--- title: "A Good Day to Die Hard" year: 2013 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-good-day-to-die-hard" fi1m_score: 32 critics_score: 31 critics_reviews: 22 published: "2026-09-19T15:32:32.079976+00:00" updated: "2026-09-19T15:32:32.514933+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) Directed by John Moore · 1h 38m · MPA R · Action, Thriller **Fi1m score: 32** · Critics 31 from 22 reviews *In a sentence:* Bruce Willis keeps shouting that he is on holiday, and we came to wish he had stayed on it > The fifth *Die Hard* sends John McClane to Moscow, gives him a son to argue with and a great many cars to destroy, and forgets to give either of them a reason to be there. Loud, shapeless and poor, and most critics were right about it. ## Synopsis New York detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) learns that his estranged son Jack (Jai Courtney) has been arrested in Moscow, and flies over to bring him home. His daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) sees him off at the airport, warning him not to make things worse. At the Moscow courthouse Jack is due to testify against Yuri Komarov (Sebastian Koch), a jailed businessman who holds a file that could ruin the politician Viktor Chagarin (Sergey Kolesnikov). A bomb goes off, gunmen led by Alik (Rasha Bukvic) storm the building, and Jack drives Komarov out through the back. McClane, expecting a delinquent, discovers his son is a CIA officer on an extraction, and the three of them end up in a van with half of Moscow’s traffic chasing them. ## Review John Moore’s fifth [*Die Hard*](https://film.one/film/die-hard) has one idea, and the tagline gives it away: take John McClane out of America and let him be rude to Russians. Skip Woods’s screenplay sends him to Moscow to collect his son Jack (Jai Courtney), who turns out not to be the delinquent his father assumed but a CIA officer in the middle of smuggling Yuri Komarov (Sebastian Koch) out of a courthouse. Komarov has a file. Viktor Chagarin (Sergey Kolesnikov) wants the file. Father and son bicker in the front seats of stolen vehicles while men with rifles pursue them. It runs 98 minutes and it is a poor film, and we are not going to argue with the twenty-one critics who have already said so. The first big set piece is a chase through central Moscow, and it ought to have been the easy part. An armoured truck flattens saloon cars like drink cans, a lorry sheds its load across a flyover, and McClane drives over the roofs of a traffic jam. Jonathan Sela shoots it in grey daylight with a camera that will not hold still, and Dan Zimmerman cuts it so that no shot lasts long enough to tell us where anyone is. We were bored during a scene in which several dozen cars are destroyed, and then we were annoyed with ourselves for being bored, and then annoyed with the film for making it so easy. At no point did we know who was in front. The man in the middle of it has done this four times before, and looks it. Willis plays McClane as a weary uncle who has wandered into someone else’s film, and his one joke, bellowing ‘I’m on vacation’ each time he is shot at, is repeated until it stops being a joke and becomes a tic. In 1988 McClane bled, limped, hid in a lift shaft and rang his wife. Here he falls through several floors of scaffolding, shakes off the glass and gets up. Nothing hurts him, so nothing matters. Courtney is a large young man with a firm jaw and no lines that could be mistaken for wit, and the two of them share a good deal of screen time saying ‘Dad’ and ‘Jack’ at each other in tones of irritation. The Russians fare a little better. Koch gives Komarov a quiet, watchful softness, and he is the only actor in the film whose face seems to be thinking. Kolesnikov’s Chagarin mostly shouts into telephones. Rasha Bukvic’s Alik, the lead henchman, stops in the middle of a hostage situation to eat a raw carrot, do a few steps of a tap dance and explain how much he dislikes Americans, and we laughed, because for a minute the film seemed to know it was ridiculous. Yuliya Snigir, as Komarov’s daughter Irina, is handed a motorbike and an outfit and not much else in the first hour. Daniel T. Dorrance’s production design gives the villains a hotel ballroom with chandeliers and long windows over the city, the handsomest room in the picture, and a helicopter then shoots it to powder in about a minute. That is the film’s method throughout: build something, then knock it down before we have had a proper look. Marco Beltrami’s score thumps under every scene, and the mix is so loud that whole exchanges of dialogue arrive as noise. The second half leaves the city and the stakes go up in a way we will not describe; the film gets sillier as they do. It carries a 12A certificate, and it plays like a film that has been tidied up for one. The blood is brief, the swearing is clipped, and the famous catchphrase arrives so quietly and so late that it seems embarrassed to be there. Compared with its own series, this is the entry with the least in it: no building, no plan, no clock, no wife on the other end of the phone. Compared with the genre at large it is a mid-table chase film with a famous name on the poster. Anyone wanting a *Die Hard* tonight should watch the first one again. Ninety-eight minutes is not long. It felt it. *Fi1m score 32, published 19 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are close to unanimous, and they are unkind. Of twenty-two we read, twenty-one are negative and none is positive. Most