Live Free or Die Hard

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

With more fireworks than any other film this summer, the latest adventure of John McClane (Bruce Willis) arrives just in time for Independence Day. Live Free or Die Hard, as you might suspect, is packed with action to the max, and then some. Willis is back in top form in the role that fits him like a glove as he tries to stop a wave of "virtual terrorism," an attack on the U.S. infrastructure that would have the effect of shutting down the entire country just in time for the Fourth of July. It all starts as he is assigned to bring in a talented computer hacker named Farrell (Justin Long) for questioning, but soon careens out of control when he discovers the young man is a pawn in a much bigger scheme to turn America's lights off. With this mild-mannered guy thrown into the midst of McClane's usual chaos, the yin-yang teaming is an inspired, and often hilarious, idea. The main villain is a former defense department employee (Timothy Olyphant) out to prove how easy it is to destroy America by targeting our incessant reliance on computer technology. The plan, called a "fire sale," is a three-step blueprint to cut off everything that the U.S. relies on to thrive. With car chases, explosions, a jet fighter/big rig battle, and lots more, it's just another day at the office for McClane, who's truly motivated when the bad guys get to his teenage daughter. Unlike previous R-rated Die Hard flicks, this one is PG-13, a family friendly version that tones down the violence but not much else. Don't miss this one for some explosive thrills at the movies.