This unrated cut is definitely the version to purchase if you felt the lack of blood and profanity in the theatrical print was a taxing miscalculation. Though Live Free or Die Hard is quite violent, it doesn't spill as much blood as the ultra-violent Die Harder of 1990. The alternate takes, additional squibs, and the digital blood presented throughout Live Free... deliver on the promise of giving us “a hardcore, smash mouth film” that should have been the theatrical cut, but it is McClane's dirty mouth that should be celebrated. Over 30 F-bombs are uttered throughout the course of the unrated version and yes, the now-trademarked phrase "Yippee-ki-yay, motherf***er" is finally completed.
This may not feel like a Die Hard film but, as the old adage goes, change is not necessarily a bad thing. What remains outside of some out-of-place action set pieces is one hell of an exciting film that will surely withstand the test of time. Some will loathe Live Free… simply because it's not the true return to form the fanboys had hoped for, but updating everything but McClane may have just saved the franchise.
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