critics call this the weakest entry in the series, and the complaints cluster on one point: John McClane has become an invulnerable action figure, and once nothing can hurt him there is no tension left. What faint praise exists goes to the scale of the stunts, to Willis for holding his own in a few accounts, and, at The Hollywood Reporter, to the mercifully short running time. The spread is narrow. Critics differ only on where to lay the blame: some on the Moscow setting, which several say could be anywhere; some on the father-son pairing with Jai Courtney, which The Wrap and Variety find flat and Digital Spy counts as the one fresh element. The single mixed verdict, from The AV Club, still calls it the worst film in the franchise, which tells you how the rest of the field reads. ### Reviews we read (22) - **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (C-): Labels it the worst film in the series by far, turning McClane into an invulnerable superhero with no tension or human cost. Singles out the lazy, obligatory script and the absence of any real stakes or vulnerability. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/a-good-day-to-die-hard-1798175805) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (30/100, inferred): The film fails to overcome the odds against a fifth entry in the series and suffers from being an unnecessary addendum to the original trilogy. The Moscow setting and father-son dynamic are singled out as missteps that undermine the action and supporting characters. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/good-day-die-hard-review/) - **Film Comment**, John Wildman (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a tired, by-the-numbers sequel lacking imagination, zest or inventiveness, with a yawner plot, bland villains and little charisma from the cast including Willis and Courtney. Destruction and expected twists are delivered but fail to engage. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/a-good-day-to-die-hard-bruce-willis/) - **Los Angeles Times** (30/100, inferred): The review calls the film an uninspired victory lap for the franchise, with big stunts but no heart or exhilaration. It singles out the pro-forma performance and muted catchphrases for complaint. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-feb-13-la-et-mn-die-hard-review20130214-story.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Richard Roeper (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a generic, explosion-filled action sequel that strips away character depth from John McClane. He singles out the over-the-top set pieces and lack of meaningful father-son connection for complaint. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-good-day-to-die-hard-2013) - **Screen Daily** (30/100, inferred): The franchise has lost its charm; the film lacks compelling villains or magnetic heroes and relies on overblown action that proves deadening. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/a-good-day-to-die-hard/5051955.article) - **Slant Magazine** (30/100, inferred): Describes the film as a generic international actioner reverse-engineered from its tagline, stripping away any lingering humanity or vulnerability from the series. Singles out the ham-handed direction and thin plotting that prioritizes the son's setup over McClane. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/a-good-day-to-die-hard/) - **The Guardian**, Xan Brooks (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film directionless and indifferent to its own story, with McClane reduced to yelling catchphrases amid generic action set pieces that could be set anywhere. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/feb/14/good-day-die-hard-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (30/100, inferred): The critic calls it the weakest entry in the franchise, with preposterous and laughably directed action sequences that lack any sense of danger or logic. Notes the short runtime as a minor positive amid the overall cheesiness. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-good-day-die-hard-2-421267/) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (30/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as a frantic, logic-defying action spectacle that has lost all character development. He singles out the excessive, video-game-like stunts and shift to Chernobyl for complaint. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/02/25/ways-to-win) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (30/100, inferred): The review portrays the film as a noisy, uninspired entry in the geezer-action genre with elaborate but unexciting set pieces. It singles out the simple-minded plot and half-clever lines for complaint. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/movies/a-good-day-to-die-hard-with-bruce-willis.html) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a tedious, trashy throwback to 1980s action movies, with laughable plotting and uncharismatic supporting cast, though Willis holds his own. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-good-day-to-die-hard-1) - **Variety** (30/100, inferred): The review deems the sequel subpar and cynical, with McClane shoehorned into a Moscow-set story. It singles out the weak father-son chemistry and generic plot for complaint. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/a-good-day-to-die-hard-1117949241/) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (30/100, inferred): Finds the loud action boring and the film lacking good lines, fights, or purpose, leaving the franchise in its death throes. Singles out one mildly effective revenge killing amid the general emptiness. