Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Director:

Len Wiseman

Writers (WGA):

Mark Bomback (screenplay)
Mark Bomback (story) ...

Release Date:

27 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Yippee Ki Yay Mo - John 6:27

Plot:

John McClane takes on an Internet-based terrorist organization who is systematically shutting down the United States.

Plot Keywords:

Hacker | FBI | Police | Hero | New York City

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 1	7:00 PM	FX
Wed. Dec. 2	4:30 PM	FX

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	John McClane
Timothy Olyphant	...	Thomas Gabriel
Justin Long	...	Matt Farrell
Maggie Q	...	Mai
Cliff Curtis	...	Bowman
Jonathan Sadowski	...	Trey
Andrew Friedman	...	Casper
Kevin Smith	...	Warlock
Yorgo Constantine	...	Russo
Cyril Raffaelli	...	Rand
Chris Palermo	...	Del (as Christopher Palermo)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Lucy
Sung Kang	...	Raj
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Molina
Christina Chang	...	Taylor

Also Known As:

Die Hard 4.0 (Australia) (South Africa: English title) (UK) (USA) (working title)
Die Hard 4 (USA) (working title)
Die Hard 4: Die Hardest (USA) (working title)
Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard (South Africa: English title) (TV title)
Die Hard: Reset (USA) (working title)
Die Hard: Tears of the Sun (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language and a brief sexual situation.

Runtime:

128 min | 129 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Italian | French

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Germany:16 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Denmark:11 | Sweden:15 | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43515) | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Malaysia:18SG | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Malta:16 | Chile:14 | France:U | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Italy:T | Spain:13 | Peru:14 | India:UA | South Africa:13V | USA:Unrated (unrated DVD version) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

105 Freeway, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In addition to the 'Agent Johnson' reference, several other elements from the first film are revisited as series trademarks. Among them are: crawling on broken glass, use of air-ducts, elevator shafts, and maintenance areas in corporate buildings, a henchman falling down stairs, an inquiry on the E.T.A. of a helicopter, and McClane's "Yippie Ki Yay' catchphrase.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When McClane and Ferrell are shown driving to West Virginia in the stolen BMW, the interior of the car is quiet, as if all the windows are rolled up, but the passenger rear window is clearly shown to have been smashed to gain entry (and smashing of the window was a plot point), meaning the wind noise from driving on a freeway would have been substantial and would have made conversation difficult.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mai Lihn: Well?
Clay: I'm sending you the code.
Mai Lihn: Yes, I see that. Thank you.

Movie Connections:

References The Terminator (1984)

Soundtrack:

America the Beautiful

Best Action Film Of 2007

When a criminal plot is in place to take down the entire computer and technological structure that supports the economy of the United States (and the world), it's up to a decidedly "old school" hero, police detective John McClane, to take down the conspiracy, aided by a young hacker.

Well, I can't believe I'm saying this but the newest edition to the Die Hard series may rank with the first. It's superb direction, fantastic acting, groundbreaking special effects and clever quirps will leave you with (almost) nothing to complain about. Die Hard may very well be the best action flick of 2007. It can be beat, but I doubt by a sequel.

I am proud to say that Bruce Willis still has some John McClane left in him. Bruce gets to say one of most famous lines in action film history, "Yippy Ki-ya Motha ******!", without cuts, he even gets to talk to himself, a scene that is almost identical to the scene in the air vent of the first film. (C'mon, it'll be fun, come out to the coast, have a few laughs.)

About all the controversy for the MPAA rating...it was all useless. Die Hard acts just like a rated R film, just because it says PG-13 doesn't mean its not as violent as the others. No, he doesn't say the F word, but it's not as bad as you think. It's more of a character to character type of thing then anything else. John McClane learns to bond with a young hacker. (Justin Long) It's more...I don't know..."cute" then the other movies, it doesn't need the F word.

I don't think there is much else to say. Die Hard is one of my best movie experiences to date. The crowd laughed and screamed and then cheered at the end. The only slightest problem I had with this film was the fact that the realism was quite low. Then again, as I have said before, if everything were realistic we wouldn't have action movies.

Live Free or Die Hard is a must-see IN THE THEATRE.

9.0/10.0

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