Line #100 Film/AGoodDayToDieHard


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/good_day_to_die_hard_329.jpg]]
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3	''A Good Day to Die Hard'' is the fifth movie in the popular ''Franchise/DieHard'' franchise.
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5	In this installment, an aged John [=McClane=] goes to Russia to get his son Jack out of prison, where they get involved in stopping a terrorist plot.
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7	----
8	!!''A Good Day to Die Hard'' provides examples of:
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10	* ActionDuo: [=McClane=] and his son Jack.
11	* AndThisIsFor: [[spoiler:Irina says, "This is for you, Papa," as she crashes her helicopter in an attempt to kill the [=McClane=]s at the end]].
12	* ApparentlyPowerlessPuppetmaster: [[spoiler:Komarov appears to be a helpless prisoner, but he is manipulating Chagarin and the [=McClanes=] to free himself and gain access to a stash of weapons-grade uranium]].
13	* AppliedPhlebotinum: Komarov reveals that the file is kept in a radioactive vault where the bad guys can't get at it. They chopper in a tank full of a chemical which when sprayed around the place somehow removes the radiation so that everyone can take off their gas masks.
14	* ArtisticLicenseGeography: [=McClane=] and Jack drive from Moscow, Russia, to Chernobyl, Ukraine, in what appears to be only a few hours. ''Without'' passports. (The cities are 530 miles apart by road, and there's a national border between them.) Ukraine and Russia are famously happy to let people just cross their borders, Niagara style. Very friendly. Smoochies.
15	* ArtisticLicenseMilitary: Moscow has one of the most paranoid air defense and military response protocols in the world. Somehow, none of these are present when an American drone is flying over the city or when a rogue attack chopper is shooting buildings in said city up. Not to mention the lack of anything other than a few police units responding to what would likely be seen as a terrorist attack.
16	* ArtisticLicenseNuclearPhysics:
17	** It's mentioned that the UsefulNotes/{{Chernobyl}} disaster happened as the result of [[spoiler:Komarov]] using the reactor to produce weapons-grade uranium. Ironically, for as badly-designed and dangerously unsafe as RBMK reactors like the ones used at Chernobyl were, producing weapons-grade uranium is something they were ''designed'' to do, and wouldn't have resulted in a meltdown.[[note]](And technically speaking the disaster wasn't really a meltdown per se, but an explosion of the reactor, albeit the destroyed remnants of the reactor core did melt down after the fact)[[/note]] Additionally, any weapons-grade uranium would have degraded to the point of uselessness (except possibly for building a dirty bomb) over the course of nearly three decades.
18	** The gas used decontaminate Pripyat is a whole other can of worms. The only way such a thing would even begin to work would be by stabilizing the radioactive isotopes to the point where they no longer gave off radiation -- which, even if it didn't violate the laws of physics in numerous ways, would also render the uranium they were trying to retrieve inert, and thus useless.
19	* AvengingTheVillain: [[spoiler:Irina, of the DaddysLittleVillain variety.]]
20	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther:
21	** [=McClane=] and his son Jack. It was Jack that showed resentment and distance, to the point of regularly calling his father by his first name. However, they patch up their differences and are seen hugging each other and Lucy in the final scene.
22	** [[spoiler:A corresponding villainous example in the endgame twist, which reveals that Irina was on her father's side the entire time.]]
23	* BadassBiker: Irina is introduced climbing off a motorbike in [[SpyCatsuit very form-fitting]] [[HellBentForLeather leathers]].
24	* BaitTheDog: [[spoiler:Komarov.]]
25	* BeardOfEvil: [[spoiler:Komarov.]]
26	* BigBadDuumvirate: Irina Komarov and her [[spoiler:father, Yuri]]. Irina does most of the work for their plan -- however, it's mostly [[spoiler:Yuri's plan]].
27	* BlatantLies: Jack calls out desperately for his dad when they both almost die at the end.
28	-->'''[=McClane=]:''' D'you just call me "Dad"?\
29	'''Jack:'''' No.\
30	'''[=McClane=]:''' Yeah, didn't think so.
31	* BulletproofHumanShield: John and Jack use a mook as a shield -- he's wearing a bulletproof vest which adds to his protective ability, but so are the other mooks who are quickly knocked down by the duo's bullets.
32	* BusmansHoliday: Lampshaded in the end.
33	-->'''Jack:''' Do you go looking for trouble or does it always just seem to find you?\
34	'''John:''' You know, after all these years, I still ask myself the same question.
