Live Free or Die Hard

Truly, we're here by the grace of John McClane, the NYC detective who pretty much singlehandedly has been thwarting dastardly terrorist attacks since 1988. In Len Wiseman's actioner, McClane (Bruce Willis) and a new hacker sidekick (Justin Long) confront our worst nightmare: a combo-villain who's equal parts disgruntled employee, disillusioned patriot and super-spammer, with his greedy hands deep in our federal reserves. It's a setup that defies reason, as does most of the film's raison d'etre -- one exploding, crashing, fist-pumping stunt after another (car vs. elevator, car vs. helicopter, fighter jet vs. freeway, McClane vs. everything). Despite post-9/11 hand-wringing, apparently not much has changed in the world of entertainment: Terrorists blow shit up; the good guys fight back with more explosions; thousands die, buildings crumble, planes crash -- and we cheer the whole bloodless spectacle, as if one wisecracking hardass cowboy-cop can keep us safe.