Fables of the deconstruction

[phoenix64]

So I finally watched the most recent Die Hard sequel. I was happily losing myself in it, feeling my testosterone levels climb with only a minor WTF at the French henchmen (apparently so they could do free running stunts) and thinking that Timothy Olyphant actually figured out how to practice streamlining his head, when I realized the only reason McClane's daughter was in the movie was to be the damsel in distress. And it just really. Pissed. Me. Off.

I swear, sometimes I miss life before I noticed these kinds of things.

Then I started thinking that how cool would it have been if Justin Long's part had been rewritten to be played by a female actor. Because there actually would have been no rewriting required at all. At no point was a penis required for that role. Or for that matter, Bruce Willis's role.

Dammit. I love Die Hard. I'm grateful that I got a chance to see it on a big screen. Dammit.

All I can say is, Lena Headey better be well armed in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Very well armed.

Comments

[fan-eunice.livejournal.com]

...I just watched that for the first time last night too! I *heart* OnDemand.

And while normally the daughter as damsel in distress would bug the hell out of me too (and does on a theoretical level)...you see, there was a jet vs. semi showdown. I am easily bought off by explosions and this one? Brung it in terms of absoutely ridiculous action scenes which made NO SENSE, but were nonetheless awesome. It's like they took the big blow 'em up scenes from the end of the prior movies as the starting point and then tried to top themselves every few scenes until you get a jet vs. a semi...and...and...the pure absurdity of that just carries the whole thing for me.

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

I can do that quite a lot, so I understand, and will actually get quite defensive about it. Plus, in general I heart absurdity. I think in this case the timing had something to do with it to - they were doing so well without a Damsel In Distress for a while there.

Also, I might have been put off by the SUV in the elevator freaking me out a bit more than amusing me. I have a slight fear of heights anyway and have difficulty being in cars while they're moving and moreso in closed spaces (like in the tunnel to a parking garage - I actually had to ask a driver once to stop the car so I could get out and walk up - that was years ago, but I still get anxious). So basically that scene was a phobic hat trick for me - I damn near tried to climb inside the sofa, never mind behind it.