Remember the original “Die Hard”? It was so different from everything else released at the time and different from practically everything else released since then. And I think this mainly has to do with the fact that “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie.
I mean, sure all the characters (even the bit-part villains) are memorable, the premise was unique, and the action was relatively restrained compared to other hits at the time, but it wouldn’t be as strong without the addition of a little holiday spirit. Makes me wish every “Die Hard” sequel was also set around Christmas.
Instead, the “Die Hard” sequels, and in fact the original “Die Hard” movie, were meant to be films that had nothing to do with “Die Hard”. The original was written as a sequel to an old Frank Sinatra thriller, “Die Harder” was a supposed to be a “Commando” sequel, “Die Hard with a Vengeance” was an original action movie called “Simon Says,” and “Live Free or Die Hard” was first a film called “WW3.com.” In fact, “A Good Day to Die Hard” is the first “Die Hard” movie that was originally written to be a Die Hard movie. And I kind of wish they hadn’t gone with that.
“Good Day” opens with Hudson Hawk travelling to Russia and attending the trial of a Russian scientist dude whom his son, some guy from Spartacus, has been connected to. Little does Butch Coolidge know that this simple case of international terrorism will open up to a whole world of espionage, double-crossing, fiery explosions, and confusing plot details.
Seriously, since when did action movies start taking notes from Metal Gear Solid? I mean, I love Metal Gear Solid and all of its ridiculous plot elements, but action movies should try to keep things simple. It meshes so much better with the action, of which there is a lot. Ten minutes into the movie and there’s already an adrenaline-pumping car chase. I had high hopes for this movie, as I do every “Die Hard” film, but I guess there’s a reason why they call this time of year the “Dead Zone” of films.
“Good Day” is completely devoid of anything memorable or worthwhile. Some guy does get chopped in a helicopter tail rotor mere moments after giving this year’s front runner for Most Ridiculous Before-Death Facial Expression, and I guess that’s something.
This isn’t to say that the movie is terrible. “Good Day” isn’t all that bad. It has Dr. Malcolm Crowe in it, and he gets in some chuckles here and there. And the chemistry between him and that one guy from Spartacus feels somewhat natural.
I just wish there was more here. “Live Free or Die Hard” may have been stupider than a box of papier-mâché chocolates, but at least it was memorable in that stupidity.
“A Good Day to Die Hard” was an opportunity to do something unique, but was ultimately a wasted effort.
