MOVIE REVIEW
‘A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD’: Bruce Willis stars.
Bang! Pow! ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ little more than explosions. BY SAM EIFLING
T
he gist of “A Good Day to Die Hard” can best be summarized onomatopoeia fashion. “Eeee-chhhPOOOO,” cars colliding at top speeds. “Thuh-FOOM,” something exploding in just about every scene. “Blaat-blaat-blaat-blaat-blaat-blaat,” a helicopter’s side guns. “KchtTCHHHHE,” windows shattering. It may not be much of a movie, all told — the plot is so patchy you can hear the wind whistle through it, and the dialogue is so heavyhanded it can’t touch its own nose — but my, does this movie love to break a vehicle. It will become a swift favorite for anyone who hates cars and loves to see them crushed, shot, blown up, ejected from overpasses and pulverized. There must be a name for such a disorder, borrowing mostly Greek suffixes and prefixes. Whatever it might be, those heretofore marginalized individuals now have their “Citizen Kane.” If this fourth “Die Hard” sequel were any higher on its own smashy fumes, it would be an actual monster truck. As it stands, it is merely a 97-minute impersonation of same. Now, so long as the disclaimer is out of the way, and everyone is clear that this is, on balance, the weakest of the “Die Hard” films, there is some genuine fun to be had. Director John Moore (five feature film credits, none rated better than 50 percent on Metacritic) sure knows his way around a detonation. Bruce Willis as John McClane is still Bruce Willis as John McClane. This time he’s going to Moscow to try and help his son, the strapping Jai Courtney, who has been picked up for murder and roped into a trial against a Russian politician with a dark past. We learn in quick order that the younger McClane
is a CIA operative charged with protecting a grizzled Russian (Sebastian Koch) with serious dirt on the politician; somewhere this guy has a file that defines the very notion of a MacGuffin but which, when explained, does seem to justify the CIA’s involvement. Loose nukes! Just imagine of all the “Die Hard” sequels that could result if they hit the black market. Anyway, the older McClane shows up to help the younger McClane and all hell breaks loose. They don’t get along very well and apparently haven’t been on speaking terms much, which makes sense, given that when they do speak almost nothing of any value or originality is exchanged. Dad didn’t have time for Junior, we get it. Now they have to shoot their way out of the grudge, fine. The disappointment is in branding this big-budget schlockapalooza a “Die Hard” movie. Used to be that these movies carried a bit more imagination, a panache that separated McClane from the other shoot-’em-up lunkheads of the ’80s and ’90s. But there’s almost none of that here. Notwithstanding a couple of clever nods to the original “Die Hard” (a twist on the glass-shooting scene, a rooftop shot that will look familiar) this could’ve been cast with almost anyone and titled almost anything. The European espionage suggests “Bourne,” while the brassy score winks at “Bond.” Then the wanton big-bore machine-gunning and resigned show of overwhelming force announces that, far from the legacies of those franchises or its own, “A Good Day to Die Hard” yokes its entire storyline to stunts and special effects. From that echoes a thrilling “thud,” but it’s a “thud” all the same.
