A Good Day to Die Hard

So, I suppose it's the conclusion of the storey. I believe the endless procession of shoot-em-up cop movies that captivated our hearts and brains in the 1980s and continue to be filmed today is coming to an end. At least for the time being.Steven Segall, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Chuck Norris haven't had star billing in a long time.

The Lethal Weapon franchise has reached the end of its usefulness. Despite some positive reviews, Arnold Schwartzenegger's comeback picture, The Last Stand, had a poor opening month. Bullet to the Head, starring Sylvester Stallone, has the same problem. Despite stronger reviews than the Schwartzenegger and Stallone films, the inclusion of A-list co-star Jennifer Lopez, and director Taylor Hackford, who was nominated for guiding Jamie Foxx to his Oscar in Ray, even relative newbie to the genre, Jason Statham, bombed at the box office.

Then there's Bruce Willis and the Die Hard franchise. The first Die Hard movie was not just an action classic, but also a masterwork of cinematography. It resurrected the action picture in 1988, turned Bruce Willis into a celebrity, and grossed millions of dollars. It didn't hurt that John McTiernan's directing was razor-sharp, that there was a supporting cast of outstanding character performers, and that Alan Rickman played the best villain of the twentieth century. Not to mention the famous quotable tag line, which can't be replayed on the radio but is still a fan favourite today.

The second picture wasn't as awful as the first. It, too, featured a strong supporting cast, plenty of action and stunts, and one of those music tracks that incorporates both classical and Christmas music. The third film, Die Hard with a Vengeance, coupled Willis with Samuel L. Jackson, but it was clear that the John McClane character was wearing thin. The fourth film, Live Free or Die Hard, had Willis hanging around with dorky Justin Long and introducing Mary Elizabeth Winstead as McClane's estranged daughter.

A Good Day to Die Hard is here to commemorate the series' 25th anniversary. It's an understatement to call it haphazard. The screenplay is ludicrously terrible, the director is non-existent, and there isn't a single competent character actor in sight. John McClane travels to Russia to rescue a kid he's never seen, only to discover he's a CIA operative attempting to prevent a nuclear weapons robbery.

It's difficult to picture Bruce Willis agreeing to star in this noisy, foolish, and generally dull rehash of storey tropes from a variety of movies. The sole redeeming feature is that it is not only the shortest of the Die Hard films, but also one of the shortest films released in recent months, as opposed to the two-and-a-half-hour-plus epics that are currently playing. A Good Day to Die Hard, while being only ninety-seven minutes long, feels a lot longer. I believe John McClane should step down. And if you're a fan of Willis, the series, or action movies in general, I'm sure you'll want to see it for yourself.

Upgrading is a hassle; new technology and new methods of enjoying home cinema necessitate repurchasing our favourite material. You may begin with the greatest of intentions, promising yourself that you would not double dip again, but the more HD pictures and sounds you consume, the more likely your collection will be replaced... again.

Upgrading is a hassle; new technology and new ways of watching home movies need the purchase of our favourite material all over again. You may begin with the best of intentions, promising yourself that you would not double dip again, but the more you enjoy HD graphics and sounds, the more likely it is that your collection will be updated... again.

I was sure I wouldn't, but I ended up buying the Die Hard trilogy on Blu-ray for under £10 at a supermarket for the fourth time. They also threw in a fourth Bruce Willis comedic action tech-thriller (If it's a Die Hard film, I'm a simian's parent's sibling!).