35	* TheCameo: Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lucy [=McClane=], who appears at the very beginning and very end of the film (dropping off and picking up John -- and eventually Jack -- from the airport).
36	* CarChase: A really, ''really'' long one.
37	* CarFu: Occurs three times during the CarChase. It ends up destroying ''132 vehicles at a cost of 11 million dollars''.
38	* CellPhonesAreUseless: Mostly because Jack takes his dad's phone and stomps on it.
39	* ConcealmentEqualsCover: Several cases, but the standout one would be the filing cabinet that somehow fends off ''a gas explosion.''
40	* ContinuityNod:
41	** The teaser features [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]]'s [[StandardSnippet Symphony No. 9]], which was prominently used in the first film.
42	** The tactic of shooting nearby glass to inflict pain upon John in the first film by Hans Gruber is now used by the [=McClanes=] ''on the villains.''
43	** The death of the villains is a ''combination'' of tributes to Die Hard 1 '''and''' 3, involving a spectacular flailing fall, being chopped to pieces by a spinning motor AND an exploding helicopter.
44	** John pulling shrapnel out of Jack while bonding with him is similar to how he bonded with Al 25 years earlier over the radio as he pulled broken glass out of himself.
45	** When he's discovered in the bunker near the end of the film, [[spoiler:Komarov]] (who had been speaking in his natural voice up to this point) makes a show of acting scared, much like Hans Gruber did when he pretended to be "Bill Clay" in the original film. He also tries moving towards a nearby gun and when that fails uses his radio to summon help. In addition, the shot where [[spoiler:Komarov falls off the building towards the helicopter blades]] evokes Hans' death scene from the same film.
46	* CoolCar: MRAP vs. a Mercedes G-Wagon.
47	* CrazyPrepared: Several instances throughout the movie. John himself qualifies on a mental level -- it's almost as if he more than expected to have to take down another terrorist group this time (after twenty years, he'd have to be terminally stupid to not see it coming by now).
48	* CreatorsCultureCarryover: When they're driving into Pripyat, there is a sign with the town's name and population, which has 50,000 crossed out by graffiti. Such signs are only common in North America.
49	* CutLexLuthorACheck: [[spoiler:The bad guys have a compound that "neutralizes the radiation" at Chernobyl. Why the Russian/Ukranian governments haven't just ''used this'' yet is never addressed. Why they need to sell uranium to terrorists to make money rather than just sell this magical chemical... is also never addressed.]]
50	* CuttingTheKnot: Jack is arguing with Komarov over what security is in the hotel, when they see John bribing an employee for his access card. Later Jack is trying to break into a car, when John turns up having stolen the keys.
51	* DaddysLittleVillain: [[spoiler:Irina turns out to be Komarov's daughter and henchwoman, who had no qualms trying to kill the heroes via helicopter in the finale.]]
52	* DarkActionGirl: Irina. Turns out daddy's been grooming her to help him take over Russia and she can handle some shit.
53	* DiscOneFinalBoss: Chagarin. He's a patsy. Komarov and Irina have been playing him for who knows how long.
54	* TheDogBitesBack: Chagarin betrayed and got Komarov arrested. After he kills [[spoiler:Alik]], he calls Chagarin, who [[spoiler:gets killed afterwards by one of his men.]]
55	* DoubleReverseQuadrupleAgent: [[spoiler:Irina. You think she's working with Chagarin against Komarov, and she pretends to be on Komarov's side in order to lure him out. On the contrary! Turns out that she's really working for daddy dearest after all!]]
56	* TheDragon:
57	** Irina is somewhat this for [[spoiler:Yuri]]. They [[BigBadDuumvirate work together]] and she does a lot of the work due to him staying hidden, however, she does answer to him in the end.
58	** Alik for Chagarin as the leader of the men Chagarin sends to stop Jack and Komarov.
59	* DramaticGunCock: By John [=McClane=]. He pumps a shotgun (which, alas, he never gets to use) once in the elevator, then pumps it ''again'' when the bad guys show up. This should have ejected at least one unfired shell.
60	* EarnYourHappyEnding: John and Jack narrowly defeat [[spoiler:Irina and Komarov]], and repair their estranged relationship. The final scene is both men meeting Lucy at the airport and walking off, hugging each other and laughing for the first time in the series.
61	* TheElevatorFromIpanema: A Russian version of the song is heard when [=McLane=], Jack and Yuri are riding the elevator to meet with Irina.
