La saga di
John McClane si è sempre mantenuta su eccellenti livelli: se poi ci si limita ai due capitoli firmati
John McTiernan, siamo nell'olimpo del cinema d'azione.
Sfortunatamente il quarto episodio viene affidato all'inetto
Len Wiseman e - peggio che mai - viene ampiamente riadattato per non avere noie, nell'ambiente casto e puro della facile-moralista
Hollywood dei giorni nostri.
Manica di squallide fichette: il bello di
Die Hard era il suo essere scorretto (ma "giusto"), fracassone ed esagerato; questa volta invece si punta ad ottenere un commercialmente utile
PG-13 e le differenze con i precedenti
R si sentono eccome.
Una squadra di temibili
acheri informatici attacca in maniera sistematica le infrastrutture essenziali degli
Stati Uniti: trasporti, comunicazioni, energia, ricerca e soccorso sono in mano loro ed il paese sprofonda nel caos.
Per puro caso McClane viene incaricato di recuperare un hacker che ha inconsapevolmente contribuito al disastro, salvandolo poco prima di una morte certa.
Con lo sfigatello di turno al seguito, inizierà la ricerca dei cattivi per la dovuta punizione. In mezzo, pure la maturazione d'ordinanza del pivello:
triplo YAWN.
Come e più che in quella sopravvalutata porcata di
Transformers, qui la tecnologia viene veramente usata come l'equivalente della bacchetta dello stregone: tre righe di codice e vien giù il mondo, due comandi ed attivi telecamere/ponti/dighe/vibratori dall'altra parte del mondo, componi un sms e riesci a riprogrammare il cellulare per collegarsi ai satelliti (sticazzi: fisicamente improbabile!
)
Sarà deformazione professionale, ma mi uccide la sospensione dell'incredulità, oltre a risultare una via troppo comoda per risparmiare agli sceneggiatori la fatica di giustificare
QUALSIASI COSA:
"eh, l'ha fatto l'akaro kattivo kol kompiuter..." Adesso basta, grazie.
La regia è ad esser buoni mediocre, scadente la
sceneggiatura e la recitazione di
Bruce Willis buttata un po' lì e con nessuna battuta davvero degna di nota. Si vede anche poca canotta degna di questo nome.
Taciamo poi sul fatto che
Timothy Olyphant ed il pur pregevole corpicino di
Maggie Q non possono neanche lontanamente sostenere il confronto con coprotagonisti come
Samuel L. Jackson e
Jeremy Irons. Altro calibro, signori.
Le scene d'azione, poi, mancano di originalità e sono dirette maluccio.
Credo che non ci sia molto da aggiungere.
Sprecata la presenza di
Kevin Smith (ok, deve mangiare pure lui...)
Voto: 4.5 (oddio, alla fine si guarda anche, ma... a che pro?)
Tags: azione, thriller, avventura, Die Hard, Stati Uniti, hacker, attacco, terrorismo, finanza, economia, rete elettrica, comunicazioni, trasporti, attacco informatico, elicottero, sparatoria, morte, omicidio, arti marziali, figlia, rapporto padre-figlia, backup, cellulare, computer, caos, panico, incidente stradale, vendetta, inseguimento, canotta, ascensore, FBI, NSA.
McTiernan, John (I)
Nome di battesimo: Jr., John Campbell McTiernan
Data di nascita: 8 January 1951
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Kate Harrington::(19 July 2003 - present) 2 children, Donna Dubrow::(1988 - 1997) (divorced), Carol Land::(12 October 1974 - ?) (divorced)
Ultimi lavori: Trivia random: John McTiernan, director of the hit films Die Hard (1988) and The Hunt for Red October (1990), in a criminal-information case filed by the U.S. attorney, plead guilty to lying to F.B.I. agents about having had Anthony Pellicano wiretap producer Charles Roven (Three Kings (1999), Batman Begins (2005)). Sentenced to four months in federal prison on 09/24/07.
Citazione random: You take it one step at a time and the basic rule is to work on movies you would like to go see because it takes too long and it's too hard to work on a project for somebody else just because it's a job. When it's four in the morning and you've been working 18 hours a day for 10 months straight you had better care about the film, otherwise you couldn't put out the way you have to. To do it well you don't have any other life, so it better be something you enjoy.
