good day to die hard

Not to sound too “generational,” but let’s make something clear up front: this is not your Dad’s Die Hard. This is a cut-to-the-chase modern action movie built around a familiar title and an almost completely unfamiliar John McClane. The sooner you put away any notions of recapturing the glory of a fading franchise the more enjoyment you may be able to squeeze out of this father-son reunion between everyone’s favorite NYC cop and his estranged son joining forces to take down some Russian scumbags.

Now in its fifth installment, Bruce Willis is really the only original piece in the Die Hard formula which, let’s face it, became ridiculously coincidental after the first sequel. He brings the same smirk, the swagger and the jingoistic attitude to the party; this time to save his son who, he believes, is on trial for murder in a Moscow courtroom. One extended car chase later and the two have teamed up to debate their family differences between endless burst of machine gun fire and failed one-liners.

It’s not as if Willis isn’t trying. His chemistry with co-star Jai Courtney (who plays John McClane Jr.) is at least as good as his back ‘n forth with Justin Long in Live Free or Die Hard. And director John Moore (Max Payne, The Omen) does a good job of aping the oversized visuals and elegant destruction of John McTiernan’s original…right down to the same lens flares.

The fish-out-of-water routine simply has no juice left, no matter what pond the character’s swimming in. The casual violence and wanton risk to bystanders throughout the film simply doesn’t jibe with the guy we once knew who sweated over the safety and well-being of one donut-obsessed beat cop. To its credit, Good Day never feels like a cheap knock-off; there are some moments of explosive grandeur. But absolutely no charm.

The extended cut adds about three minutes, but actually deletes Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s cameo as McClane’s daughter. Otherwise, the blu-ray transfer is a diamond-sharp and demo ready as you’d expect a modern action flick to be in hi-def. Extras include several featurettes, director’s commentary and a couple of digital copy options.