SYNOPSIS: Bruce Willis is back as iconoclastic, take-no-prisoners cop John McClane, who for the first time finds himself on foreign soil after traveling to Moscow to help his wayward son Jack (Jai Courtney) – unaware that Jack is really a highly-trained CIA operative out to stop a nuclear weapons heist. With the Russian underworld in pursuit, and battling a countdown to war, the two McClanes discover their opposing methods make them unstoppable heroes.

REVIEW:  

Alik: You know what I hate about the Americans? Everything. Especially cowboys.

Well, Yippee Ki-Yay Mother ________ ! Without further adieu I will begin with my personal Die Hard disclaimer. If you know me well, you know what I’m about to say. The very first movie I went to see by myself in a theater was the very first Die Hard. Did I pick a great one to start or what? Needless to say I was blown away. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the majority of the picture. Therefore, I will have to confess that when it comes to the Die Hard series, I’m totally biased and it’s as simple as that. John McClane is one of my favorite superheroes, and please forgive my French, but he has balls of steel. I will never get enough of watching John McClane in action and in installment number 5 he is up to the same ol’ antics but this time with the most qualified sidekick he could possibly want, his son. The two of them together wreak havoc in Russia, McClane style. It turns out to be a pretty good father- son combo. As you’d expect from a Die Hard feature, we get chaos and mayhem, guns and explosions, and all around destruction. There are a few good guys and a lot of bad guys, revenge seeking, double crossing, cover ups, corruption, potentially severe consequences, twists and all around ill will. If you are going to take a breath while watching the movie, make it quick. Suffice it to say that action has always been the Die Hard’s strongest aspect and this latest one keeps up with the rest. I would go so far as to say that the series has been one of the front runners in establishing the bar for which other action films are measured. Even for today’s action desensitized audience (we’ve seen it all by now, haven’t we?), there were some scenes in this film that left me in awe and disbelief. McClane is at it again!

As I always like to do when another one of these comes out, maybe out of respect for the series or just to reminisce, let’s recap shall we? First was the building, then the airport, then New York City, then the United States, sort of, and now he tackles Russia. Is he going to save the whole world next? Wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Then after that, I say we take this ride to outer space. Okay, okay, too far. It’s just that these movies have been so much fun to watch I wouldn’t want it to end. The indestructible John McClane saving the day by any means with whatever he’s got within reach and with the infamous “McClane-is-a-cop-from-New-York” attitude . . . what’s not to love. As usual, the dialogue in the film is sharp and direct. In this genre, this is Bruce Willis at his best. He is John McClane and no one else can ever be. Well, except maybe for his son played by Jai Courtney. Relatively new to the U.S. big screen, he fills in the shoes of John McClane’s son very nicely. Could he be the next Sam Worthington? It was very nice to see some continuity in Mary Elizabeth Winstead reprising the role of Lucy McClane (she was in Die Hard 4). It was a very small role but at least she showed up. Director John Moore also showed up giving us one of his better works to date. With all the summer blockbusters long gone, it’s refreshing to have a mega action hit like this right about now. And hey, there’s something special about going to see a movie on your own, especially the first time you do it, so make it a good one. Drown out the surrounding audience and then it’s just you, the speakers, and the screen, without distraction. It was a fantastic experience for me that I wish upon all movie fans. I would blindly give this movie a 5, but I don’t want to be so blatantly biased.

MORE MOVIE REVIEWS >>>