When I saw that very first Die Hard film, I never would have guessed that they would still be making them 25 years later. Back then, sequels were the exception in action films, not the rule. But a lot of films from that era spawned series - Die Hard of course, Rambo, Terminator, Predator, Highlander and probably a bunch more that I just can't quite think of at the moment. Most of these series got worse, or were so bad to start off with that you couldn't really tell if the sequel was worse or not. But, I think the Die Hard franchise has gotten better, well after it got worse.
Last time out, the film was all about reconnecting with the daughter, this time around it was about connecting with the son. Next time? I think we either see him saving his grandkids or reconnecting with the ex-wife. Either one seems to offer ample opportunity for that unique brand of Die Hard humor.
This film is non-stop action. All of the male bonding that takes place, happens during quieter moments in an action scene. I've got to say this formula works better for them than that used in the first two films where there are lots of throw away scenes with minor characters that establish just how mundane and ordinary they are while also serving to break up the longer action scene. I think this probably holds true for most blockbuster-style action flicks then and now, respectively. Still, it's nice to see that they're perfecting the genre.
Interestingly enough, this is the first 2013 film I've seen. Half-way through June, I thought I would have seen a couple by now, since most turn around times are about three to four months for the film to hit DVD. I guess this isn't too far off since it was released in theatres over Valentine's Day. I can't help but wonder who took their date to see this film. On the other hand, the biggest Die Hard fans I know are women who for some reason just love this series. Or maybe it's just John McClane aka Bruce Willis. It's hard to tell where the character ends and the actor begins, though presumably Mr. Willis kills a few less people in real life than he does in the movies under the guise of McClane. I guess that bad-ass, no tim for sentiment because I'm too busy protecting my family and the free world has it's appeal.
I think they've got maybe another two Die Hard films left unless they pass off teh main role to McClane Junior. Willis is starting to get up thee in years, and while he's probably got another 20 years of film left in him, I don't think he has even that much of this kind of ultra-physical action film left. Though, I'm hearing that 30 is the new 20 and 60 is the new 40, and seeing that both Schwarzenegger and Stallone have new ultra-physical action films coming out this year, maybe we can expect to see a bunch of muscle bound spetagenarians running around killing anything they can point their gun at.
A Good Day to Die Hard on IMDb
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