62	* EtTuBrute: Chagarin's betrayal of Komarov by letting him be arrested by the Russian police.
63	* EvenEvilHasStandards: One of Alik's men is hesitant to bomb the courthouse because the car bomb drivers are still inside. This falls on deaf ears as Alik simply tells him to give him the detonator.
64	* EvilGloating: After being ordered to execute our heroes, Alik wastes time talking about how he hates Americans, giving Jack time to saw through his bonds.
65	* FinalBoss: With [[spoiler: Yuri dead]], Irina is left as the final antagonist the boys must face.
66	* {{Foreshadowing}}: When Chagarain visits Komorov in the prison, Komorov plays a white chess piece before flipping to the black chess side of the board. [[spoiler:This hints at his duality later in the film.]]
67	* FriendshipMoment: [=McClane=] strikes up a friendship with his cab driver in Moscow by trying, and failing ''very badly'', to speak Russian, then compliments the man on his singing. The driver pays him back by telling him he's better off walking with the way the traffic is and refusing payment because "You like my singing!".
68	* GenerationXerox: Jack. He's every bit as badass as his father is and he easily qualifies as the most competent and useful sidekick John [=McClane=] has ever had -- to the point where there are times in the movie where John himself seems more like the sidekick.
69	* HelicopterBlender: Jack throws [[spoiler:Komarov]] off a building and he gets shredded in the rotors of an out of control helicopter.
70	* HellishCopter: How [[spoiler:Irina]] dies.
71	* HeroStoleMyBike: Happens several times, as John is not quite in his own jurisdiction and therefore cannot do the FlashedBadgeHijack:
72	** First John steals some poor sap's old truck when he goes chasing after Jack.
73	--->'''John [=McClane=]:''' Call a cop!
74	** Then he runs out into the road trying to get someone to stop their car and ends up getting knocked over by a Mercedes SUV. When the owner jumps out and starts abusing him in Russian, John punches him in the face and makes off with his car.
75	--->'''John [=McClane=]:''' You think I understand a word you're saying?!
76	** Later when they need another car, Jack nicks one from outside a [[TheMafiya Mafia]] hangout, knowing the trunk will be full of weapons.
77	* HistoricalRapSheet: Turns out that Komarov [[spoiler:is at least partially responsible ''for the Chernobyl meltdown''.]]
78	* HollywoodFire: Flames from a large gas explosion triggered by a hand grenade wrap around our heroes, but they're not singed.
79	* IndyPloy: Given that its John [=McClane=], this should come as no surprise. {{Lampshade\|Hanging}}d on two different occasions by John and Jack, once in the ballroom, the second as they're about to go into Pripyat.
80	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:The henchman Komarov sends to assassinate Chagarin is unaccounted for at the end of the film]].
81	* LikeFatherLikeSon: John's son, Jack, is working for the CIA and [[CallBack now he's one of those guys]]. There's a job needs to be done, a lot of scumbags need to get killed, he's a disposable Irish flatfoot. [[DentedIron And he can take a hit]]. He takes an iron rod to the gut and when his old man pulls it out, Jack walks it off. Doesn't even need a whiskey. [[HeroStoleMyBike Then they steal a car and drive to Chernobyl.]] Just like Saigon, slick!
82	* LudicrousGibs: [[spoiler:Bad guy falling off the roof + high-speed spinning helicopter rotor = SPLAAAAT]]
83	* MadeOfIron: Our heroes. Oh God yes. John gets into two serious car accidents within 5 minutes that would kill most people, and has not a single scratch on him.
84	* TheMafiya: The guy we're trying to save? Nope. He's the BigBad it's a big criss cross double cross.
85	* McGuffin: The file [[spoiler:proving Chagarin's involvement in the UsefultNotes/{{Chernobyl}} accident. Which doesn't exist -- Komarov is actually planning to get his hands on a stash of weapons-grade plutonium he had to leave there after the accident.]]
86	* MoreDakka: [=McClane=] kills several mooks using a [=M249=] machine gun. Also the Hind helicopter that attacks the [=McClanes=].
87	* MsFanservice: Irina, who is introduced in a form-fitting leather biker suit.
88	* MuggedForDisguise: John and Jack grab a couple of guys on their way into the hotel to grab the file. They get a pair of shotguns and a keycard.
89	-->'''Yuri:''' You seem like you've done that before. Is good idea.
90	* MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels: [=McClane=] learns that he inadvertently asked a Russian cab driver "for a bag of hair on the way to the courthouse".
