“Let me ask you something…do you go looking for trouble or does it always just seem just to find you?” Jack.

“Ya’ know after all these years; I still ask myself that same question.” McClane.

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back in this fifth installment in the very popular Die Hard Series. This time McClane is traveling to Moscow to see what’s going on with his son, Jack (Jai Courtney). McClane believes his son is turning into one of the bad guys. Unbeknownst to McClane, however, his son is actually a deep, deep undercover CIA agent.

As his daughter drops McClane off at airport she warns him to “not mess things up this time.” We all know John McClane, however, and we know that trouble is his middle name. From the first bomb demolishing an entire street of parked cars, the action never quits. Thinking that he is just going to offer some fatherly advice to his estranged son, McClane soon discovers that his son is just as much an action-junkie as he is and both vow that they are not going to die today.

Great movie moments:

Watching the evolution of the father-son relationship between John and his son was predictable, yet engaging. The kids were young in the first Die Hard movie so we didn't see any interaction. The only opportunity we’ve had to watch the dynamic between McClane and his children was with his daughter, Lucy, in Live Free or Die Hard (I don't recall the son even being mentioned). A Good Day to Die Hard brings the family, full circle (without the mother) and we get to see McClane “pass the reigns” to his son.

I appreciate that McClane’s character doesn’t change much through the entire Die Hard series. Despite the fact that the first Die Hard was released in 1988, decades later we are still watching him leap buildings and shoot the bad guys while maintaining that incredibly, sarcastic sense of humor that has always made the audience laugh.

Who better for Bruch Willis to pass the torch to than Jai Courtney? Though he definitely lacks the same sarcastic wit, Courtney is definitely an up and coming action hero.

Not-so-great movie moments:

There comes a time, however, when every action hero should maintain their dignity and know when it’s time to give up action movies. I think that Willis was definitely able to squeeze out this one last Die Hard action-thriller before it’s time to hang up his cape. There is nothing sadder than an action hero playing roles when they are past their prime. Willis is a great actor, but hopefully this won’t be one of “those” series.

I rate this movie a 3 out of 5 stars.

Rated: R (A lot of violence)
Running time: 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: John Moore

Find it on Amazon!


I first saw this movie in the theaters; however, it is now part of my personal DVD collection.