Die Harder

Waiting for a sequel is something I like. Especially when it is something I have enjoyed for a long time. 22^nd is when A Good Day to Die Hard hits the screens in India. I don’t like going to movies alone as it is not much of fun. S won’t come with me as she doesn’t like action movies because of the violence element. I can’t skip this as I am a die-hard fan of the Die Hard Series. Even though she is not coming, S has suggested that I watch all the Die Hard films as a build-up to watch the fifth sequel and I have been doing so. Lack of time has made me use my tablet extensively to watch these films and I should say it is a nice experience.

My favorite of all the four films is the first one and the third one; Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995). Those are the films with the Gruber Brothers as villains; the former has the ever charismatic Alan Rickman playing Hans Gruber and the latter has the amazing performer Jeremy Irons playing Simon Peter Gruber. The producers seem to be adament on getting English actors to play villains.

Mr. Takagi, I will count to three. There will not be a four!

 

 

 

 

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Other elements that make these films worth watching are the chemistry between the lead protagonists. The former has the growing friendship between Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJohnson and the latter has a on and off friendship between Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, riding mostly on racial lines…of which Jackson is a bit touchy about, for the sake of humour.

I think we’ll go straight to withdrawal!

I did not really like the fourth film Live Free or Die Hard (2007) because the action scenes looked a bit too much artificial and the plot not too tight to make us grip the seat handles. It was just action for action’s sake and I hope the fifth film isn’t going to be the same. It seems McCLane is going to Russia this time to meet his estranged son… Let’s see what the duo can bring to the screen.

Besides, Bruce Willis had a bad case of hair loss since the first Die Hard in 1998. By 2007, he is completely bald and looked a bit more old than he is supposed to be.

Today it releases in India and the tickets in the nearby cinema hall that I frequent have sold out in a miraculous way. It seems I have to skip this weekend and watch it in the beginning of the next week.

- Manu

P.S:- Can’t believe it’s been 25 years since the release of the first film in the series!

 

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