Must...
not...
give...
in...
to...
it.
No, I'm neither debating selling my soul to the Devil nor buying an iPhone. Is there a difference anyway? :p
It's quite simpler, Live Free or Die Hard opens up today here in Athens, in some of my favorite summer theaters too. Things were simpler when everybody thought this movie would suck, I was supposed to see it on DVD or perhaps go to the movies with some friends to make fun of it.
At the moment, it was the most logical thing to do. A whole twelve years later after the last Die Hard movie (which kicked ass, haters be damned), a fucking PG-13 rating, over the top action, a John McClane and Macguy? "Ugh" was the the first word that came to mind, and I'm not referring to the obscure platform game from the early-mid 90's.
Live Free or Die Hard sounded like it was a day late and a dollar short. Or several of those, perhaps.
But then the buzz started building. Early word on the movie is very positive, some people are even saying it's better than parts two and three. Sacriledge? Who knows. But over at Rotten Tomatoes, it's currently standing at 76% fresh, a really damn good percentage for an action movie. Surely all these people must be on to something?
Yet here lies the rub: Is Live Free or Die Hard a good action movie? It sure sounds like it at this point. But is it a good Die Hard movie? I'm still not sure about that. The reason the originals were so damn good is because John McClane wasn't the usual Hollywood (super)hero. He had too many flaws, he got his ass kicked, even if he did get the job done at the end.
Just look at his condition by the end of each movie. He is bloodied and bruised, nothing like the poster-boy heroes from other movies, which seem like they could walk from a nuclear explosion without a scratch. Yet that's exactly what this bald rendition of McClane looks like in Live Die or Die Hard. Too much of a badass for his own good. And this is the reason why I'm still not sold on this film, despite the positive reviews and word of mouth.
I am sure now, however, that I won't avoid seeing it today, on its opening day. Le sigh. I'll probably update later with my impressions when I come back from the movies.
2 comments:
Give in to the dark side! You know you will watch Live Free or Die Hard, just like you know you will watch Transformers!!!!
They should make "trannyformers" about transvestite robots who change into New Beatles and Smart Cars.
I've heard good things about it and apparently John McClain does get his smart-alek ass handed to him and the final act features another bloodied and bruised anti-hero doing his thing.
I never did manage to post a follow-up, thanks to my PC dying on me, did I? Le sigh.
I ended up loving Die Hard 4.0. It would have been better with an "R" rating, but it was still the most bad-ass action flick I've seen in a while. Probably the best in the 00's, that's not been based on a comic book, that is.
And I'm definitely watching Transformers, I'm afraid I'm going to like that too.
"Trannyformers" got a chuckle out of me. :)
Post a Comment