Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard

[CeeKay]

OK, maybe that won't be the title, but John McClain looks to be returning.  I'm betting it'll be PG-13 again since the last outing did so well.

[Kagath]

I'll go see it. I enjoyed the latest one quite a bit. Didn't even really feel like a PG13 film to me. I haven't seen the unrated DVD though so that may change it I guess.

[metallicorphan]

still not seen Die Hard 4,but i enjoyed 1-3

[Gratch]

I haven't seen the unrated DVD though so that may change it I guess.

The unrated version didn't really add anything other than a few f-bombs and a couple blood spurts.

I was pretty skeptical about Die Hard 4, but thought it was fantastic.  Proved you don't always need to have buckets of blood to make a great action film.

[JayDee]

Die Hard 4 was great. I'm in on 5 for sure.

[PeteRock]

I haven't seen the unrated DVD though so that may change it I guess.

The unrated version didn't really add anything other than a few f-bombs and a couple blood spurts.

Actually, the unrated version added a level of authenticity to the character of John McClane.  The thing is, he has been an F-bomb-dropping character throughout the series, and the series has consistently been an R-rated franchise.  The PG-13 version of Live Free or Die Hard just didn't feel authentic as utilizing "f$#k" in all of its adaptability is a part of McClane's personality.  Die Hard with no F-bombs and no blood just isn't Die Hard, it's merely a watered down version of the series in order to appeal to a wider fan base.  While the F-word and blood certainly aren't necessary to make a movie, I argue that they are necessary to make a Die Hard movie.  

I prefer the unrated version to the watered-down mass release version as in theaters it just didn't feel like Die Hard.  Yippie-kye-aye motherfucker is a part of the Die Hard universe.  To edit it with the sound of a gunshot makes the movie too much like a "this film has been edited for content and to fit your screen" made-for-TV version.  I want true Die Hard, not the decaf version.  And the uncut version of the film gave me what I was looking for:  John McClane in all of his vulgar, ass-kicking glory.

Oh, and so this post is at least remotely on topic, I love the entire Die Hard series, with the original being one of my favorite Christmas movies to watch every holiday season, so I'm all for yet another installment.  Especially to make up for that garbage wannabe "Last Boyscout" crap with that dipshit Tracy Morgan mucking up the screen.   

[CeeKay]

I'll never understand why they took out the 'I ran out of bullets' line and replaced it with a public service message in the unrated version though.

[PeteRock]

I'll never understand why they took out the 'I ran out of bullets' line and replaced it with a public service message in the unrated version though.

Yeah, that as a bit odd.  I liked the "bullets" line better.

[Gratch]

Especially to make up for that garbage wannabe "Last Boyscout" crap with that dipshit Tracy Morgan mucking up the screen.   

Last Boy Scout is a guilty pleasure movie of mine, even if it does have a Wayans (not Tracy Morgan) in it.

[Kevin Grey]

Did they ever release the unrated version on Blu-ray?

[CeeKay]

Did they ever release the unrated version on Blu-ray?

unfortunately no.  another odd choice on their part.

[Kagath]

Especially to make up for that garbage wannabe "Last Boyscout" crap with that dipshit Tracy Morgan mucking up the screen.   

Last Boy Scout is a guilty pleasure movie of mine, even if it does have a Wayans (not Tracy Morgan) in it.

Agreed. I watch it every time I find it on TV. Some great one liners in there too.

[PeteRock]

Especially to make up for that garbage wannabe "Last Boyscout" crap with that dipshit Tracy Morgan mucking up the screen.   

Last Boy Scout is a guilty pleasure movie of mine, even if it does have a Wayans (not Tracy Morgan) in it.

Agreed. I watch it every time I find it on TV. Some great one liners in there too.

I like The Last Boyscout, which makes me all the more upset with what looks to be a more comedic remake with an actor I consider to be one of the least funny people I've ever seen on screen. 

[Kevin Grey]

Doesn't everyone like The Last Boyscout? IMO you can't go wrong with any of the movies that Shane Black has scripted (yes, even The Long Kiss Goodnight which I think is highly underrated). 

[PeteRock]

Doesn't everyone like The Last Boyscout?

Perhaps there are certain films that are simply "givens."  Such as The Last Boyscout, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Major League, The Blues Brothers, Aliens, The Secret of Nimh, etc.  But my wife seems to prove me wrong whenever I assume she'll enjoy something I consider to be timeless, such as The Blues Brothers (I've never seen someone with such a look of disgust for such a sustained period).  I'm apprehensive about having her watch The Last Boyscout.  It has been in my DVD collection for decades, and she has somehow managed to go through life thus far without having ever seen it.     She even tries to argue that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.     Sometimes I wonder how we've managed to stay married thus far.   

