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Live Free or Die Hard
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation


8.0

based on 34 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 165 votes
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Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language, and a brief sexual situation

Starring Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Jonathan Sadowski, Kevin Smith, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead

In a season overflowing with CGI Fantasy, Live Free or Die Hard gets real - with real action, real humor and a relatable everyman hero: John McClane. On the July 4th holiday, and attack on the vulnerable United States infrastructure begins to shut down the entire nation. The mysterious figure behind the scheme has figured out every modern angle - but he never figures on an old-school "analog" fly in the "digital" ointment. Bruce Willis is John McClane. No mask. No cape. No problem. (20th Century Fox)

GENRE(S):	Action \| Adventure \| Suspense/Thriller
WRITTEN BY:	Mark Bomback (also story) David Marconi (story) John Carlin (article A Farewell to Arms) Roderick Thorp (certain original characters)
DIRECTED BY:	Len Wiseman
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: November 20, 2007 Theatrical: June 27, 2007
RUNNING TIME:	129 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Either Live Free or Die Hard will go down as the summer's best action blockbuster, or it's going to be one exceptional summer.

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Easily the best in the series since the first one.

Slate Dana Stevens

Though the movie's at least 20 minutes too long, it's deeply satisfying, full of old-school buddy banter and the kind of action sequences that make you burst out laughing at their sheer audacity.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

It's simply old-school stunts and movie magic.

Variety Todd McCarthy

The sheer quantity of often outrageous stunts should help overcome franchise mustiness to entertain.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

A slick and efficient piece of action entertainment, fast moving with energetic stunt work and nice thriller moves.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

This fourth iteration of a series that first burst upon the world in 1988 turns out to be terrific entertainment, and startlingly shrewd in the bargain, a combination of minimalist performances -- interestingly minimalist -- and maximalist stunts that make you laugh, as you gape, at their thunderous extravagance.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

Does it herald a renaissance in the action genre? Not really, but it's a welcome throwback to good old-fashioned, '80s-style lunkhead violence, and no one takes a punch, kick, elbow, or bullet quite like John McClane.

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

Provided you don't think too long or hard about it (and why ever would you?), Live Free or Die Hard is infectious good fun, and a tremendous encouragement to the middle aged.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

Surprisingly effective, rousing entertainment, which boasts plenty of old-school, at times jaw-dropping stunt work done the manly way.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

An enjoyable pop projection of post-9/11 anxiety.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

The action in this fast-paced, hysterically overproduced and surprisingly entertaining film is as realistic as a Road Runner cartoon.

Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves

Early in LFODH, a villain taunts our hero, calling him "a Timex in a digital world"; McClane, characteristically, takes the dig as a compliment. Two hours, countless butt-kickings and hairbreadth escapes later, we know why.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

The film's action doesn't disappoint; if anything, it ups the adrenaline ante considerably.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Willis, who at 52 looks great in an intensely physical role and can still spit out wisecracks and insults with the best of them.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Director Len Wiseman, confidently stepping up from the smallish budget "Underworld" films to mega-budget Hollywood mainstream.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

At a time when the action genre has come to be dominated by sleek, matte surfaces and set-'em-and-forget-'em computerized effects, Live Free or Die Hard seeks to remind viewers of the simple, nostalgic pleasures of watching stuff get blown up and bad guys get smoked.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

Bruce Willis is ready to earn our love again by performing the same lovably violent, meathead tricks as before.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

Willis' John McClane, with that sly, sideways smile, is like an old acquaintance you don't mind running into. He may be older and balder, but he's none the worse for the wear. And he can still take a punch.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Superior in every way to 1995's "Die Hard With a Vengeance," Live Free or Die Hard's goofy generation-gap gambit pays off decently and proves, again, that nattily dressed terrorists are no match for Willis, the once and future Patron Saint of Bang.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Directed in workmanlike style by Underworld: Evolution's Len Wiseman, has its share of wild stunts and spectacular carnage, but it feels pokey and predictable, too.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Take away Bruce Willis and this is straight-to-video material.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

I can safely say I've never seen anything as ridiculous as Live Free or Die Hard. I'm not saying my 10-year-old self didn't enjoy a lot of it.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Gets the action job done and you better believe that Bruce is still the man.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The key to enjoying the fourth installment in this testosterone-fueled franchise is accepting that it's a live-action cartoon that makes no effort to conform to the laws of gravity, plausibility or common sense.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

In the moments at his disposal, Smith almost steals the flick. He's so wittily government-phobic that I found myself hoping for a climax that would blow Bruce Willis away and promote Kevin Smith to saviour-of-the-free-world. Now that might be a sequel worth rooting for.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Sorry, boys. After two decades, the first film still does more with one skyscraper than Live Free or Die Hard does with an entire country.

Premiere Aaron Hillis

An unexpectedly retro throwback to '80s actioners and '90s hacker movies, totally preposterous in both its heroic near-death escapes and abstract tech-jargon explanations for how anyone with geeky inclinations can remotely override any computer system with a few easy keystrokes.

Empire Angie Errigo

Yippee-ki-yay! Willis still has the goods.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

A middling contender in this summer of gigantoid sequels.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias

Willis does everything short of donning a cape and reversing time by orbiting the Earth at light speed, and the air of cheerful ridiculousness recalls Luc Besson-produced action films like "Transporter 2" or "District B13."

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

The physical stunts by Maggie Q as a lethal martial arts expert and Cyril Raffaelli as a Eurotrash sniper who rappels buildings are more thrilling than the over-the-top chase sequences, so contrived as to verge on self-parody.

Village Voice Rob Nelson

Maybe McClane, in '80s action parlance, is too old for this s---.

USA Today Claudia Puig

Diverting enough if you want to see plenty of fast-paced action sequences, some heart-stopping chase scenes and plenty of things blow up.

The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 165 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Eddie E. gave it a4:
Mildly entertaining action flick with no originality what so ever. Started off well and looked like it was heading in the right direction but lost its way in the second half of the film. Stunts though entertaining were farcical, Film ended with a whimper and was very predictable. Can't be compared to the original which is an all time classic by the way. The 4th die hard the best in the series- Not by a long shot

Eddie D. gave it a6:
I don't care if it wasn't perfect. Its an improvement from what you see these days.

Xocrates gave it an8:
I haven't laugh so hard for a long time. The action is ludicrious, the plot has every cliché in the book, but hey, Live free or die hard is not a good movie, and it does not pretend to be, what it is is a lot of good fun.

Todd gave it a6:
Started strong, but went WAY WAY overboard on the believability. Followed the formula of Diehard 2 and 3, but not the original (and only great) Diehard film.

Michael R gave it a6:
In a nutshell its a fun popcorn movie and nothing special.Its Bruce Willis's best movie ever by far.The acting and dialog was decent.It definitely has a unique and different plot then most action movies which is great and the action in the movie is what makes this movie watchable. Bruce should stop making movies.

Matthew W. gave it a9:
Die Hard prevails (again) with it's heart pumping action scenes with a taste of comedy, Bruce Willis is perfect in (almost) every way.

benjy gave it a9:
Its not believable' so? It's a summer blockbuster and it's good fun to watch thats all that should really matter. People moan about these films but they really shouldn't. Sure he's a bit more of a super hero but he still gets half beaten to death he doesn't come out flying he comes out with a bullet in him. Thats not superman!

Live Free or Die Hard Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Live Free or Die Hard
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation