ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

HOW OFTEN can one man be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Bruce Willis proves that there is no end to the possibilities in ‘Die Hard 4.0’, his belated return to the role of world-weary policeman John McClane.

The latest Summer blockbuster is a surprisingly watchable, big budget doomsday thriller in which credibility is a distant second to all the big action sequences.

Fans have waited twelve long years for a new installment of the Die Hard franchise, and are unlikely to feel disappointed.

Now 52 and no longer sporting a natty line in singlets, Willis makes McClane the equivalent of an old-school John Wayne character who still believes in truth, justice and the American way.

The threat to all those values comes from a group of terrorists led by Thomas Gabriel (a steely Timothy Olyphant). His weapons are not guns and bombs but computers and key boards. Hacking into some of the most sensitive systems in the land, he can bring America to a standstill with the flick of a switch.

McClane is assigned to bring young computer hacker Matt Farrell (Justin Long) into custody. When it becomes clear that the bad guys are out to silence young Matt, McClane is suddenly catapulted into another deadly cat-and-mouse tussle.

‘Die Hard 4.0’ has the kind of plot that doesn’t invite close scrutiny, and  the indestructible McClane has more lives than the average cat. There is never any doubt that he will prevail but along the way there are enough narrow escapes, bruising battles and breathtaking chases to keep the pulse racing and cynicism at bay.

Unlike a number of the disappointing Summer movies, ‘Die Hard 4.0’ knows how to keep an audience entertained.

Nationwide release

Director: Len Wiseman
Stars: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Kevin Smith
Screenwriter: Mark Bomback
Certificate: 15
Running time: 129 mins
Country: US
Year: 2007

© Allan Hunter, 2007