IMO you can't go wrong with any of the movies that Shane Black has scripted (yes, even The Long Kiss Goodnight which I think is highly underrated). 

I enjoyed The Long Kiss Goodnight as well.  And you may be right, as Shane Black wrote The Monster Squad, Lethal Weapon, and one of my favorite comedies of all time, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. 

[CeeKay]

and it has an official name.

[metallicorphan]

and it has an official name.

oh dear

[TK-421]

So they won't even have to change the name when they make the inevitable porn version.

[Blackjack]

I enjoyed the last couple but they just don't feel like "Die Hard" movies anymore. They're generic action films (Die Hard With a Vengeance was basically a re-tooled, unfilmed Lethal Weapon script called "Simon Says", as I recall) with Bruce Willis squinting a lot and killing a lot of people. I hope they take it back to basics because the larger scope it gets, the less personal the story is.

[ibdoomed]

Doesn't everyone like The Last Boyscout?

Perhaps there are certain films that are simply "givens."  Such as The Last Boyscout, Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Major League, The Blues Brothers, Aliens, The Secret of Nimh, etc.  But my wife seems to prove me wrong whenever I assume she'll enjoy something I consider to be timeless, such as The Blues Brothers (I've never seen someone with such a look of disgust for such a sustained period).  I'm apprehensive about having her watch The Last Boyscout.  It has been in my DVD collection for decades, and she has somehow managed to go through life thus far without having ever seen it.     She even tries to argue that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.     Sometimes I wonder how we've managed to stay married thus far.   

IMO you can't go wrong with any of the movies that Shane Black has scripted (yes, even The Long Kiss Goodnight which I think is highly underrated). 

I enjoyed The Long Kiss Goodnight as well.  And you may be right, as Shane Black wrote The Monster Squad, Lethal Weapon, and one of my favorite comedies of all time, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. 

Whoa. Wait a second. Isn't Days of Thunder a nascar movie?

I agree with everything else you said, so that has to be a mistake.

[PR_GMR]

Terrible, terrible title.

[TiLT]

I think it's a clever title. I like it.

[hepcat]

Die Hard 6: Danger in a Duplex (skyscrapers are hard on Willis' knees, so some changes had to be made)

Die Hard 7: Die Hard in Depends

Die Hard 8: I'll MAKE You Kids Get Off My Lawn!

[Isgrimnur]

Die Hard 8: I'll MAKE You Kids Get Off My Lawn!

Or Gran Torino: The Reboot.

[hepcat]

Whoa, they hired the director of The Omen remake and Max Payne, then went with the writer for Wolverine for the script?  What's the budget, 23 dollars?  Talk about setting yourself up for failure...

[Purge]

... it's Die Hard, dude. They AIM for it.

[CeeKay]

they've cast McClane's son.

[Blackjack]

they've cast McClane's son.

Varro's (Jai Courtney) fate in Spartacus damn near broke my heart when I was watching the DVD set over the weekend.   I suppose in DH5 he'll actually get to wear a shirt and keep his pants on most of the time.  

Given that Live Free or Die Hard used much of the entire U.S. as its playground, I don't know where a fifth movie can go. The entire planet? Outer space?

I'd rather they just bring it back to basics and set it in a house. Or a phone booth. Oh wait, Colin Farrell already did that, never mind.  

A little more babble on it at EW:
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/02/22/die-hard-5-spartacus-jai-courtney/
*Courtney's also doing a film with Tom Cruise called One Shot.

[Kagath]

Doesn't usually wear pants in roles, with Tom Cruise, in a move called One Shot.

Hmmmmmm....  

[Purge]

Doesn't usually wear pants in roles, with Tom Cruise, in a move called One Shot.

Hmmmmmm.... 

I heard its a baseball movie.

They haven't announced roles yet, but I'm betting Cruise is the Pitcher, and Jai's the Catcher.

[CeeKay]

teaser trailer.

[metallicorphan]

not keen on the title,then i wasn't keen on 'Live Free or Die Hard' name..although it was just called Die Hard 4.0 here

This all started with Die Hard with a Vengeance (At least Die Harder was the subtitle of Die Hard 2),i don't mind them not using the usual numbers or Roman Numerals for their sequels but it seems a bit silly trying to fit 'Die Hard' into phrases and use them as titles instead..I actually really liked the 4.0 title because it was relevant to the subject of Computers/Technology Terrorists

[Crusis]

I hope it's a (die) Hard R rating with lots of blood, guts, and gratuitous F-bombs.

[Blackjack]

I hope it's a (die) Hard R rating with lots of blood, guts, and gratuitous F-bombs.

While I enjoy all the films to varying degrees, I still find the first film had more heart, humor and memorable characters than all the rest of the sequels combined. That also goes for Alan Rickman, whose villain is pretty much more memorable than all the sequels' villains combined.

