A Good Day To Die Hard: Review

Initial Thoughts 

            Well here it is, the 5th movie in the Die Hard franchise. Even though there was tons of hype around the upcoming movie, many of the critics were saying negative things about the film even prior to its release. Just days after its premier it got totally ripped to shreds by critics around the world.

            But in the end, is it really as bad as everyone has said? Well let’s find out! This is a Good Day To Die Hard.

Story: 9 out of 20

            While not totally clichéd like I expected, it did have its fair share of clichés. But the main problem with the story is that it is so bewildering, half the time you have no idea at all what is going on. At least with a clichéd story you know what they are doing; in this movie, they add tons of political and criminal plots, betrayals, and confusing traitors.

            Confusing, clichéd, unfocused, and a little boring to be honest, this story line had potential, but utterly failed.

Characters: 5 out of 20

            Okay, this is just ridiculous, why can’t action films come up with a new character? ANY new character trait would be nice, but nope, it’s just the same characters time after time. And this is not just true with the Die Hard series; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and others all suffer from the same problem of adding terribly clichéd characters into their movies. You get to the point where you think every character just follows you from film to film.

            Unacceptably lazy, the characters fall woefully short. But by this point we are used to it in action flicks.

Special Effects: 18 out of 20

            I don't know what other critics have said about this movie’s SGI, but I think that it was done extremely well. Sure they look a little dated, but they make you believe that the explosions are real, and because of the quick camera shots, it keeps the intense mood, unlike Battleship which had terribly boring SGI and let their scenes run far too long.

            Quick-paced, intense, and with explosions galore, the action scenes are easily the best part of the movie. However, when dumb characters are shooting people during a boring story, the SGI doesn't help the rating enough. 

Acting Quality: 8 out of 20

            Nothing too special throughout most of the movie, but I really want to single out Bruce Willis's acting. It is crap. It sounds like he doesn't give a crap about what happens to anyone in this movie. His son could get killed and he wouldn't give a hoot.  

Final Verdict

40/100

Below Average

If it wasn't for the great special effects, the movie would have scored a lot lower. And even though I did like the SG, it still doesn't give this film anywhere near 100%. The story is confusing, the characters are clichéd, and the overall acting quality is average to below average.

I recommend this movie for Die Hard fans (like myself) only; there is no point for anyone else to see this film. You will be even more confused and bewildered than we are.