Die Hard 2: Die Harder

What can I say about “Die Hard 2: Die Harder” that hasn’t already been said? Of course, they tried to up the ante and they didn’t try to be as wacky as later sequels. But, hey wacky is fun, and a serious John McClane is kind of just a stupid Bruce Willis movie that I could care less about.

Once again, the story takes place on Christmas Eve with McClane stopping terrorist and saving his estranged wife in the process. Now, why the original worked and the sequel didn’t:

1. Location, location, location. The original “Die Hard” works on a more systematic and entertaining level due to the fact that the entire plot and action take place in one large building. The sequel gives us the typical boiler room crap that we deserve, but falls flat with the plane being the ultimate vehicle driving this film.
2. Not enough one-liners. Yeah, they’re corny as hell (“Yippie-kai-yay…”), but they are what make the over-the-top action film memorable. Besides the explosions, of course.
3. The explosions are sub-par. Yeah, no one was expecting Michael Bay or John Woo-style eccentrics, but the film lacks sufficient action. The action just doesn’t compare to the original and that’s just not “hard” enough.
4. The bad guy. Yeah, it’s pretty badass how well Colonel Stuart can organize a terrorist group. But, are amazing organization and directorial skills really that menacing? Also, William Sadler as Stuart just plays as a sour mimicry of Alan Rickman’s villain in the original.
5. Too much good cop. I never really felt in this film like I did in the first film that McClane was working on his own and not playing by the book. Of course he knocks his knee hard into some terrorist faces at times, but I just feel this is all McClane’s weakest.

Now, the only thing “Die Hard 2: Die Harder” did well was give Reginald VelJohnso (aka Carl Winslow from “Family Matters”) a brief cameo, as he was such an integral part to the original.

The Room

The Room (10/10)

A film this good shouldn’t legally viewable. I finally gave in and saw this film. In fact, I bought it and couldn’t be happier with my purchase. My wife kept asking what the film was about and I just kept saying that it’s just something that you have to experience. I read about the film and saw YouTube clips, but I was never quite prepared enough.

This film is so contextual that is deserves more than just a simple, dowdy review. It deserves a highly intellectual analytical essay. The film is passionate or a high retarded level, but yet so sophisticated at the same time. Drugs, sex, death – it’s all here…sort of. None of this help to describe or properly give a review of this film. It’s almost impossible. My first viewing nearly exceeded my expectations, and my jaw was literally dropped during the film’s entire duration.

“The Room” would be what it is if it weren’t for Tommy Wiseau. There’s something specifically hilarious and haunting about this mysterious man. And if this is any indication of what he’s working toward next, then I think that this world, in fact, is becoming a much better place.

Other films I have watched recently:

Hump Day (8/10)

The Stepfather (4/10)

Surrogates (2/10)

The Invention of Lying (7/10)

Rewatch:

Beverly Hills Ninja (5/10)

Spaceballs (8/10)

Hot Fuzz (8/10)

Big Fan

Okay, this is the first post as this blog transforms into my hyper-critique of films. Truth is, I’m fortunate/doomed enough to work at home, and only recently have I realized just how many films I can consume in one day while I work. This means the good AND the bad. I’m a big supporter of Netflix and Redbox (for mainstream releases), especially since I believe Blockbuster is an evil company. I could critique Blockbuster in a very lengthy essay, but I’ll save that for some day later. For now, I’ll focus on some films I’ve watched over the past few days and I’ll constantly update with reviews. My reviews of films will mostly be unconventionally, but purely subjective and objective at the same time. You’ll see it. It just depends, possibly.


Big Fan (7/10)


I’ll admit I’m not a really big Patton Oswalt fan during my stint to actually constitute such faire as “King of Queens” or “Reno 911” as actual comedy. I had nothing personal against him, but I subconsciously felt he might be overrated as a comedian due to his more mainstream work. This assumption really wasn’t fair since I’ve never seen his stand-up. Based on this assumption alone though, I didn’t expect much from Oswalt as lead in a film.

I remember hearing mixed reviews over “Big Fan” when it played at Sundance in 2009, but since I saw “Precious”, I figured I might as well check out this one. I was, at least, hoping for a couple subtle laughs. And that’s exactly what I got.

“Big Fan” is a dark comedy that is a poignant character study at heart, with a surprising performance from Oswalt as an obsessed football fan who gets beat up by his favorite player. Really, it was better than I anticipated. At times, there’s more drama than one would expect, but this film really reminded of a more mature Jody Hill film. I’m one of the few who enjoyed “Observe and Report” and this is definitely in the same vein.

This film was the directorial debut of Robert Seigel, who was the writer of the acclaimed film “The Wrestler”, which I have yet to see. I was hoping that this film would explore that raw emotional intensity of a real sports fan, and it did - well. This film really hit the spot since I live in Indiana and the Colts are going to be in the Superbowl this coming Sunday. Not being a big sports person myself, I’ve always wondered about the sociological design that leads people to idolize the players in such ways. This film nails it.