Written by Guillermo Troncoso.
John McClane, what a life! From his simple beginnings at the Nakatomi Plaza, to taking down internet terrorists, his adventures have become more outlandish and more ridiculous with every single “bad day” he’s had.
There’s no denying just how great the first three Die Hard films were – even the fourth was somewhat moronically entertaining. It’s a shame that this movie is part of such a memorable action franchise.
This time round John McClane finds himself in Russia with his son trying to stop terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear weapons.
I’d heard the criticisms, I’d read the reviews, but I still thought this would be mildly entertaining. Alas, it really is that bad. Everything from the tired plot to the cringe-worthy dialogue makes this not only a bad Die Hard flick, but a bad film in general.
McClane’s relationship with his son is poorly explored and doesn’t develop in a way to make us care. Their banter consists of tough-guy one-liners and typical references to our hero’s age. As the son, Australian actor Jai Courtney doesn’t fair too badly. There just isn’t much for him to do, other than shoot and yell.
A key to a good action film is having a bad-ass villain that poses a viable threat. These cardboard cutouts posing as “bad guys” are so laughably harmless that you never question how our heroes could possibly win. Without giving away too much, the lack of a key villain means that the story doesn’t put forward a decent conflict.
Ultimately, A Good Day To Die Hard is one long chase sequence, and a dull one at that. The opening car chase is admittedly impressive, the chaotic destruction that takes places on the streets of Russia does offer one or two exciting moments. Also, the final action sequence involving a chopper is a doozy – even though the trailer gives away a key moment. These two sequences apart, the film never rises above mediocrity.
Once the embarrassingly-cheesy walk-into-the-sunset ending comes around, you’ll be thankful the film only has a short running time.
THE REEL SCORE: 4/10
– G.T.