It’s entirely possible that a male perspective would have rated this film higher, but as far as I am concerned, the Die Hard series should just die out. Bruce Willis is looking too old and wrinkly to pass off as a one-man army. Maybe this is why the makers of the fifth in the franchise have given John McClane (Willis) a partner this time – in the form of his son Jack (Jai Courtney)
John travels to Moscow to find his son who has been MIA. Relations between father and son are strained – one doesn’t really know why. But John quickly finds Jack, sabotages a mission Jack is masterminding and then partners with him to clear up the mess. This entails blowing up buildings, excruciatingly long and meaningless car chases, creating massive road pile-ups and generally wreaking havoc. This is John’s supposed vacation!
The writers rely entirely on infamous American ignorance. So John is given lines that are overtly derogatory and disparaging of the Russian bad guys and – the most absurd of all – is the central plot. Jack is protecting a Russian prisoner who he believes will lead them to the truth about the Chernobyl disaster! But Jack in misinformed and before they know they are actually foiling a heavy-duty nuclear weapons heist.
So it’s now up to John and Jack to blow up buildings, kill bad guys and bond over bullets. John’s dry wit is now tiresome and his one-liners have lost their punch. Fortunately the partnership between Willis and Courtney at least works and some of the action scenes are pretty well executed but that’s really grabbing at straws. Die Hard 5 is definitely a movie only for hardcore fans of the franchise.
Rating: **