AFTER DARK, CONT. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Mindy Lacefield, Jeff Waddle, Emily Wood, recent works, through March 9. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.Sat. 664-8996. GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham: “Bunker Dogs Art Expo Opening,” paintings, drawings, comics and more by Matthew Castellano, X3MEX and Everett Gee, through Feb. 23. GORRELL GALLERY OF FINE ART, 201 W. 4th St.: Work by established and emerging artists, including Doug Gorrell. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat. 607-2225. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “18th Anniversary Exhibition,” through March 9. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 664-2787. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “This &*!?@$# Struggle: History Unfolds,” shoepolish and ink work by Frank Frazier, through April 8, reception 5-8 p.m. March 8, artist talk 11 a.m. March 9. 372-6822. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “For All the World to See,” the struggle for racial equality 1940s-1970s in photographs, television clips, artifacts, through March 16. 758-1720. L&L BECK GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Ducks in Arkansas,” through FEB.. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 660-4006. M2GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell: “Holiday Show,” work by Dan Holland, Suzanne Koett, Charles Henry James, Dan Thornhill and Jason Gammel. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 225-6257. PAINT BOX GALLERY AND FRAME SHOP, 705 Main St., NLR: Paintings by Karlyn Holloway. 374-2848. SEQUOYAH NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER, UALR University Plaza Suite 500: “Contemporary Art of the Osages,” J.W. Wiggins Gallery, through March 29. THEA CENTER, 401 Main, NLR: “Visual Arts Winners Show,” through March 24. 9 a.m.noon, 1-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-5 p.m. Sat. 3799512. BENTON DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Chad Oppenhuizen, Dan McRaven, Gretchen Hendricks, Rachel Carroccio, Kenny Roberts, Taylor Bellott, Jim Cooper and Sue Moore. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. CONWAY AETN, 350 S. Donaghey: “Arkansas Champion Trees: An Artist’s Journey,” drawings by Linda Palmer, through March 15, reception and gallery talk 1-4 p.m. Feb. 23. 682-2386. FAYETTEVILLE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, Fine Arts Center Gallery: “Employing Voice, Embracing Agency: Contemporary African American Artists,” works from the collection of Darrell Walker by Radcliffe Bailey, Chakaia Booker, Michael Ray Charles, Willie Cole, Wardell Milan, Demetrius Oliver, Xaviera Simmons, Hank Willis Thomas, Mickalene Thomas and Kara Walker, through Feb. 28; “Amos Kennedy Prints!” letterpress broadsides, exhibition cases, through Feb. 28. 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.Fri., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 479-575-7987. WALTON ARTS CENTER, 495 W. Dickson St.: “Tectonics,” sculpture by Scott Carroll, through April 14. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat. 479-443-5600. FORT SMITH FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM: “The Secrets of the Mona Lisa”; “Mona Lisa’s Daughters: Portraits of Women from the Arkansas Arts Center Collection,” works by
31 artists, including Milton Avery, Will Barnett, Chuck Close, Naomi Fisher, Norman Rockwell, Byron Browne and Alex Katz; “Mona Lisa Smiles,” more than 100 drawings by area students, all through March 17. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thu.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787. HOT SPRINGS BLUE MOON ART GALLERY, 718 Central Ave.: “Steel Creations,” sculpture by Wayne Summerhill, through March. 501-318-2787. GALLERY CENTRAL, 800 Central Ave.: Tracee Gentry, new paintings. 501-318-4278. JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 Central A: Paintings by Donnie Copeland, Robyn Horn, Dolores Justus, Emily Wood and Rebecca Thompson, textiles by Jennifer Libby Fay. 501-321-2335. TAYLOR’S CONTEMPORANEA SALON, 204 Exchange St.: New work by Warren Criswell, Darrell Loy Scott and others. 501-624-0516. PINE BLUFF ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER, 701 Main St.: “Women to Watch,” Arkansas chapter of National Museum of Women in the Arts’ exhibition of textiles by Louise M. Halsey, Barbara Cade, Jennifer Libby Fay, Jane Hartfield and Deborah Kuster, through April 13. 870-5363375.
ONGOING MUSEUM EXHIBITS
CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Making Politics Personal: Arkansas Travelers,” exhibit about supporters who traveled the country to campaign for Clinton; “Tokens of Friendship: Foreign Heads of State Gifts,” through Feb. 24; permanent exhibits on policies and White House life during the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “Treasures of Arkansas Freemasons, 1838-2013,” study gallery, through July 12; “Phenomena of Change: Lee Cowan, Mary Ann Stafford and Maria Botti Villegas,” through May 5; “Perfect Balance,” paintings by Marty Smith; “A Collective Vision,” recent acquisitions, through March. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: “Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty: Japanese-American Soldiers in World War II,” through August; “Korea: The Forgotten War”; and other exhibits. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 3764602. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, 9th and Broadway: “The Inauguration of Hope,” life-sized sculpture of the First Family by Ed Dwight; “Forty Years of Fortitude,” exhibit on Arkansas’s African-American legislators of the modern era. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.Sat. 683-3593. MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Grossology: The Impolite Science of the Human Body,” through May 26; “GPS Adventures,” ages 6 to adult, through April 1; “Wiggle Worms,” science program for pre-K children 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m. every Tue., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., $10 ages 13 and older, $8 ages 1-12, free to members and children under 1. 396-7050. OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: “Battle Colors of Arkansas,” 18 Civil War flags; “Things You Need to Hear: Memories of Growing up in Arkansas from 1890 to 1980,” oral histories about community, family, work, school and leisure. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685.
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FEBRUARY 21, 2013
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