9. A Good Day To Die Hard Is A Critical Flop
There's no doubting that A Good Day to Die Hard will be a box office hit; it features Bruce Willis returning to his signature role, for Christ's sake! What's more surprising is that the Die Hard series has had a pretty consistent critical reception, with the only one dropping to Rotten status being Die Hard with a Vengeance (a surprise given that it's far better than either the second or fourth films). Still, we expect this fifth film is likely to tip the balance a little, given the so-so trailers released so far, which don't at all give off the vibe of a Die Hard film, and instead give the impression of a relatively generic, slick action film. Director John Moore, who previously helmed the likes of the awful Max Payne, doesn't give us much hope, nor does the uninspired casting of a bland-looking unknown as John McClane's son. Hopefully the action will deliver so decisively that this doesn't matter, but I'm extremely sceptical right now. This might be an instance where low expectations are a good thing.