Many action fans were heartbroken when it became known what was really behind Bruce Willis’ career decline. While his films from the recent past have been rather rubbish, one of his last highlights is now showing on TV.
Unbelievable but true: Since April of this year, there have been trailers for two new direct-to-DVD productions with Bruce Willis every month. The former action star, who became a cult figure in testosterone cinema with his iconic roles in “Die Hard”, “Last Boy Scout”, “Pulp Fiction” and “Armageddon”, is now a video store supplier who almost got his own category at the Golden Raspberry Awards for his often rushed assembly line productions – until it was finally revealed that Willis’ tragic career had an even more tragic background: Willis is ill and has now had to give up his acting career for good.
It’s been a while since he was in front of the camera in films that people really enjoyed watching – such as “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For” (2014) or “Split” (2017). And if you want to take a look at Willis’ last action highlights, you have to go back a little further: For FILMSTARTS author Daniel Fabian, the matter is clear: Willis’ last pure action blockbuster, which is still just as much fun today as it was back then, is even five years older than the sci-fi action thriller “Looper”, which is also worth seeing, and is therefore already 17 years old: “Die Hard 4.0” from 2007.
John McClane’s fourth mission, which was discredited by many old-school genre fans when it was released, clearly stands out from the first three films, but has stood the test of time with flying colors and still works better today than many current action films.
Anyone who wants to see this for themselves has the opportunity to do so tonight on free TV. “Die Hard 4.0” airs today, September 14, 2024, from 8:15 p.m. on ProSieben. The only disadvantage of the TV broadcast: During prime time, the film is only shown in a version that is shortened by more than six minutes. We therefore recommend DVD, Blu-ray or streaming – for example on Disney+, where you can find all the “Die Hard” films.
“Die Hard 4.0” on Disney+*
Yes, the latecomer sequel to “Die Hard with a Vengeance”, known internationally as “Live Free or Die Hard”, never had it easy. While the original trilogy was created in a period of just seven years, another twelve years had to pass before we saw cult cop John McClane on the screen again. Twelve years in which cinema and audiences’ viewing habits have changed quite a bit. And so “Die Hard 4” had already lost out to many before it had even been released: As the first film in the series to receive a PG-13 rating and not an R rating in the USA, it was immediately branded as unworthy, a bastard that nobody wanted. The fact that a recut was later to follow in home cinema, in which blood splatters and the like were partially digitally inserted, only made things worse in the end.
“Die Hard 4.0”: A brutal action spectacle – even today
With an attack on the USA and thus, to a certain extent, on the Western world, which only one man – John McClane – can stop, “Die Hard 4.0” certainly has a good portion of retro action cinema in it. Almost 20 years after the Christmas party in Nakatomi Plaza, drenched in lead and blood, director Len Wiseman (“Underworld”) has brought the heroic saga into the 21st century – which is particularly noticeable in the production. Less blood, more gloss and an almost indestructible superhero certainly form a contrast to the first three films. Nevertheless, Wiseman ultimately manages to walk an impressive tightrope between tradition and modernity, between cult and commerce.
Especially compared to current blockbusters, “Die Hard 4.0” scores with hand-crafted action. The advantage? Even after 15 years, it has lost none of its impact. Because here, no stone is left unturned. Whether it’s during chases, shootouts or close combat: you can just feel that as little as possible was filmed in front of a green screen or in a studio, but rather on location. The bullets don’t just disappear into nothingness (or into animated bullet holes), but regularly ensure that the pieces fly around your ears. What an orgy of destruction!
Action like in “Die Hard”? Bruce Willis in the trailer for the Christmas hit “Detective Knight: Redemption”
A helicopter is brought down from the sky with a police car (!) before the last act is a varied action madness à la “True Lies”. In the breathtaking finale in particular, a few obvious CGIs are used, but they always remain complementary accessories in the midst of the incredibly complex practical effects – and do not become a replacement, as in many Hollywood blockbusters these days.
Conclusion: Smart jokes, brutal shootouts, spectacular parkour sequences, outstanding chases and plenty of courage for over-the-top madness make “Die Hard 4.0” an explosive, incredibly entertaining action firework and one of the last really good Bruce Willis films. At the time of its release, it was still considered a modern-day “Die Hard” rip-off, but 15 years later, the handmade spectacle has more in common with the legendary action classics of the 80s and 90s than with today’s CGI orgies, at least in terms of action. And that’s a good thing.
You can read about which Willis classic cult director Quentin Tarantino particularly loves here:
“One of the masterpieces of our time”: Quentin Tarantino is an ardent fan of this Bruce Willis hit
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase via these links, we receive a commission. This is a re-publication of an article that has already appeared on FILMSTARTS.
