A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)

Directed by John Moore

When is John McClane, our favorite badass, ever going to retire…That’s the question which kept constantly popping up in my head. Now, I’m a fan of the original Die Hard from 1988 and I’ve even lived through watching Live Free or Die Hard (2007), the fourth installment of the Die Hard series, a few times for better understanding. A Good Day to Die Hard is already the fifth movie featuring McClane — same old same old. However a lot has changed, save the original film titles: the latest picture in the Die Hard franchise has turned into a silly and incredibly trite picture. Let’s get right to it.

The film picks up with McClane, on the way to Russia, to find his ‘lost’ son. You know what they say? What happens in Russia, stays in Russia. Evidently, the apple did not fall far from the tree. McClane’s son, Jack (Jai Courtney), is mixed up in some nasty business, because obviously that’s what happens in Russia. Oh, the irony in this movie.

The story is your typical action-packed mash-up of exploding vehicles, flying bodies and ricocheted bullets. However, it doesn’t quite compare to the other Die Hard films out there. While you could arguably label previous titles in the franchise as unbelievable and illogical, A Good Day to Die Hard has an extremely cliché-ridden storyline. It was more than I’d expected and believe me when I say that I expected a lot of third-rate plot elements. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind because it’d have fitted the overall feel of the franchise perfectly. Yet John Moore serves the audience two characters who freely stroll through the deserted ruins of Chernobyl. That’s right: one of the most radioactive places worldwide. This stupidity level is beyond Hollywood. Don’t even get me started on the other things, like how McClane dodged an RPG. Survivor for sure.

Jack McClane: Hey, lemme ask you something. Do you go looking for trouble, or does it always find you?

John McClane: You know, after all these years, I’m still asking myself the same question.

Speaking of surviving, Bruce Willis’ one-dimensional portrayal of McClane stays an intriguing aspect to watch. Even though his badass attitude is what made the franchise continue in the first place, the writers have gone really over the top this time. The film could easily have been titled ‘John Motherf***ing McClane’. McClane has always been depicted as a caring parent. Him and Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills from Taken would be great friends and a terrific duo. Moreover, McClane’s interaction with his son, Jack, is undoubtedly one of the film’s highlights as it results into some memorable lines.

A Good Day to Die Hard remains dreadful to watch. With an overly flawed premise, it’s one of the worst films of 2013, if not the worst, and a hard hit in the moronic department.

F