91	* NukeEm: [[spoiler:Chagarin (later Komarov) plans to steal weapons-grade uranium, hidden within Chernobyl.]]
92	* PapaWolf:
93	** The movie opens with John getting some intel from a fellow cop (who tells him "[[FriendshipMoment Good luck, Papi.]]" afterward) about his son being in a Russian prison. This ends with John, unmasked and unmuffed, emptying his weapon into a paper target, screaming "Mother fucker God dammit!". Then he catches a plane to Russia, even though he hasn't spoken to his son in years.
94	** During the first act chase scene, [=McClane=] only cares about stopping the APC and saving his son. He drives himself off the road and flips his car knowing it'll flip the APC. He even walks into traffic and takes a car to the gut so he can keep up the chase.
95	* PistolWhipping: At Chernobyl, John beats a {{Mook}} to death with a rifle butt.
96	* PlotTriggeringDeath: Jack's murder of a man named Anton is what brings John to Moscow.
97	* PunBasedTitle: Just like its predecessor. Doubles as a TitleDrop:
98	-->'''[[Film/StarTrekFirstContact Lt.-Cmdr. Worf]]:''' Perhaps today ''is'' a good day to die!
99	** That's actually a [[OlderThanYouThink quote by Sioux leader Crazy Horse]], which has been used in a few Westerns, thus the use here as John [=McClane=] is oft compared to a "cowboy".
100	* RooftopConfrontation: The final battle between Jack and [[spoiler: Komarov]].
101	* RunningGag: John [=McClane=]'s "on vacation".
102	* SequelGoesForeign: While the climax of the third film took place in Canada, this movie has all the primary action in Russia.
103	* SoftGlass: Must be from all the radiation... John gets thrown through a goddamn plate glass window ''from a helicopter'' and... nothing.
104	* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler:Komarov's plan to have his rival free him from prison and take him directly to his plutonium is interrupted by the CIA trying to spring him (because they also believe the file is real) while the CIA's plan is stymied by John [=McClane=] who holds Jack up for a crucial few minutes because he thinks his son is a crook who's getting himself in even more trouble.]]
105	* SpottingTheThread: John suspects something's up with Irina arriving at the hotel despite the traffic. Jack spots a military helicopter on the roof next door and realizes his dad was on the money.
106	* SuperWindowJump: The heroes jump through the window of a high rise building and conveniently land on a window washing platform.
107	* SupportingProtagonist: [=McClane=] himself is this, as his son Jack is arguably TheHero of the movie who is on a mission to uncover the terrorist plot in Moscow.
108	* SurveillanceDrone: An American drone appears briefly over Moscow airspace, before disappearing for the rest of the movie.
109	* TakingYouWithMe: Irina at the end rams her helicopter into the building that the [=McClanes=] were in. It fails and her attempted attack on them proves useless.
110	* ThereWasADoor: Jack uses a frame charge to get out of a room while it's being attacked, but from then on our heroes just [[SoftGlass jump out the window]].
111	* TookALevelInBadass: Jack [=McClane=] is a government spy and just as much of a badass [[LikeFatherLikeSon as his dad]].
112	* TrashLanding: John and Jack escape the villain via SuperWindowJump and their fall is cushioned by a layer of trash in a dumpster.
113	* TrunkShot: [[spoiler:John gets ahead of Jack by finding the keys to the car he's breaking in, leading to a look into (and out of) the trunk.]]
114	* UnspokenPlanGuarantee:
115	-->'''WebVideo/CinemaSins:''' John already knows Jack is going to shoot out the (conveniently placed) stained glass ceiling without discussing it beforehand.
116	* YouKilledMyFather: It turns out Irina wasn't betraying her father, they were both betraying the CIA and she's ''really pissed'' that John and Jack killed her dad. TakingYouWithMe levels of pissed.
117	* WalkingDisasterArea: A large chunk of Moscow and pretty much half of its cars get completely destroyed the minute John walks into town.
118	* WellDoneSonGuy: At the end of the day, John tells Jack he had a good day running around with his boy and Jack likes to hear it.
119	-->'''[=McClane=]:''' Okay, let's go kill some fuckers.
120	* WhiteShirtOfDeath:
121	** Komarov was shot once in his arm, but he didn't die while being attacked in the safe house.
122	** Mr. [=McClane=] himself gets blood on his white shirt as he was wounded several times.

Context Film / AGoodDayToDieHard