.  Just Action.  6 on 10.
 

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