Live Free Or Die Hard Vs. Taken

Just FYI (For Ya'll's Information) I will be including a few spoilers throughout this post, so consider yourself warned.

Die Hard and Taken both have similar story lines, both of them concern dad's and their attempts to get their daughter's hearts. Both films have the daughters kidnapped and the valiant fathers coming to the rescue.

In Live Free or Die Hard, Thomas Gabriel, a former NSA programmer turned evil hacker reeks havoc on America, by attacking the transportation grid and stock market.

The main character, John McClane (played by Bruce Willis), is an experienced cop from NYC. He's asked to pick up Matthew Farrell, a hacker wanted by the FBI for possible involvement with Gabriel.

McClane arrives at Farrell's house just in time to thwart an attack by Gabriel's hitmen, he and Farrell then travel the country trying to undo the damage Gabriel's attack has caused.
McClane's daughter is captured in the process and McClane and Ferrell set off to save her.


In Taken, Liam Neeson plays Bryan Mills, a former CIA agent who has quit the agency, in an attempt to better his relationship with his daughter and ex-wife.

His daughter asks to be allowed to travel to Paris with a friend, which Mills reluctantly allows.
Shortly after his daughter lands in Paris, she is kidnapped by "human traffickers".
Mills utilizes some of his friends still in the CIA to find the names of her abductors, then he travels to Europe with a vengeance.


Before I start ranting about these films, I have decided to give list of pros and cons so that you will better understand the position I take.

Live Free or Die Hard:

Pros,

Great character growth.
Really good fight scenes.
Good writing.
Good acting.

Cons,

The language was terrible.
Some immodesty and one (though very short)"scene".
Some of the action slipped into the unbelievable.

Taken:

Pros,

Good fight scenes here too.
The Dad is shown as being much wiser than his Daughter thought.
Purity is rewarded and licentiousness is punished.

Cons,

Lots of immodesty.
The writing stunk.
The acting was even worse.
Almost no character growth.


I was extremely disappointed with Taken, Liam Neeson seemed to be overly concerned with putting on an American accent, as a result his acting skills were not up to par.

The writing for the character of his daughter was really bad, for instance, in the beginning of the movie Liam Neeson's character gives her a karaoke machine, she gives him a hug and says "thanks Dad". At the end of the movie, after Neeson's character has taken a bullet for her and saved her, she gives him a hug and says "thanks Dad" and then rides off with her mom and step Dad. Almost like Neeson's efforts were not a big deal.

The feel of the movie was like a very poorly made Independent film.
It may sound like I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I cannot go into detail without giving alot of the film away, so you're just going to have to trust me on this one.

When I watched Die Hard I started with no expectations and was surprised by a really good movie.
Matthew Farrell's character growth is great, he starts off in the beginning as a slightly effeminate hacker, in the end he's gunning down criminals alongside McClane.

In my opinion, Live Free or Die Hard wins, hands down.

~Mike