Salario massimo: $5,000,000, per Last Action Hero (1993)
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Hensleigh, Jonathan
Altezza: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
Coniuge: Gale Anne Hurd::(19 June 1995 - present) 1 stepdaughter
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:One of the most prolific screenwriters in the action/adventure genre, Jonathan started his career writing episodes of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (1992) for George Lucas and ABC. He wrote Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), reconceived from his original spec script "Simon Says." He followed that with Jumanji (1995). His script for the The Saint (1997) was completely re-written by others. After this frustration, he enjoyed a long working friendship with producer Jerry Bruckheimer with whom he collaborated on many projects since 1996. He re-wrote the whole script for The Rock (1996) without credit, which he tried desperately to achieve via WGA arbitration. He did uncredited re-writes on Con Air (1997) and the remake of Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) and received executive producer credits on both. Armageddon (1998/I), from Jonathan's original idea, was the second time Jonathan had the highest grossing film, worldwide, at the box office. The other was Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). Jonathan's next projects are Gemini Man for Disney and "The Punisher" for Artisan/Marvel, which he will also direct in late 2002.
Trivia random: In 1998, Jonathan was set to make his directorial debut with the Marvel Comics hero The Hulk, but plans for that project failed. His wife Gale Anne Hurd was the producer.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Jackson, Samuel L.
Nome di battesimo: Jackson, Samuel Leroy
Data di nascita: 21 December 1948
Altezza: 6' 2½" (1.89 m)
Coniuge: LaTanya Richardson::(1980 - present) 1 child
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Samuel L. Jackson usually played bad guys and drug addicts before becoming an action hero, as the character Mitch Henessey, in The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) and in Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995). From character player to leading man. His performance in Pulp Fiction (1994) gave him an Oscar nomination for his character Jules Winnfield. He was active in the black student movement. In the seventies he joined the Negro Ensemble Company (together with Morgan Freeman). In the eighties he became well known by three movies made by Spike Lee - Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990) and Jungle Fever (1991). He received a Silver Berlin Bear for his part in the movie Jackie Brown (1997) as Ordell Robbi.
Trivia random: Before super-stardom, he played a very minor role in Goodfellas (1990), starring Robert De Niro. After super-stardom, he co-starred in Jackie Brown (1997), this time with Robert De Niro playing a supporting role.
Citazione random: "I've played Loch Lomond - that's the one with the bogs isn't it? I played the one with the lighthouse. When we were in Liverpool we used to take the ferry and go to Northern Ireland. Films get in the way of my golf, but they have afforded me the chance to play a lot of golf."
Salario massimo: $10,000,000, per Shaft (2000)
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Smith, Kevin (I)
Nome di battesimo: Smith, Kevin Patrick
Data di nascita: 2 August 1970
Altezza: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
Coniuge: Jennifer Schwalbach Smith::(25 April 1999 - present) 1 child
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Born and raised in New Jersey and very proud of it, this fact can be seen in all of his movies. His first movie, Clerks. (1994), was filmed in the convenience store in which Smith worked. He was only allowed to shoot at night after the store closed. This movie won the highest award at the Sundance film festival and was brought to theaters by Miramax. The movie went over so well that Smith was able to make another movie, Mallrats (1995). This movie, as Kevin has said, was meant to be a "smart Porkys". Although it didn't do well at all in the box office, it has done more then well on video store shelves and is usually the favorite among many Smith fans. During filming for the movie Smith met his new close friends and stars of his next movie, Ben Affleck and Jason Lee and his new girlfriend, Joey Lauren Adams. Smith has said that his relationship with Adams has been much of an inspiration for his next movie, Chasing Amy (1997), Smith's comedy drama which won two independent Spirit awards: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Role (for Jason Lee. Around the time that Chasing Amy (1997) was wrapping, Smith broke up with Adams, and then when the Spirit awards were approaching he met his soon-to-be wife, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith. After _Chasing Amy (1997) , Smith started on Dogma (1999), a controversial film about Christianity. Around this time Smith's wife gave birth to their first baby girl, Harley Quinn Smith. Harley Quinn and Jennifer both have roles in Smith's next film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001). In this road trip comedy, the cult heroes, Jay and Silent Bob go on an adventure to stop the production of a movie being made about them, find true love, and save an orangutan. In 2004, he wrote and directed Jersey Girl (2004), starring Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler, and two years later he completed the sequel to his first film, Clerks II (2006). Smith has also written scripts for such comics as Daredevil and Green Arrow. He also wrote a script for a new Superman movie but decided to leave the project. Smith has opened a comic book store, has a production company, writes articles for Arena magazine, and does short films for the Leno show. He has accomplished so much and he has only been around since 1994.
Trivia random: Frequently refers to characters from his own movies. Ex: In Chasing Amy, Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) tells Holden (Ben Affleck) that she slept with Shannon Hamilton. Shannon Hamilton was the character Ben Affleck played in Mallrats.
