Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
“Die Hard 4.0”
Action, Thriller |
Live Free or Die Hard is a American action-thriller film and the fourth installment in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and starred Bruce Willis as John McClane. The film’s name was adapted from New Hampshire’s state motto, “Live Free or Die”. In the film, McClane attempts to stop cyber-terrorists who hack into government and commercial computers across the United States with the goal of starting a “fire sale” that would disable key elements of the nation’s infrastructure. The film was based on the 1997 article “A Farewell to Arms” written for Wired magazine by John Carlin.
Live Free or Die Hard was released in the United States on June 27, 2007. The film earned total international box office gross receipts of $383.4 million, making it the highest-grossing film in the Die Hard series. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who called the film a return to form for the Die Hard series. It is the only Die Hard film to be theatrically released with a PG-13 rating from the MPAA. A fifth film, A Good Day to Die Hard, was released in 2013.
The FBI responds to a brief computer outage at its Cyber-Security Division by tracking down top computer hackers. The FBI asks New York City Police Department detective John McClane to bring in hacker Matthew Farrell (Justin Long). McClane arrives at Farrell’s residence just in time to save Farrell from assassins sent by Mai Linh, who works for Thomas Gabriel.
On the way to Washington, D.C., Farrell tells McClane that he had written an algorithm for Linh that could crack a specific security system for white hat purposes. Meanwhile, Gabriel orders his crew of hackers (based in an 18-wheeler) to take control of transportation grids and the stock market, while also nationally broadcasting a message threatening the United States. Farrell recognizes this as the start of a “fire sale”, which is a cyber attack designed to disable the nation’s infrastructure.
Director: Len Wiseman
Writers: Mark Bomback (screenplay & story), David Marconi (story), John Carlin (article), Roderick Thorp (certain original characters)
Stars: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Jonathan Sadowski, Andrew Friedman
Cast:
| Bruce Willis | … | John McClane |
| Timothy Olyphant | … | Thomas Gabriel |
| Justin Long | … | Matthew ‘Matt’ Farrell |
| Maggie Q | … | Mai Linh |
| Cliff Curtis | … | FBI Deputy Director Miguel Bowman |
| Jonathan Sadowski | … | Trey |
| Andrew Friedman | … | Casper |
| Kevin Smith | … | Frederick ‘Warlock’ Kaludis |
| Yorgo Constantine | … | Russo |
| Cyril Raffaelli | … | Rand |
| Chris Palermo | … | Del (as Christopher Palermo) |
| Mary Elizabeth Winstead | … | Lucy Gennaro McClane |
| Sung Kang | … | Raj |
| Zeljko Ivanek | … | Agent Molina |
| Christina Chang | … | Taylor |
| Jake McDorman | … | Jim |
| Rosemary Knower | … | Mrs. Kaludis |
| Gerald Downey | … | Hoover Agent |
| Allen Maldonado | … | Goatee |
| Jim Cantafio | … | Deli Owner |
| Chris Ellis | … | Scalvino (as Chris Ellis Jr.) |
| Regina McKee Redwing | … | Nearby Agent |
| Tony Colitti | … | Chief Hazmat Agent |
| Tim DeZarn | … | Police Sergeant (as Tim deZarn) |
| Kurt David Anderson | … | Miller |
| Matt O’Leary | … | Clay |
| Nadine Ellis | … | Teller |
| Ethan Flower | … | Trader |
| Nick Jaine | … | Phone Guy |
| Tim Russ | … | Chuck Summer |
| Joe Gerety | … | Jack Parry |
| Edward James Gage | … | On Duty PP Operator |
| David Walrod | … | Deli Customer |
| Edoardo Costa | … | Emerson |
| John Reha | … | Slacker Kid |
| Yancey Arias | … | Agent Johnson |
| Rick Cramer | … | MP Rodriguez |
| Vito Pietanza | … | D.C. Cop |
| Dennis Depew | … | D.C. Cop |
| Howard Tyrone Ferguson | … | D.C. Cop |
| John Lacy | … | EMT |
| Diana Gettinger | … | FBI Dispatcher |
| Melissa Knowles | … | Freeway Reporter |
| Giancarlo Abriola | … | Student (uncredited) |
| Matthew R. Anderson | … | Security Guard (uncredited) |
| Elena Nikitina Bick | … | Newscaster (uncredited) |
| David Black | … | FBI Agent (uncredited) |
| Matthew Bowen | … | Angry Civilian (uncredited) |
| Joe Bucaro III | … | Driver (uncredited) |
| George W. Bush | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Jimmy Carter | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Tamieka Chavis | … | Concerned Citizen (uncredited) |
| Bill Clinton | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Clay Cullen | … | Assassin (uncredited) |
| Michael Dane | … | Pursuit Cop (uncredited) |
| Bruce Allen Dawson | … | Angry Civilian (uncredited) |
| John Doty | … | Angry Civilian (uncredited) |
| Timothy ‘TJ’ James Driscoll | … | SWAT Member with Walkie (uncredited) |
| Andy Dylan | … | Terrorist Blown Up by Fire Extinguisher (uncredited) |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Peter Epstein | … | Terrorist Truck Driver (uncredited) |
| Mark Falvo | … | FBI SPecial Agent (uncredited) |
| Liam Ferguson | … | Government Worker (uncredited) |
| Gerald Ford | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Charles Grisham | … | Gabriel’s main terrorist (uncredited) |
| David Haverty | … | Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Katherine Hoskins Mackey | … | FBI Agent (uncredited) |
| Sydney Jay | … | Junior FBI Agent (uncredited) |
| Carshenah Jefferson | … | FBI Tech Analyst (uncredited) |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Bobby Joyner | … | Junior Suit (uncredited) |
| Alexander Kanellakos | … | FBI Special Agent (uncredited) |
| John F. Kennedy | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Susan Kiskis | … | Concerned Citizen (uncredited) |
| Errol Krass | … | Pedestrian (uncredited) |
| Aaron Michael Lacey | … | Civilian (uncredited) |
| Jonathan Lane | … | FBI Agent (uncredited) |
| Brock Little | … | Terrorist (uncredited) |
| Matt McColm | … | Terrorist (uncredited) |
| Neal McNeil | … | D.C. Police Officer (uncredited) |
| Michael Molthen | … | F.B.I. Tech (uncredited) |
| Mike Monroe | … | Driver (uncredited) |
| Drew Nelson | … | Cyber hacker (uncredited) |
| Richard Nixon | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Nicole Nogrady | … | FBI Tech-Analyst (uncredited) |
| Chris O’Brocki | … | Angry Civilian (uncredited) |
| Manny Oliverez | … | Civilian (uncredited) |
| Norman Outlaw | … | Office Worker (uncredited) |
| Michael Papajohn | … | Gabriel’s Henchman (uncredited) |
| Christopher Phillips | … | Street Pedestrian (uncredited) |
| Ronald Reagan | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Lil Rhee | … | DC Resident (uncredited) |
| Alex Richard | … | Don Albert (uncredited) |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | … | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| Sean Ross | … | Cafe Customer (uncredited) |
| Brian Smyj | … | Cop (uncredited) |
| Maciek Sokalski | … | FBI Agent (uncredited) |
| Chad Stahelski | … | Terrorist (uncredited) |
| Patrick Michael Strange | … | Protestor (uncredited) |
| Tom Townsend | … | Angry Civillian (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia