Nordling here.
I liked LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD. It makes it easier to like if you go in knowing that it's not really a DIE HARD movie. Maybe it's a parody of a DIE HARD movie, or just another over-the-top action fest that defies the laws of physics and credibility. But I liked it for what it was, and even though it was minus quite a few "motherfuckers" it was enjoyable. But it's not a DIE HARD movie.
Here's hoping Noam Murro realizes that, because according to Deadline he's the next director in the franchise. Apparently Bruce picked him if the Vulture is to be believed, but if he picked him or not, Murro's HALO commercials that he directed impressed someone high up to give him a swing at the old Nakatomi legacy. Murro also directed SMART PEOPLE, which isn't the kind of movie pedigree that comes to mind when directing a movie like this, but I'm certain any director worth his or her salt would bring their A game to a project like this.
I hope they bring John McClane's vulnerability back, although he's said he wanted the movie to go worldwide. I think that's a bad idea myself, but what do I know - this franchise has made a ton of money for Willis and Fox, and expanding the scope of DIE HARD may be what the audience wants. I just remember Willis acting with utter cool and dignity even as his character's feet were shredded with glass, and that's the DIE HARD I love. I hope Murro brings our friend John back to that place, instead of jumping on fighter planes. I miss that John, who swears like he invented the word "motherfucker." Because if that word didn't exist before DIE HARD, McClane would have invented it.
Nordling, out.