Citazione random: They're like, 'I can't believe Kevin Smith gets into comics, and all he can do is a superhero comic.' Well, that's what I want to do.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Q, Maggie
Nome di battesimo: Quigley, Maggie Denise
Data di nascita: 22 May 1979
Altezza: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Maggie Denise Quigley was born to a Polish-Irish American father (originally based in New York) and a Vietnamese mother. Her father met her mother during the Vietnam War. Maggie has two older step-siblings from her mother's previous marriage, and two older sisters. The family moved to Hawaii and settled in Mililani. Maggie dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but modeled and found herself bursting onto the Hong Kong movie scene - eventually becoming a full-fledged superstar in Asia. She changed her name to the easily pronounceable "Maggie Q" (for the Chinese audience). She had a cameo in the Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker smash hit Rush Hour 2 (2001) and is part of the supporting cast in Mission: Impossible III (2006), starring Tom Cruise.
Trivia random: Her mother is a property investor.
Citazione random: "Not only do I not want to be stereotyped as this Asian girl who fights - gee, what a wonder - but also I have more to offer than that."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Olyphant, Timothy
Nome di battesimo: Olyphant, Timothy David
Data di nascita: 20 May 1968
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Alexis Knief::(1991 - present) 3 children
Ultimi lavori: Trivia random: 1986 graduate of Fred C. Beyer High School, Modesto, California.
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Irons, Jeremy
Nome di battesimo: Irons, Jeremy John
Data di nascita: 19 September 1948
Altezza: 6' 2" (1.88 m)
Coniuge: Sinéad Cusack::(28 March 1978 - present) 2 children, Julie Hallam::(1969 - 1969) (annulled)
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:This very English actor began by busking, and then joined the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School His first break came in the musical Godspell, when he played John the Baptist alongside David Essex. Once described as 'the thinking woman's pin up' he has made his name in most notable, thought provoking films such as Dead Ringers (1988) and gained a Golden Globe Award in addition to an Oscar for Best Actor in 1990 for his role as Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune (1990) alongside Glenn Close.
Trivia random: He currently owns Audi A6 Quatro estate, BMW cruising bike, and Ducati motorbike. He has owned Morris Minor, Honda 50, and a Volkswagen rag-top Beetle.
Citazione random: In an interview, he once explained the origin and pronunciation of his name thus: "My name is certainly not pronounced 'Eye-rons,' but just like the metal. In England we say, 'Eye-ons' -- we're lazy about our Rs. Here [USA] I guess you would say 'Ire-ons.'" The name is fairly common in England, it's probably short for Ironsmith."
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Wiseman, Len
Nome di battesimo: Wiseman, Len Ryan
Data di nascita: 4 March 1973
Altezza: 6' (1.83 m)
Coniuge: Kate Beckinsale::(9 May 2004 - present)
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Filmmaker Len Wiseman's career began through his work in the art department on the blockbuster hits like Godzilla (1998), Men in Black (1997), and Independence Day (1996). His design talents soon got him behind the camera directing commercials for PlayStation, Time Warner, Oracle, Intel, and Activision, and quickly lead to work in music videos. Len received numerous award nominations, including Best Art Direction at the 2002 MTV Awards for Quarashi's Gargandi snilld (2005) (aka Stick 'Em Up) and Best Director at the 2002 MVPA Awards for the Rufus Wainwright video "Across the Universe." In addition, Wiseman directed music videos for Megadeth, En Vogue, Static X, Paul Oakenfold and Brooke Allison.
Trivia random: June 2003: Engaged to actress Kate Beckinsale.
Citazione random: Die Hard, Indiana Jones, and Lethal Weapon were the movies that really kicked it off for me in high school. I saw a making-of Raiders of the Lost Ark documentary and thought, 'Man, that's the job I want to do.'
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb.
Willis, Bruce
Nome di battesimo: Willis, Walter Bruce
Data di nascita: 19 March 1955
Altezza: 5' 11¾" (1.82 m)
Coniuge: Demi Moore::(21 November 1987 - 18 October 2000) (divorced) 3 children
Ultimi lavori: Biografia:Bruce Willis grew up mainly in Penns Grove, New Jersey, and graduated from high school there before going to New York to become an actor. He waited tables and tended bar for a living until he began to get roles in plays. While tending bar one night he was seen by a casting director who liked his personality and needed a bartender for a small movie role.
Trivia random: His mother Marlene was born in Kassel, Germany.
Citazione random: I am baffled to understand why the things that I saw happening in Iraq, really good things happening in Iraq, are not being reported on.
Salario massimo: $100,000,000 (salary, gross and video participations), per The Sixth Sense (1999)
Filmography links and data courtesy of IMDb. 
(devastante)