Live Free or Die Hard
2007 · Directed by Len Wiseman
Original language: English
- action
- thriller
The story
John McClane is back and badder than ever, and this time he calls on the services of a young hacker in his bid to stop a ring of Internet terrorists intent on taking control of America's computer infrastructure.
What it’s like
Loud, kinetic and grimy, with a glossy digital sheen: bright daylight over Washington DC's concrete and glass, sodium-lit tunnels, and hard overhead light inside the command rooms where screens throw blue-white glare across faces. The camera is restless, with handheld swings, whip pans and wide crane shots of traffic chaos and burning highways, and the editing stays jagged even in quieter moments. The score is booming orchestral action music punctuated by electronic stings, and the sound design is dense with crunching metal, gunfire and roaring engines. The vibe is wisecracking, brawny and overcaffeinated, a fast popcorn ride for a Friday night or a long-haul flight when you want something loud enough to ignore everything else. Pacing is relentless, with almost no downtime between set pieces, and the emotional register is buddy banter and a gruff, sarcastic middle-aged hero who reluctantly teams up with a nervous young computer whiz. Violence is frequent and often bloody, with many gunfights, explosions and vehicle crashes, plus some profanity and a few sexual references, but the gore stays mostly cartoonish. It suits fans of big-budget action, anyone who wants a comfortably dumb, high-energy sequel, and viewers who enjoy a hero who keeps getting up after being hit by a car.
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