Die Hart: The Movie is a small and simple attempt at an action comedy. It does a mediocre job of satisfying the cravings of fans of the genre, but it’s when we look between the lines to see what it’s really about that it tastes better. As a reimagining of the same-named 2020 series, the movie works mostly because the stakes are low and the movie is short. Die Hart… is full of meta-references and mentions of some of the biggest names in the business. It also doesn’t miss a chance to poke fun at tropes of the testosterone-heavy action genre.
Die Hart… works because of its comedy, even though the plot is thin and you can see the twists coming from a mile away. The action is also not as good as Hart’s other movies, like Central Intelligence and the Jumanji movies. With Eric Appel, the creator of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, at the helm and Kevin Hart and a strong cast carrying the film, even when the movie moves into darker territory, the comedy keeps coming. Hart’s fear of squirrels and the fact that people think he’s reenacting a scene from Ride Along 2 when he hangs from the top of a building for dear life are two of the funniest parts of the movie. Travolta does a great job as Hart’s hyper mentor Wilcox, making both Hart and the audience feel uneasy. Hartnett makes a short but welcome appearance as a guest star. Nathalie, who has been a damsel in distress in action movies like “Game of Thrones” and “Fast and Furious,” finally gets to be in the middle of the action. Visit o2tvmovies for free movie streaming.
