Die Hard gets me charged up for Indy

What could possibly increase the hype in anticipation of a 65Live Free or Die Hard-year old Harrison Ford reprising his role as Indiana Jones? Some critics are saying he is too old to play the Indiana Jones roll he made famous.

Try watching 52-year old Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard. If Bruce can kick butt this good with his bald head fighting the bad guys, think what Harrison can do with a full head of hair and a decade more of experience!

Other than the somewhat advanced age of their superstars, the Die Hard and Indiana Jones franchises do have a few things in common. Both are action flicks, albeit situated in different historical time periods (the Indiana Jones series is fighting Nazis and Soviets, Die Hard is fighting terrorists). Both feature “good guys” played by very recognizable stars.

The similarities end with Bruce Willis’ John McClane character’s anti-hero status. Indy is a hero through and through; McClane is (depending on the movie) either a former drunk, a bad husband or a deadbeat dad. But, in all cases, he is a kickass cop.

If you haven’t seen this action movie yet, see it before the new Indiana Jones movie. The great action sequences (including McClane getting his butt kicked by a female terrorist and using a car to take out a helicopter) and the sidekicks (Justin Long, the Mac guy for Die Hard, and Shia LaBeouf for Indy) salute the same movie gods. McClane ends up fighting terrorists not only to save the country but to get his daughter back; and, if the previews and leaks can be believes, Shia LaBeouf’s character might be Indy’s son.

Both movies aim to be nothing more than pure action pleasure, with a good guy to root for, bad guys to root against, and sidekicks that provide entertaining sarcasm along the ride.

McClane ends up (of course) thwarting the terrorists, cussing them as he goes along, getting help along the way from Justin Long’s hacker character and a cameo by Kevin Smith as another hacker (Kevin claims a man-crush on Willis, but that is another story). As in the previous movies, he smashes cars, buildings, helicopters and the Social Security complex, all in the interest of saving the day.

Willis doesn’t give the impression that he’s in his 50’s other than a few tongue-in-cheek comments, and we expect the same from Harrison Ford.

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