For better or worse, my first review here will be of Live Free or Die Hard.
I watched this film on 06.08.12. I watched it DVRed from FX Movie Channel. This means that some curse words may have been removed and parts cut. Overall, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. When this movie came out I was suspicious. After Indy 4 and various other sequels to classic film series gone horribly wrong, I was sure that this one would be boring, predictable, and filled with annoying sidekicks and cameos.
On those fronts, I am happy to say that Justin Long was fun and even inspiring, which I rarely find him to be. It may have been his proximity to Bruce Willis, a veritable one man action movie Renaissance. In the early aughts, I was worried about him. He seemed washed up. I'll chalk that up to Demi, but starting with Sin City, he began to come alive again. He's Mr. Action Hero again at 57.
The cameo by Kevin Smith (was it a cameo, or just a well-done bit part?) was funny and well done, but not gimmicky, as Smith can be. Timothy Olyphant and Maggie Q keep up their end well, really playing the replacement Alan Rickman to a t, but not in too obvious a way. A surprise for me was the appearance of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, most notably Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I liked her quite a bit in this and it makes me glad to see again that actor that you loved in something else, but haven't seen enough of, even if retrospectively in a movie that came out before.
So let me break down my rating. Wit is a 9. I think the writing was quick and intelligent. I was impressed by its source article, about the vulnerability in American internet security. Add to that Bruce Willis on his game and some other clearly careful performances, always keeping in mind the genre it found its place above the slew of 8.5s I've given out, like The Machinist or Lucky Number Slevin, but not comparing it to the fantastic near perfects like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Let the Right One In.
For wisdom, I gave it a 9.5. The insistence on heroism was refreshing against the background full of movies with anti-heroes, but the kicker for me was McClane explaining to a naive young programmer that there is no such thing as a system, only people. This message could do a great deal of good if well-meaning terrorist types took it to heart. Not the Muslim fundamentalist fanatics, but the Basque and Irish nationalists etc. This put it for me in the company of The Kite Runner.
Wonder was bound to be its high point, what with the money spent on explosions and fake computer equipment. To justify my 9.5, I need only quote Justin Long's character, "You just killed a helicopter with a car!" So there you have it: 9, 9.5, 9.5, 28 Now this is my first watch, so I may be over-excited, but I really do believe this movie is worth a watch, especially if you loved the other Die Hard movies.
I watched this film on 06.08.12. I watched it DVRed from FX Movie Channel. This means that some curse words may have been removed and parts cut. Overall, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. When this movie came out I was suspicious. After Indy 4 and various other sequels to classic film series gone horribly wrong, I was sure that this one would be boring, predictable, and filled with annoying sidekicks and cameos.
On those fronts, I am happy to say that Justin Long was fun and even inspiring, which I rarely find him to be. It may have been his proximity to Bruce Willis, a veritable one man action movie Renaissance. In the early aughts, I was worried about him. He seemed washed up. I'll chalk that up to Demi, but starting with Sin City, he began to come alive again. He's Mr. Action Hero again at 57.
The cameo by Kevin Smith (was it a cameo, or just a well-done bit part?) was funny and well done, but not gimmicky, as Smith can be. Timothy Olyphant and Maggie Q keep up their end well, really playing the replacement Alan Rickman to a t, but not in too obvious a way. A surprise for me was the appearance of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, most notably Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. I liked her quite a bit in this and it makes me glad to see again that actor that you loved in something else, but haven't seen enough of, even if retrospectively in a movie that came out before.
So let me break down my rating. Wit is a 9. I think the writing was quick and intelligent. I was impressed by its source article, about the vulnerability in American internet security. Add to that Bruce Willis on his game and some other clearly careful performances, always keeping in mind the genre it found its place above the slew of 8.5s I've given out, like The Machinist or Lucky Number Slevin, but not comparing it to the fantastic near perfects like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Let the Right One In.
For wisdom, I gave it a 9.5. The insistence on heroism was refreshing against the background full of movies with anti-heroes, but the kicker for me was McClane explaining to a naive young programmer that there is no such thing as a system, only people. This message could do a great deal of good if well-meaning terrorist types took it to heart. Not the Muslim fundamentalist fanatics, but the Basque and Irish nationalists etc. This put it for me in the company of The Kite Runner.
Wonder was bound to be its high point, what with the money spent on explosions and fake computer equipment. To justify my 9.5, I need only quote Justin Long's character, "You just killed a helicopter with a car!" So there you have it: 9, 9.5, 9.5, 28 Now this is my first watch, so I may be over-excited, but I really do believe this movie is worth a watch, especially if you loved the other Die Hard movies.
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