When my dad and I left the theater after the screening of this ham-fisted sequel, he struck up a conversation with me about the absurd helicopter scene (those who have seen the movie know which one I mean). The entire drive home, he told me how helicopters would never, ever be able to do that. For him to get so worked up over a film device says something about what a disengaging failure of a film this is.
A Good Day to Die Hard is nothing like the other films. There are no worthwhile villains, for starters. They feel like complete jokes next to the Grüber brothers, with no menace or personality. Even worse, the movie thinks that a plot twist as to who the REAL villain is can make up for it. It does not, and feels very tacked-on.
There is no emotional investment with anything. Remember how McClaine was desperate to save his wife, as well as the people around her? Remember how, while he was drawn into it against his will, he was desperate to stop the bad guys in Die Hard 3? No such imaginative set-up here, the scenario basically being a big weapons deal. Yawn.
Worse still, McClane is relegated to the sidekick of his son, Jack. Jack McClane is a completely unlikeable character and you just wish his father John would step up and stop saying things like "I'm just here on vacation", over and over. Suspension of disbelief is on the "oh please" level all the time (is there no police in Moscow?).
So basically, A Good Day to Die Hard is not a good day for Die Hard.
A Good Day to Die Hard is nothing like the other films. There are no worthwhile villains, for starters. They feel like complete jokes next to the Grüber brothers, with no menace or personality. Even worse, the movie thinks that a plot twist as to who the REAL villain is can make up for it. It does not, and feels very tacked-on.
There is no emotional investment with anything. Remember how McClaine was desperate to save his wife, as well as the people around her? Remember how, while he was drawn into it against his will, he was desperate to stop the bad guys in Die Hard 3? No such imaginative set-up here, the scenario basically being a big weapons deal. Yawn.
Worse still, McClane is relegated to the sidekick of his son, Jack. Jack McClane is a completely unlikeable character and you just wish his father John would step up and stop saying things like "I'm just here on vacation", over and over. Suspension of disbelief is on the "oh please" level all the time (is there no police in Moscow?).
So basically, A Good Day to Die Hard is not a good day for Die Hard.