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It is a truth universally acknowledged that the original Die Hard was one of the greatest action movies of the 80s, so it's no surprise that Len Wiseman's Die Hard 4.0 doesn't cut it as an heir to the throne. Or should that be sweaty vest? Anyhow, although it surpasses the original in terms of full-on CGI action sequences, Bruce Willis' latest stint as John McClane battling a lethal gang of internet terrorists lacks its predecessor's suspense and irony. It's less yippe-kay-yay, more yippee-kay-maybe.

McClane is now an NYPD detective who's sent to retrieve a high-profile hacker, just as the government's computer system goes haywire at the hands of a crack team of cyber terrorists (who've apparently had time to hack the Donna Karan mail order catalogue in between hijacking the country's online infrastructure). Of course it's no time before someone fires a machine gun at Bruce and his geeky sidekick (Justin Long), and thenceforward the action onslaught begins and plausibility is dispatched with. To be fair though, Wiseman has produced some superb action sequences, one of which involves Willis blowing up a helicopter with a car, which is great.

"THE ACTION ONSLAUGHT BEGINS AND PLAUSIBILITY IS DISPATCHED WITH"

Since dropping Alan Rickman out of a window and blowing up a jumbo jet with a Zippo lighter, McClane has learnt a thing or two about flying helicopters, stunt driving, and coming out of raging infernos alive. He's taken flack for his age, but Willis is on top action form here, even though the script is an utterly preposterous no-brainer with supposedly right-on digs at US politics. Those expecting a balls-to-the-wall action fest won't be disappointed. Those wanting to relive Christmas at the Nakatomi Plaza should watch the original.