Die Hard 4.0

Hello everyone. Welcome back to another #moviemonday. 

Today I am talking about Die Hard 4.0. 

There are five movies in the Die Hard series, I think that the original is the best. I love the third movie too. Last night I watched the fourth movie in the series and because it is a stand alone story, I’m going to discuss it this evening. 

Let’s dive in! 

This movie was released in 2007 and it was directed by Len Wiseman. 

Plot. 

John McClane is back and this time he is battling technology. When he is sent to collect a hacker and bring him to Washington, John thinks it’ll be an easy job but when he arrives at Matt Farrell’s apartment, he ends up fighting off a mysterious group of men who are attempting to kill Matt. 

The two become an unlikely team as they have to figure out a way to save the day when there’s virtual terrorists on the loose. 

Characters. 

John McClane, everyone’s favourite unlikely hero is back. Once again he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time and despite his protests, he has to save the day because he’s “that guy”. John is fed up with this happening and so in this movie he is a slightly more unhinged unlikely hero and it is brilliant. He’s quick thinking and sarcastic as always and he doesn’t fail to deliver the action. 

Matt Farrell is our hacker. He is the movie’s main protagonist alongside John. 

Matt is in his twenties and he is a tech wizard, he writes code and throughout the movie he helps John figure out what is going on. He’s nervous and rambling and a bit of a loveable nerd but when the chips are down, Matt steps up to the plate. 

Thomas Gabriel is the movie’s antagonist. He is the man behind the chaos. He is the person who is causing all of the destruction that John and Matt must fix. He is calculated, cunning, and extremely tech savvy. He’s on a quest for revenge. 

John McClane’s daughter Lucy also makes an appearance in this movie and she is every bit her father’s daughter. She’s sarcastic and very intelligent. She’s feisty and when danger lurks, she’s able to hold her own. 

Lucy is also John’s weakness so there are some brilliant moments in this movie when John is fighting for his little girl. 

Themes. 

I would say that the power of technology is a major theme in this movie and while many people have said they dislike this movie, I think it is very good and I actually really like the premise. 

The movie explores what happens when everything that is run by technology gets shut down. Traffic lights are hacked and this causes major collisions. Power is shut off which causes blackouts. Utilities are shut down, alarms are set off, financial sectors crash, and chaos is rampant. It’s the perfect way to take out an entire system. The country is in darkness. 

Another theme is family. John and his daughter have a complex relationship. She is angry with him and she goes by her mother’s maiden name but at the end of the day, Lucy loves her father and she is terrified when she thinks he’s badly hurt. She wants him to make it and John is determined to make sure that nothing happens to her. An important lesson that people should learn is that you do not mess with the people who John McClane loves.

Heroism is another theme. John and Matt have quite a poignant conversation about why John does what he does. Why does he save the day? Why does he run towards danger and not away from it? John says he wishes someone else would save the day so he doesn’t have to, but no one else will do it so that’s why he does. That’s what makes him that guy. John is a hero because he does what he has to do. Matt learns this lesson and he learns that he too is more heroic than he gives himself credit for. 

Structure. 

The movie is just over two hours long but it’s action packed so it doesn’t feel too long. I enjoy how this movie’s threat is more technology based as John must figure out how to fight the bad guys while they’re hacking into his gps, his phone, his radio etc. The movie demonstrates how much of our lives are digitally recorded and it’s fun seeing John out of his depth but still incredibly willing to fight. 

The structure of the movies in the Die Hard collection is always very satisfying as there is always a moment when all the dots connect and we see the full picture. We see the motivations behind each character and we see John’s plan to fix things. This movie is no different. 

Final Thoughts. 

Overall I enjoyed watching this movie. There are some great lines, some brilliant action scenes and while it isn’t the best movie in the series, I think the concept was interesting and well executed. I would recommend giving it a watch. 

This has been Movie Monday. 

I hope you all have a lovely week. 

Kate xo.