"Die Hard" used to be some sort of template where you set a lone cop, good guy etc. in a small, claustrophobic setting. #2 sort of just shifted the template to an airport. imho, when they've moved it to larger scale and made it "It's Die Hard in New York City," (#3) and "It's Die Hard in most of the eastern half of the U.S," (#4), it just becomes too vague and watered down.

Like most, I love Tim Olyphant in Justfied but as a villain imho he wasn't scary, charming or even interesting. Maggie Cho looks great, kicks great, and in just about everything I've seen her, has no personality or presence to speak of.

So my point is, who cares about fireworks? Don't let Die Hard become this watered down, forgettable generic action-fest. Find a competent screenwriter and inject some memorable characters and maybe bring the series down to basics a bit. Not "save the world!" The original film really boiled down to somebody trying to save his wife, not the entire Eastern Seaboard. Just imho, which Hollywood doesn't care about.  

[metallicorphan]

I actually really enjoyed Die Hard with a Vengeance,maybe more so than Die Hard 2,i loved the 'Simon Says' game and the frantic race across town reminded me a little of Dirty Harry getting to the payphones..and the line about the Mime while in the Taxi was spot on

I do get what you mean though Blackjack,but i guess that could become the same as Speed did,when Speed 2 was on a boat and people thought well Speed 3,4,5 etc would be on Airplanes,Trains and whatever else transport they could use(thankfully Speed didn't progress)...even in Die Hard 2,Mclaine said to himself how can the same shit happen to the same guy twice...if he thought that in DH2 being in the same situation him on his own against the Terrorists what would he of thought had the same experiences happened but different situations in DH3,4 and 5..it will be interesting to see how Taken 2 is dealt with actually so it doesn't fall into this trap(or as Jon Stewart says,maybe the family are irresponsible )

Although all of the above is from someone who switched off half way through season 2 of 24 because having just watched Season 1 before it,and it was exactly the &8%#ing same!!!

[Blackjack]

A trailer, which seems to affirm the "meh" response in many quarters, along with my little conniption that a move to February (!) suggests the studio has zero faith in the film but no desire to start from scratch on it (i.e., bring in another director/writer to "fix" it):

New Trailer for A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD
http://collider.com/good-day-to-die-hard-5-trailer/206257/

It seems like after Die Hard with a Vengeance, there’s a misunderstanding about what a Die Hard movie is: John McClane (Bruce Willis) getting the ever-loving shit kicked out of him, wise-cracks, and swearing. Unfortunately, it looks like we’re stuck with the new movies being rated PG-13 from now on, so that’s a third out of the equation.  Also, there was always some ability to suspend disbelief that a person could live through the stunts.  I don’t know if that will be present in the series’ fifth installment, but there’s certainly a lot of McClane and his son (Jai Courtney) jumping through panes of glass.

If director John McTiernan (Die Hard, Die Hard With a Vengeance) ever resolves his legal problems, maybe he'll return some day and help close the franchise in something closer to its original, R-rated, foul-mouthed, "lone butt-kicker against the world in a confined space" form. Rather than "A verbally sanitized John McLane and Spartacus' buddy tackle terrorists in Russia, yippee-kay-yi-mom-intercourser!"  

[farley2k]

I think the film looks dumb but I don't think that has anything to do with the PG-13 rating.   

[CeeKay]

lots of 'splosions?  IN!

[Gratch]

13% on RT with 90 reviews

Ouch.  Looks like I'll be skipping this one.

[Blackjack]

I go back to my little paranoia that NO remotely entertaining Die Hard film (not even Live Free or Die Hard) would get dumped in a mid-February release date unless Fox just decided it was complete garbage and wanted to hope it might do one week of good business at a dead movie release time of the year. Sounds like it, from all quarters.

I would say unless director John McTiernan ever gets his legal problems worked out and finds a competent screenwriter to partner with, I'd just leave the franchise alone. At least until they find someone who focuses on McLane as vulnerable, human and funny (and yeah, good with guns and fists, but not Arnold/Stallone good with guns/fists).

While I don't think they have to play the "Die Hard in a boat," "Die Hard in a house," "Die Hard in a booth" game, to me the confined/claustrophobic quarters appeal of the original never really showed up in any of the sequels. "Live Free..." basically used half the U.S. as the "battleground," and this uses seemingly half of Russia, and it seems like the franchise gets less interesting, the more mammoth the setting.

DH2 was at least isolated to an airport, and DH3 (..Vengeance) used downtown NYC and the Bronx as its setting.

I don't know if I'd even be upset if they simply remade the 1988 original with a young cast. But it's a movie that has generally aged well, even the miniature FX work. I wouldn't see the point of a shot-for-shot remake.