BY: SCOTT MILLER

John McClane's back! And things explode! Sure, you already know the terrorists won't trip him up in the end, but now he's struggling to stay afloat in the murky waters of ill-defined political and moral commentary.

Despite his ironic role in an uncaring diegesis, John McClane is a famous man. His knack for singlehandedly massacring large, confident, well-equipped groups of fancily panted European terror-larcenists has earned Bruce Willis’ grizzled New York cop iconic status in American culture. In 2007, however, the series’ absurdly titled fourth installment, "Live Free or Die Hard," shoves McClane into unfamiliar territory by focusing (i.e. more so than its predecessors) on a myriad of problems concerning government and media in the United States. Unfortunately for Officer Kill-Bot, his expertise doesn’t quite extend past “gun goes bang,” and it shows in the clumsy handling of these complex themes.

But fear not, ye bloodthirsty viewers; in "Live Free or Die Hard," “gun goes bang” very well. Sizeable explosions and dynamic gunplay are plentiful, so if eye candy sits high on one’s list of reasons for dumping nine dollars down Hollywood’s insatiable gullet – which, of course, is a perfectly valid excuse to see an action movie – your appetite for destruction will probably leave the Cineplex feeling fat and happy. Every frame of over-the-top violence in the fourth "Die Hard" film brims with an energetic creativity that nearly negates 20^th  Century Fox's controversial grab for a profit-friendly PG-13 rating. One scene in particular features a climactic showdown between a heavily armed F-35 fighter jet and McClane driving a massive 18-wheeler, which is nearly as silly as it is spectacular.

Such elaborately choreographed carnage, though undeniably impressive, reveals an unfortunate but inevitable feeling of conceptual stagnation within a franchise refusing to evolve. "Underworld" director Len Wiseman vigorously slathers shiny new paint across the screen in a commendable effort to hide this mustiness, but falters slightly as the plot falls back on comfortable franchise clichés. Nearly every "Die Hard" staple makes an appearance, from McClane’s loud, self-critical diatribes to that familiar intimidation tactic in which each new villain – in this case, super hacker / male model Thomas Gabriel played by Timothy Olyphant (Tolkien inspired stage name?) – proudly recites the indestructible hero’s personal information back to him via radio as if to say, “I’m so clever, you don’t stand a chance,” apparently skipping the portion of McClane’s file that outlines his illustrious career as a certified bad guy demolisher. 

These clichés, however, are often welcome reminiscences; it’s our mouthy protagonist’s apparent invincibility that delivers a fatal blow. The original "Die Hard"’s charm was its basis in humanity, in one man’s struggle to survive despite nigh insurmountable opposition and scraping through on a potent mix of determination and dumb luck. In "Live Free or Die Hard," the audience is fully aware that McClane won’t be dying any time soon, and it detracts from our ability to feel for or with the character, resulting in a film that relies too heavily on exaggerated combat and not enough on empathetically spawned suspense.  

His inhuman durability also encumbers the political themes, which feel simultaneously wishy-washy and heavy-handed thanks to indecisiveness in fleshing out its lecture on the grayscale of human conflict. It tries desperately to explain that proverbial blacks and whites aren’t the only colors in our non-fiction world; that good and evil rarely exist on separate planes, as they do in storybooks. But watching this description of intricate sociological issues pour from the celluloid lips of a movie in which diplomatic resolutions usually involve a few well-placed bullets and a sassy Southwestern catchphrase is laughably incongruous and, irrespective of these claims’ validity (or the praiseworthiness of trying to develop poignant commentary), makes the filmmakers’ high-horse seem more akin to a springy playground ride with a wild-eyed toddler astride its plastic saddle.

In spite of these complaints, "Live Free or Die Hard" is a cool action movie, one that’s obviously the result of large amounts of sweat and skill. It’s easily more fun than several other lackluster blockbusters currently in theaters, and thus serves as a forgivable excuse for siphoning off a bit of your entertainment fund. But even the slickest symphony of violence can’t keep us from experiencing a vague sense of loss as predictability of plot, misguided political themes and an inexplicably herculean protagonist strip the franchise of its lingering humanity, and in doing so revokes that which made the original such an unforgettable story of survival. 

Scott Miller was born in the distant, magical land of Phoenix, AZ, but has since migrated across the vast Sonoran to Tucson, an odd desert village in which hippies and snowbirds do battle in the sun-scorched streets. He spends his days making and admiring various forms of art as well as writing media criticism and fiction while avoiding bright lights that might aggravate his vampirism.