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/02/movie-review-a-good-day-to-die-hard.html) - **The Times**, Kavin Maher (20/100, inferred): The critic calls the film the most tedious and lazy entry in the series, a charmless exercise in brand exploitation that shows contempt for its audience through its lack of plot or character interest. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/article/a-good-day-to-die-hard-gwpf7dttw5z) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (D+): The film is a joyless, faceless, tedious actioner where McClane is a non-entity and the father-son dynamic uninspired; stunts are impressive but overall monotonous and uninspired. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-john-mcclane-becomes-a-non-entity-in-the-faceless-tedious-mcactioner-a-good-day-to-die-hard-20130213/) - **Digital Spy**, Emma Dibdin (2/5): Everything feels like an obligation in this limp, paper-thin sequel where Willis is weary comic relief; the action has jaw-dropping scale but no one seems to care, leaving viewers half-rooting for the villains. Jai Courtney provides some new energy but the family dynamic and overall execution disappoint. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a458683/a-good-day-to-die-hard-john-mcclane-returns-in-limp-sequel/) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (D-): The critic finds that John McClane's personality survives but everything else in the film dies horribly, with a convoluted plot, poor action geography, atrocious pacing and cheap effects. Willis tries harder than in the previous sequel, but the movie fails to understand what makes a Die Hard film work beyond the catchphrase. [Read](https://collider.com/a-good-day-to-die-hard-review/) - **Paste**, Annlee Ellingson (5.8): The film puts McClane out of his element overseas in a more James Bond-like story with political intrigue, where he is on his heels and not fully in control. It honors the series with callbacks and in-camera stunts but feels like a potential passing of the torch, with schmaltzy father-son moments and a score suggesting a shift in the franchise. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/a-good-day-to-die-hard) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (30/100, inferred): The film is a letdown that fails to live up to the intelligent plotting and character work of earlier entries in the series. The critic singles out the nonsensical plot and awkward father-son dialogue for particular complaint. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/good-day-die-hard-review-cats-cradle-and-enriched-uranium-77606/) - **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (1/5): The film is called out as pretty terrible, a bad Die Hard and bad action movie that disposes of the series' DNA in favor of loud, incoherent set pieces with too-high stakes and little investment. Solid sequences exist early but it grows dull and ridiculous, with a disappointing Willis performance. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/a-good-day-to-die-hard-review-2/) - **/Film**, Russ Fischer (2/10): The critic finds the film a sketchy, cheap outline of a Die Hard movie with a disinterested Willis and poor editing; praises the marketing for making it look better than it is. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/524981/a-good-day-to-die-hard-review-one-really-bad-day-for-fans-of-john-mcclane/) ## Details - **Director:** John Moore - **Director:** John Moore - **Screenplay:** Skip Woods - **Cinematography:** Jonathan Sela - **Editor:** Dan Zimmerman - **Music:** Marco Beltrami - **Production design:** Daniel T. Dorrance - **Producer:** Alex Young, Wyck Godfrey - **Cast:** Bruce Willis as John McClane; Jai Courtney as Jack McClane; Sebastian Koch as Yuri Komarov; Yuliya Snigir as Irina Komarov; Rasha Bukvic as Alik; Cole Hauser as Mike Collins; Sergey Kolesnikov as Viktor Chagarin; Amaury Nolasco as Murphy - **Runtime:** 1h 38m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 14 February 2013 - **Genres:** Action, Thriller - **Budget:** $92 million - **Box office:** $305 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXTImBrEKUc ## Where to watch in the US - HBO Max: streaming - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Hulu: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-19.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Die Hard* (1988), Fi1m 89: One building, one night, one frightened man in a vest; the reason the name exists — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/die-hard.md) - *The Raid* (2011), Fi1m 83: A tower block, a squad of police and fights you can actually follow — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-raid.md) - *Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol* (2011), Fi1m 82: How to stage a Moscow set piece so the audience knows where everyone is — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible-ghost-protocol.md) - *Eastern Promises* (2007), Fi1m 79: Russian gangsters taken seriously, with a bathhouse fight that hurts to watch — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/eastern-promises.md) - *Speed* (1994), Fi1m 86: A bus, a bomb and a running clock; lean action that trusts its premise — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/speed.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-good-day-to-die-hard