That is John McClane's question to his son. "Not really. I kinda thought we would just wing it, you know. Running in, guns blazing! Make it up as we go," says John Mcclane Jr. (who is for reasons unknown called Jack for most of the movie.) That's also probably what the makers of this film were thinking while shooting this latest addition to the beloved Die Hard franchise. The film feels like it doesn't have much of a script, it doesn't have any of the usual one-liners that were one of the reasons that we grew fond of the character of John McClane. Oh, there actually is one. Willis repeats " I'm on vacation" throughout the film. It is funny the first time he says it, but you get tired of it when he says the line for the fifth time.
Another big problem is that this film lacks a villain. All the previous Die Hard films stood on the confrontation between McClane and the main villain. They communicated with walkie-talkies and didn't even meet 'till the finale. But there was this tension and fear from both sides that there is this possibility that one could bring down the other. I can't go on and call that tap dancing, carrot chewing clown a villain.
But I don't want to be all negative. If this film wouldn't have Die Hard in name, it would have been actually good action flick. You get enough explosions and smashed cars, everything you were promised in the trailers. You also get an helicopter smashing through a building, which is one of the things I love the most in action films: destroying helicopters. As an action flick to waste some time with it is OK. It just lacks in the story and characters department.
Bruce Willis doesn't act at all in this film. It's like he goes on autopilot. Plus he doesn't play John McClane, the ordinary man from the streets, who winds up being at the wrong place at the wrong time and has to use his wit and skills to outsmart the bad guys. No, he plays John McClane, the superhero, who never gets hurt and his only objective is to kill all the scumbags. In all the previous films he wasn't looking for trouble, but trouble found him. Here he is looking for trouble.
The Die Hard franchise should have been left alone after the brilliant fourth installment Live Free or Die Hard. I guess you can rent this film when you have got nothing better to do on a rainy afternoon and want to kill some time with a simple action movie.
Another big problem is that this film lacks a villain. All the previous Die Hard films stood on the confrontation between McClane and the main villain. They communicated with walkie-talkies and didn't even meet 'till the finale. But there was this tension and fear from both sides that there is this possibility that one could bring down the other. I can't go on and call that tap dancing, carrot chewing clown a villain.
But I don't want to be all negative. If this film wouldn't have Die Hard in name, it would have been actually good action flick. You get enough explosions and smashed cars, everything you were promised in the trailers. You also get an helicopter smashing through a building, which is one of the things I love the most in action films: destroying helicopters. As an action flick to waste some time with it is OK. It just lacks in the story and characters department.
Bruce Willis doesn't act at all in this film. It's like he goes on autopilot. Plus he doesn't play John McClane, the ordinary man from the streets, who winds up being at the wrong place at the wrong time and has to use his wit and skills to outsmart the bad guys. No, he plays John McClane, the superhero, who never gets hurt and his only objective is to kill all the scumbags. In all the previous films he wasn't looking for trouble, but trouble found him. Here he is looking for trouble.
The Die Hard franchise should have been left alone after the brilliant fourth installment Live Free or Die Hard. I guess you can rent this film when you have got nothing better to do on a rainy afternoon and want to kill some time with a simple action movie.