A Good Day to Die Hard

A Good Day to Die Hard

Rated R and Released 2/15/13

Reviewed 2/15/13 at Isis Theatre in Aspen, CO

with Gary

3 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Bruce Willis as John McClane does blows 'em up better than anybody, but now we have his on-screen son Jack (Jai Courtney) to aid him.

At least you can understand the dialogue of Willis, which is more than I can say for Stallone or Schwarzenegger of late. His lines provide the little zippy humor we are used to with the Die Hard franchise. My favorite, that he shoots off very appropriately, is "what we won't do for our kids," as he drives a vehicle out of a helicopter. Ya...we can all relate.

McClane now is an aging toughie-to-the-max NYC cop with two grown children. His son Jack is at the center of the story and apparently they are not that tight with their estranged love/hate relationship. Jack falls into a Moscow political nightmare winding up in prison with a very high profile prisoner. Coincidence? Father John wastes no time and hops on a plane to "save the day." And they're off! This is just the beginning for the high velocity exchanges and boundless car chases that stream throughout the whole flick. John and Jack team up, and one of them is not happy about it, while following through on a botched CIA assignment that is dad's fault. From Moscow to Chernobyl, this plot proves that NO Russian is to be trusted. We have become accustom to the extremely farfetched, narrowly escaping sequences that ensue with Willis and the Die Hard cast, but that doesn't mean they are not fun. A lot of fun. The roller coaster ride provides enough excitement to make this "guys guy" movie worth the trip. You could save it for On Demand, but the big screen does seem to do it justice. Why would you want to prolong the wait for Willis's favorite line, "yippee ki-yay MF'er."

QUIET Rating system: 3

Quality: JJj

Understood story:  JJJ

Interest: JJJ

Entertainment:  JJJj

Time:  JJj