Yippee ki yay, it’s another “Die Hard” movie! Bruce Willis stars once again as John McClane for the series’ fifth installment, but this time he has his son along with him. “A Good Day To Die Hard” is your typical “Die Hard” movie, full of shootouts and car chases, but what distinguishes this film from the rest is the rocky parent-child relationship that motivates the plot line. The movie traces the father-son bond between McClane and his son Jack (Jai Courtney) as it grows from seemingly non-existent to a mutual affection and respect.
Action packed struggles coupled with familial issues
The story takes place in Moscow, where Jack is in custody for murder and his testimony against Komarov (Sebastian Koch), a man renowned for his involvement in weapons grade uranium. The action ensues when John comes to Russia to see his son at the trial and the courthouse is blown up. Jack takes Komarov and gets away, but John follows them as he struggles to straighten out his son. However, he soon finds out that Jack has been undercover with the CIA for the past three years and his plans were foiled by his dad. From then on, John and his son work together and improvise as they fight bad guys together in an attempt to save the world.
John’s light-hearted comic attitude toward near-death experiences provides a fun and interesting contrast to Jack’s serious formality. You can tell John may have done this once or twice before, so he provides Jack with a lot of unwanted wisdom. Jack tries hard to push his dad away since he wasn’t there for him as a kid, but John loves him and pursues him regardless. Jack wants to prove he is a good agent and would be better off without John, but time and time again his dad comes in and covers for him. The best part of the movie is watching Jack transition from a tough guy with a hard exterior to a guy who realizes there is still a lot to learn. He softens as he starts to understand that his dad was away a lot because that is how he believed he best loved his family. Jack realizes that he is just like his father and there is a bonding moment when they understand they are just older and younger versions of each other. There is a lot to be said in this movie about love and how just being there is what a child needs. Watching the McClanes work through their family issues brings a relatable and touching twist to this fierce action movie.
Film may disappoint critics but its sure to entertain
Enough about the mushy stuff, though. The action scenes are what people really want to watch when they see a “Die Hard” film. If you were to go into this movie expecting absurd explosions, far-fetched car chases and inconceivable, sure-death situations where the main characters still survive, then you would get exactly what you pay for. Then again, you could probably watch any other action movie and find the same thing. “A Good Day to Die Hard” was extremely entertaining though, keeping its viewers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. The use of slow motion was a little corny, but other than that, it was consistently captivating. The audio heavily contributed to the suspense as well, with tone-setting music and explosive sound.
This movie was almost exactly what you would expect from a “Die Hard” movie, so nothing was too astonishing, but for all the “Die Hard” fans (pun intended), this is another fun, action-packed film that will keep your attention.
