Die Hard Number Five is possibly the weakest entry in the franchise, but what is most disappointing is that it is an extraordinarily spectacular mess of a big-budget blockbuster. The idea of John McClane being a fish-out-of-water in Russia (to sort out the arrest of his long-estranged son) has potential but is quickly squandered and then abandoned totally in favour of a generic thriller that negates what audiences loved about the character and the scenarios in the original Die Hard trilogy in particular. In fairness, the sound department does an amazing job (fully served by IMAX), Marco Beltrami provides a surprisingly sturdy action-thriller score, and the final SFX money-shot in the climactic showdown is impressive. However, flat dialogue, odd characterisation (a carrot-crunching dancing baddie?) and desperately hyperkinetic editing (that makes the Crank movies look like exercises in subtlety, but at least there the intention and execution was deliberate) all make the film a hard watch, not helped by an underwhelming turn by Willis (who is given little of interest with which to work) and Jai Courtney as McClane Jnr making little impression at all. It is also a disgrace that whilst the distributors cut some violence in order to achieve a 12A rating, there is still a notable amount of bad language for this rating. There will always be affection for John McClane and the Die Hard movies - one can only hope that the inevitable Number Six will be the Skyfall to this Quantum Of Solace. And - in the movie - just when does McClane get the opportunity to shave.....?
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