Live Free or Die Hard

In their commentary, director Len Wiseman and star Bruce Willis jump right to the fact that Live Free Or Die Hard was rated PG-13, explaining that it just happened without any discussion, which I don’t buy. Lucky for them though, the movie never crosses over into a TBS-like safety zone, and if there are any moments that were softened to get a friendlier rating, you’ll more than likely be oblivious thanks to the shit-kicking renegade cop John McClane gives to the cyber terrorists. Gladly surpassing the mediocrity of the second and third instalments of the Die Hard franchise, Live Free of Die Hard revisits the rush of the original. The plot finds our now 50-something "analog” hero fighting a "digital” war when terrorist Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olymphant) basically paralyses America’s computer infrastructure in order to receive his ransom. With hacker Matt Farell (Justin Long) guiding the way however, McClane is able to function old school-style, blowing up planes and helicopters to restore order and save his kidnapped daughter Lucy, who Gabriel nabs for leverage. The commentary benefits from Willis’s involvement, as he coolly adds his expert opinion and knowledge, dropping discarded script ideas and acknowledging that John and Matt never actually sleep a wink during the film’s entirety. "Analog Hero in a Digital World” is an extensive series of featurettes that uncovers every detail behind the scenes. "Unimaginable Feats,” however, is the only worthy one, as they discuss the implausible stunts and how they not only achieved them but also conceived them. The enjoyable "Yippee Ki Yay MotherF*****!” sits Willis down with co-star Kevin Smith for an in-depth, one-on-one interview where Willis is asked why he did the film, to which the star admits he wasn’t a fan of the middle two and he likes to gamble. But the better question is: "Do you know you’re in dog shit while you’re making dog shit?” — something Willis is all too familiar with, though doesn’t elaborate on.