Actions, explosions, and sadness

Die Hard was on TV the other day - we came in right as they realized they'd need some more FBI guys - and when it ended my parents and I decided that we might as well watch Die Hard with a Vengeance, because if you have the opportunity to watch a good Die Hard film you should always take it.

I enjoy the shit out of action movies, particularly 80s and 90s action movies. They were being made so creatively, with such wonderful characters and interesting locations, and all before the tropes we know so well had become quite so tropefied. They're fun, silly, obnoxious, and noisy. It's like being turned into a teenager again for an hour and a half every time you sit down and watch one.

DH3 isn't a great movie (at least it's no Die Hard), but it's fun as hell and has some really strong performances. Bruce Willis is crotchety and delightful as he always is when he slips on the McClaine role; Samuel L. Jackson if FUCKING FANTASTIC as the angry, frustrated, and clearly too clever-for-this-shit Zeus; Jeremy Irons hams it up and seems to have a great time being the over-the-top snarky, sneaky, and shifty Simon. All of them are great and it's fun to watch them play.

I kept being really impressed by the cinematography while I was watching DH3 this time around - the shots of the explosions, crane views of an exploded subway entrance, and well-cut chases are all done in a way that is so competent that it transcends competency and becomes awe-inspiring: the level of tension that is maintained throughout, based on the really impressive visuals, is balanced with such a fine tolerance that you can't help but be sucked in, no matter how many times you've watched Irons whip on a pair of sunglasses or seen Willis shoot out of an overflow pipe.

But I will say that it's hard to watch New York blowing up these days. I miss the time when we could watch a movie like this and not remember anything beyond the movie, I miss not having a real attack on Wall Street hanging in the background of my memory during every scene. It's a different world now than it was when DH3 was made, and looking back is more than a little sad.

Cheers,
     - Alli