If you know nothing about guns, computers, or physics, it's not a bad movie.
It's a fun, shut-your-brain-off action movie. LOTS of willing suspension of disbelief. Stunts are over the top, even for the Die Hard franchise - including a drop onto a Harrier jump jet a la "True Lies"... I thought the ending of Die Hard With a Vengeance - where McClane hits a high tension wire with a snubnosed revolver at ~ 200 feet from a moving heliocopter - was hard to swallow. It's pretty believable compared to some of the stuff in LFoDH.
And what's with the scoped sniper machine guns? Those are so "Last Boy Scout"...
That is all.
11 comments:
"And what's with the scoped sniper machine guns? Those are so "Last Boy Scout"..."
I would say "That was was 'Out for Justice'"
But that's just me.
I sort of figured not to expect reality after Die Hard 2, the painted cornflakes posing as the snow that didn't come down as expected notwithstanding.
One key plot point was that planes would continue to circle an airport waiting to land until they were unable to divert elsewhere. Airliners, especially in the winter, carry fuel to an alternate airport, of which there are dozens in the northeast that could take the overflow. My friends who went with me, all commercial pilots like myself, just stared at that part. You have a "bingo" fuel number, when you get there you go to your alternate. Period.
Then another plot point involves the terrorists crippling all of the airport's communication systems, so the airline pilots can only communicate with the terrorists. Sorry, airplanes have multiple bands and multiple radios, with crews often talking to dispatch, or perhaps flight service on one, while the other pilot maintains listening watch with Air Traffic. But the one thing that had us rolling was the scene where the Instrument Landing System glide slope is re-calibrated to be 200 feet lower than the ground level Impossible in real life. An aircraft flies towards the glide slope transmitter which is situated on the ground. The aircraft gets its height information from its own altimeter and radar altimeter, NOT from the ILS system. Then Bruce comes out with the wands. . Bruce the human VASI, to wave the plane off. I was laughing so hard I about got us kicked out of the theater.
But you know. . NO one grimaces like Bruce. We still had fun at the flick, what it was intended for.
You're baiting me, aren't you?
Weer'd,
Out for Justice? Are you sure that's the correct cheesy Steven Seagal movie?
Brigid,
Y'know, I remember watching Die Hard II and thinking the same thing - that there was no way on Earth that planes would stack up over one airport IN A BLIZZARD until their fuel got that low.
'Course, there's always the "that's a Glock 7" BS, too...
RW,
What? I said I liked it, despite the obviously needed suspension of disbelief... ;)
No, I meant 'baiting' as in, "you know Ricky loves Diehard and wouldn't miss an opportunity to discuss it". That's like asking Snoop Dogg if he'd like to discuss weed.
:)
FYI, second biggest suspension of disbelief: Independence Day. In a matter of less than 24 hours, Jeff Goldblum wrote software what was miraculously compatible with that of an alien spacecraft networking system (plus, he took the time to incorporate a skull-crossbones icon to tell the alien that they were screwed).
Cripes, you can't even get Windows 98 compatible software to work with Vista.
Biggest suspension of disbelief: c'mon, easy. movies where Leo Dicaprio plays a tough guy (Gangs of NYC, the Departed).
Talkin' smack about ID4? Now who's baiting who?
"Live Free or Die Hard" I think was made just to use the title.
I did just see Eagle Eye. Still unrealistic Hollywood. But definitely an on the edge espionage style thriller.
I recommend all go see it. And really think about who is and isn't the bad guy in the movie.
I noted that I thought the bad guy was simply misguided in their methods. I wonder if others agree with me?
Dude, I love ID4. One of the few relatively newer (well, it IS getting older, isn't it?) action flicks that you can show your kids and THEY think is cool. Don't know about you, but my son loves the alien stuff.
Y'know, it just occurred to me that The Boy has never seen ID4.
I do believe I know what we're doing this coming Sunday afternoon!
A few curse words to work around & Vivica Fox dancing with her butt cheeks hanging out (well, that was good for ME) are the few drawbacks for the youngsters, but the rest keeps 'em captivated.
Being the computer geek that I am (and knowing that my son is bonkers for robotics & futuristic droids), I just finished editing the original Terminator and we're readying for a family night on Friday so that the kids can enjoy classic Ahnold.
If they like, I can edit down T2, as well, for next week. It should be easier, just some words to clip out...no sex. If all goes well, I'll have them watching the Sarah Conner Chronicles with me in no time!
* I'm not a proponent of the 'no violence, ever' crowd, when it's fake violence in movies. My kids can tell the difference between real violence a-la Ultimate fighting or Cops and fake violence like, say, Star Wars. So, Ahnold can kill as many as he wants, my kids know its as fake as Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff.
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