Although Die Hard 2 and Die Hard with a Vengeance could not capture the brilliance of the original (seriously, what could though?), they were both solid installments in their own respective rights and easily found their place within the enduring franchise. Live Free, however, abandons almost everything about our beloved John McClane, and sadly, the film suffers dramatically because of this. Directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld: Evolution), Live Free bears virtually no resemblance in tone or style to the previous entries in the series. Loyal fans of the franchise immediately cried foul when it was announced that the film would be rated PG-13 upon its release, and based on the final product, they had every right to be upset. Audiences will likely have to make a conscious effort to remind themselves that they’re in fact watching a Die Hard film while sitting through Live Free because the film is so watered down. The action, while impressive and stylish, lacks the franchise’s signature grittiness. The same can be said for the film’s dialogue. Any fan of the series can tell you what McClane’s favorite expletive is, but shockingly, it is nowhere to be found in the film, not from him, not from anyone. Most unforgivable: when McClane finally gets to deliver his trademark battle cry, it is muted over by a sound-effect. This is when I knew with complete certainty that the John McClane I had grown up watching was dead.