When Live Free Or Die Hard begins, a mysterious group is setting a daring plan
in motion (which pretty much sums up the last three movies, as well), one that
involves the audacious stunt of screwing around with the computers of the FBI’s
cyber crime unit. But when their computers get hacked, the FBI doesn’t take it
lying down. They begin to haul in every known hacker in their files--but seeing
how it’s the Fourth Of July holiday, the understaffed FBI (that’s a pretty
thought: the war on terror is being fought valiantly by the FBI: but only when
on the clock) have to rely on local cops to collect some of their suspects.
John McClane of the NYPD just happens to be in New Jersey, spying on his
collage-age daughter in Rutgers anyway, so he’s assigned to pick up Matthew
Farrell, a known hacker, in Camden (which doesn’t make much sense, because the
movie is going on the assumption that the city of Camden doesn’t have its own
police--which the feds would have called to pick up Farrell. At most, the FBI
would have called the state police). Anyway, once he meets up with Farrell,
McClane also runs into a squad of deadly assassins--including a guy with the
powers of spider-man--and the chase, as they say, is on!
Timothy Olyphant, best known from his lead role on Deadwood, also stars as the
villain Thomas Gabriel, a super evil hacker genius who launches what’s known as
a fire sale--an operation where they take down the U.S. by stripping it of its
overall infrastructure piece by piece via computer, in other words: everything
must go. LFODH is one of those "magic computer" movies. No matter what
happens--or how far-fetched it appears--the bad guys get instant and easy access
to whatever they need, including contacting a fighter pilot.
Which brings up another annoying aspect of the film: while the stunt work is
spectacular, some of the sequences--such as when McClane takes on a fighter jet
while driving a semi truck--are so over the top as to be totally ridiculous.
Another thing that’s driving me nuts is the trend in action films to have
helicopters--and other aircraft--fly along at barely three feet above the ground.
This may look amazing, but it doesn’t make much sense, especially when you
realize that the true advantage of any aircraft is the simple fact that it flies very
high in the air and can still strike its target.
The first Die Hard film was a lot of fun, and then it pretty much went downhill
from there. LFODH isn’t a horrible movie; it has plenty of fun moments, including
a really funny one when Willis, growing tired of a kung-fu-trained female baddie,
finally lays down the law with her. I just get tired of action films flouting
the laws of physics--as well as common sense--all for the "really cool action
shot." And LFODH is guilty of doing this over and over again. After saving the
world four times now, John McClane--along with the rest of these lame-brained
action flicks that his antics have inspired--should take a well-deserved
retirement.
--SF
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