entertainment weekly has a list up of the top 25 action movies of all time, and although the placement/inclusion of certain picks can be questioned, it’s a pretty decent list. mostly, i was pleased to note that i’ve seen all of them except for three (adventures of robin hood, the wild bunch, and road warrior), which is a pretty good record. of course, die hard landed where it belongs, at number one, a pick you’d have a tough time disputing with any american man.

speaking of which, i have some good news…

live free or die hard – 5 stars

i’ve read some harsh reviews and i’ve read some good ones, but my experience was totally positive going to see this movie. as an enormous fan of the original, who wasn’t even old enough to see the previous installments in a movie theatre, i was tickled just to sit down and see any john mcclane action on a big screen. i won’t deny i also entered the theatre cautiously, expecting a crappy sequel that was a shadow of the glorious first movie.

and yes, of course this doesn’t reach that same level. how could it? we’re talking about comparing it to the best action movie ever. and this isn’t it. are there some scenes that get a little carried away and go further over the top than is believable? yes there are. do they squeeze maybe a few too many ‘mcclane-isms’ in for laughs? sure, it’s possible. are there other flaws, like some of the supporting characters and the unnecessary pg-13-ification? yes, but again, they only stand out so badly when you compare it to the masterpiece that came before.

the important thing is it still feels like die hard. the set pieces are bigger, there’s a wacky sidekick, but mostly it’s still about this guy doing stupid things to beat the bad guys. he gets the shit knocked out of him repeatedly but he doesn’t give up. he cracks jokes to deal with the ridiculousness of his situation. he’s an inch away from death but he keeps on pushing, and you root for him the whole way. and despite a few glaringly farfetched moments, the better part of the action stays very grounded, so you’re not visually overwhelmed by whizzing CG effects, but sitting up in your chair following the guy through every punching, shooting, diving, ledge-hanging moment.

it would be easy to have given this four stars and just say, ‘second or third best in the series, definitely worth seeing even if it’s imperfect’. but i have to take a firmer stance and say despite a few major flaws, i still had so much fun watching this movie i forgave them instantly and just let myself get swept up in it. i’d still call it one of the best action movies i’ve seen in a few years. i’d still gladly buy the dvd and watch it time and time again — preferably a director’s R-rated cut. and i’m sure i’ll still quote lines from it with my buddies when we’re drinking beer and talking shit. so if that doesn’t make a five star movie, i don’t know what else would.