No cinema lover needs reminding how tense and claustrophobic the original Die Hard was. It was a cat-and-mouse thriller set in a no-way-out office building, and remains today one of the defining action films of all time. It’s just as well the film is so ingrained in the minds of so many, because the latest in the series does little to evoke the original.

The latest installment sees washed-up cop John McClane become inadvertently embroiled in a cyber-terrorist’s plot to attack America as he escorts a wise-cracking, wide-eyed computer hacker to the relevant authorities. So while it’s not reminiscent of the original Die Hard, nor is it in anyway ground-breaking.

Indeed, I’d wager it’s possible to make a pretty decent doppelganger for this film by cutting together scenes from Bruce Willis’ excellent and under-rated 16 Blocks, action blockbuster Terminator 2 and ridiculous hacker flick Swordfish.

As influences go, two out of three ain’t bad. And to be fair, it’s not. The action scenes are completely over-the-top and relentless. - unfortunately they’re missing any real tension as McClane is no longer an every-man, but rather an unstoppable killing machine. You won’t see him pick broken glass from his feet this time around, but you will see him shoot himself in the shoulder.

The dynamic between McClane and his reluctant hacking side-kick (played by Justin Long) is also surprisingly successful, producing some memorable exchanges. Unfortunately, the whole hacking side of the film is dealt with in the most-typical cack-handed Hollywood manner, and verges on the laughable. But then it’s clear that the film’s plot is only to serve the action set-pieces, and so such matters can be glossed over.

So there’s Die Hard 4.0. It’s a complete no-brainer action fest, and will present more than enough bang for your buck. Past the numerous action scenes however, there’s very little substance - and it’s a million miles removed from that night in Nakatomi Towers.