MOVIE REVIEW - A Good Day To Die Hard

Here we go again, the Die Hard movie express has pulled out of the station with A Good Day To Die Hard.  25 years later, still making these flicks.

Bruce Willis is back as John McClane.   This time he accidentally teams up with his son Jack (Jai Courtney) who is now a CIA operative working in Russia.   The premise of this movie is not really all that difficult to convey.  These two are up against rogue aspects of the Russian Government, and organized crime.   This bunch is bent on stealing secrets, and nuclear materials to either build a terrible weapon or sell for gigantic profit to those who will.   This would effect the balance of world power.   Good thing we have these two on the job.

But that's where I'll stop the bashing.  This movie is what it is,  What they all are.  It's an over-the-top action series, that has a bit of fun, and sarcasm mixed in.   There is no shortage of long, and drawn out action sequences here.  Some are really kind of fun, and all are too long.  But that's what they've got. That's who they are.  Yes, there is some really marginal acting here, and some really lousy dialogue and a bunch of eye rolling by us in the audience.  But, if you don't know that going in, you need to join the 21st century, and bone up on a franchise that began in the 20th century.

This movie does something really smart though in the end.   They borrow a page from Taken a couple of years ago with Liam Neeson.  The strength, charm, and best part of that movie was the timeless fact that this father was going after the guys who took his daughter. Classic plot. Dad avenging thugs who did his daughter wrong.  And that transfers here.  This is a story of a father, reuniting with his estranged son, and living every fathers dream of working side by side with his only son to finish a job that needs to be done.  In this case save the world.  Smart.

Is this whole thing over the top?  Yes!  If it can blow up, catch on fire, crash, or be shot out of something, it's here.  It's convenient, and yes there are holes in this whole thing.  But who cares.  This is essentially mindless "It's 20 degrees outside so lets go to the movies"  stuff.

A Good Day To Die Hard.   It is what it is.  If you're expecting anything else.  Keep on going.