Die Hard 4.0 (2007)

Having watched Die Hard 2 last night, ITV4 in their wisdom clearly didn't deem Die Hard 3 worth showing, and went straight onto number 4! I think it was ITV4 anyway.  I didn't mind too much, as much as I can't remember what happened in number 3 (apart from starring Sam L Jackson, and at some point him and Willis have to solve a puzzle with 2 different sizes of jug and have to end up with 3 litres of water in one of them, or something!), I've never seen Die Hard 4.0.  I'd heard good things about it though, so I was all set to be entertained. And entertained I was.

Rather than being restricted to an office building or an airport, the film follows a more mobile storyline; McClane has to bring in a young computer nerd, one of many throughout the country who could be in danger, and it turns out that he could help prevent some cyber-terrorists from crippling the country and taking it back to the Dark Ages.  Cue lots of gunfights, crashing cars into airborne helicopters, fast driving and the occasional less than sensible decision; but above all lots of Bruce Willis being badass.  Now, I will be the first to say that I've never considered myself to be a Bruce Willis fan, I always thought he was better in films where he wasn't the only main character (Pulp Fiction, Sin City or 12 Monkeys), but with the three Die Hard films I've seen recently I've come to the conclusion that actually he's quite good in these roles.

Underworld director Len Wiseman, has done a pretty good job of recreating what was so good about the first Die Hard, McClane getting under people's feet, generally being a constant thorn in the baddies' side, and being completely gung-ho; as well as some tremendous set pieces of course.  Though the car falling down the lift shaft did have more than a little "The Lost World T-rex's pushing a van over the edge of a cliff" about it!  Overall Die Hard 4.0 was very enjoyable, perhaps not quite as good as the first film (well, there's no Alan Rickman), but close.  I'll have to see if I can track down Die Hard 3 soon, surely it must be on telly at some point.