Live Free or Die Hard 4.0

Hitherto, we have all witnessed larger-than-life films depicting an utterly binary world wherein even a human DNA can be cloned. For that matter, real-world films where transplantation of bone-marrow becomes a child’s play. You have also seen films demoing hydrogen-powered personal air-crafts moving at ultrasonic speeds in the troposphere. Yet, did you ever realise that rarely comes a film showcasing the inconceivable extremities of cybernation? Or did you realise, rarely comes a film which proves to you, scientifically, that a computerised tongue-cleaner is plausible? Atleast, did you realise, rarely comes a film which depicts a human-craving device that controls your gastric trouble real time?Die Hard 4.0 doesn’t feature any of these. Yet, it’s a rare film.

Balding Bruce Willis (a NYPD cop/detective) has been told to pick up a young hacker (Justin Long) for breaching an FBI system. Timothy Olyphant (villain) buys complex algorithms from the tender-moustached-budding-hackers and pays them money before killing them (for the same reason as Shah Jahan’s slaying of all the masons engaged in Taj Mahal construction) One such fly-the-coop victim is Justin Long. Timothy maintains a team of geeky programming experts to control and thoroughly screw the US public utilities and data administration systems. His technological reach is so advanced that he makes sure all the hackers who he bought stuff from are killed using pre-implanted C-4s, detonating at the press of their own keyboard. Justin survives the blast due to a technical error in implantation. Having known about his survival, Timothy sends his heavily-armed toughies to kill tender Justin. Bruce Willis saves him from the attacks of Timothy and in due course himself becomes an enemy to Timothy, only ending up in collateralization of his own horny daughter. Technically-illiterate-but-expletive-intensive Bruce Willis understands Timothy’s intentions through Justin’s hesitant articulation and then resolves to save America from the schema, termed ‘Fire Sale’ (as in ‘clearing off everything’) well contrived by Timothy. Timothy is the architect who designed a foolproof national security system for the US after the WTC blow out. Yet he keeps cribbing about his crucification and low pay package. Hence, takes the condemnable step to terrorize the entire nation through a planned shut-down of the transportation system, power systems and all other public utilities. His motive is to leverage his knowledge on the technical loopholes of the self-designed system for a commercial motive. He then progresses to sweep in monies from the nation’s social security database and the banking accounts of the public from a Business-continuity-cum-disaster-recovery centre. Bruce’s biceps come into play and Timothy’s plans go for a toss. Bruce is of the same vigor as usual and has not compromised on his muscularity.

Fast-paced, action-packed, will-keep-your-ass-sticked-to-the-seat kinda movie. You would never have a second to think nor would you be able to guess what’s gonna present itself before you. All you would do is just keep your mouth agape while Bruce and the little hacker keep running, bounding, eluding and driving all along from the nasty attacks of Timothy, right from the FBI office to the warehouse where Timothy and his accomplices get killed with a single bullet shot. High-production flick, realistic stunts and terrific sound effects. Sporadic Beethoven touches are a bonus.

Grand Scenes:
- the speeding car before it ramps up an inclined concrete structure right into the chopper
- Bruce Willis’ combat with the sexy chinky, MaggieQ, till the time she gets killed in the elevator chasm.
- Attack on Bruce-driven-18-wheeled truck-trailer by an F-35
- Justin’s conversation with the BMW interactive chauffeur
- Bruce Willis’ expletives and wits

We do cherish the cyber ontogenesis and the comfort and luxury resulting out of it. But just imagine a world when the same ontogeny shows its ugly face in the form of public utilities occlusion and a total black-out. You would simply realise the human mind is going crazy and would never dare to draw a bead on further expansion of the binary horizons. Watch the movie and you would come out with a dropped-down jaw.

A flat 4 out of 5.