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‘Live Free or Die Hard’ ***

The following is a recap of Tribune staff reporter Jessica Reaves’ review of “Live Free or Die Hard,” which ran in Wednesday’s Tempo section.

For the full review, visit chicagotribune.com/movies.

Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back, little mellowed since we last saw him 12 years ago in “Die Hard With a Vengeance.” In fact, he has only gotten grumpier; he fairly oozes contempt for everyone but his college-age daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Unfortunately, she’s not too fond of him, in part because he spies on her dates.

After one of their blowups, McClane is ordered to escort a young computer hacker named Matt Farrell (Justin Long) into federal custody. This is where things start to unravel for McClane, Farrell and the entire population of Washington: A former government agent is using his own computer programs to disrupt the federal grid, wreaking havoc on communications, banking and traffic flow.

Long, perhaps best known as Mac from Apple’s ubiquitous television ads, is very funny as a wry, sarcastic computer nerd whose running, panicky commentary provides a sympathetic counterweight to Willis’ bemused detachment. Timothy Olyphant, as evil genius Thomas Gabriel, doesn’t do much acting; he mainly spits out his lines through clenched teeth and stares unblinkingly at computer screens.

Early in “LFODH,” a villain taunts our hero, calling him “a Timex in a digital world”; McClane, takes the dig as a compliment. Two hours, countless butt-kickings and hairbreadth escapes later, we know why. If there’s anything to be learned from this movie, it’s that technology is fickle, information is currency and bad people are often quite good with computers. And the only thing that can possibly save you is a crusty demeanor, a distrust of technology and the uncanny, possibly superhuman ability to cheat death 587 times in 128 minutes.

**** EXCELLENT

*** GOOD

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** FAIR

* POOR

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MPAA rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, language and a brief sexual situation).