I finally watched Die Hard 4.0. I never really felt the urge to see it, but it was on cable TV here, so… Thing is, I never thought a 4th Die Hard movie was necessary. I really liked the previous ones. I know they had problems with the script for DH 4.0, changed the plot and postponed filming etc… But in the end, I still think ending the saga with Die Hard “3″ wasn’t too bad after all. In a certain way, DH movies created a whole genre of action movies with *real* stunts and cars/stuff blowing up, and a *real* script with good lines and interaction between the main characters: an ordinary person into an extra-ordinary situation.
The action movies once were about the action man/woman/main character(s). Now they seem to be only about special effects and surreal cgi sequences that makes you wonder if the crew/producer/whosincharge actually thought about credibility or simply went for the coolest effect.
Don’t get me wrong, I like special effects and even know someone who works in that business. But I can accept computer graphic and such stuff only on movies like Spiderman, Batman or Independence Day and such. These of course need some computer manipulation.
However, if the plot has no super-hero or sci-fi element in it, I still prefer the ‘old style’ special effects. The movie will thus still be ‘about the characters’, where the actor has to act for real, not just jump here and there before a green screen in a studio and occasionally toss a cheesy line between a punch and a kick.
Makes me think of what I read last week about ‘characters’, regarding the new Law & Order : Criminal Intent cast. Chris Noth out, Jeff Goldblum in. If I understood correctly, Noth thinks the show is not enough about the characters. I have to say, I mostly agree with him. While the L&O series always focused primarily on the potentially real-life cases and their legal aspects, it is true that when you ask fans about their favorite episode, they will most likely pick up one where they find out more about one of the characters and his/her personality, family, past etc etc. I think this is because we are humans and we are more attracted by what makes us humans. That is feelings and emotions, inner demons and different ways to deal with those.
Then, my question is… Why turning a character-based action movie into a special-effects-based action movie? Lack of imagination for a decent plot? Young director with an obviously different point of view than the director who started the DH saga 21 years ago? I don’t know. I just hope they don’t decide to make a Die Hard 5, haha. Or if they do, please, call McTiernan and his old DH crew!

P.S.: The same comments I just made on DH4 are also for Indiana Jones and the wacky skulls. If I hadn’t gone to the movies with a group of friends, I would have probably left the theater after the first half. I have never watched a more stupid plot on screen.