REEL CRITICS:Willis hasn’t lost humor in third ‘Die Hard’

The smirk and the hair may be gone, but Bruce Willis is back with a vengeance in “Live Free or Die Hard,” a glorious, logic-defying shot of adrenaline that gives a lot of bang for your buck.

Reprising his role as John McClane, New York’s most put-upon cop, Willis now brings a certain world-weariness to his character in this third and best sequel to 1998’s “Die Hard.”

His smart-aleck humor still zings as he dodges bullets, bombs, big rigs and fighter jets.

This time he’s going to save the country because, dammit, who else is there?

McClane is sent to pick up suspected cyber-terrorist Matt Farrell (Justin Long) for questioning by the FBI, and is once again in the right place at the wrong time.

Good thing he carries enough ammo for an army and hasn’t been spending the past 12 years at Krispy Kreme.

The baby-faced Long and Willis share great chemistry and make us laugh between fireballs.

Maggie Q is a standout as a deadly attractive henchgirl and martial arts mistress. Even director/ fellow Jersey boy Kevin Smith (“Clerks”) has a good time as a reclusive cyber geek.

Although he may be a “Timex watch in a digital world,” McClane can still take a licking and keep on ticking. Yippee kai yay for us.

‘RATATOUILLE’ A CLEVER, FUNNY FILM

Director Brad Bird won an Oscar for his modern satire of superheroes in 2004’s Best Animated Feature “The Incredibles.”

He brings many of the same great ingredients to his savory recipe for “Ratatouille,” adding new spices to the mix.

It’s the improbable story of Remy, a smart rat with gourmet taste who aspires to leave his garbage-eating clan to become a French chef.

Events propel Remy into the life and care of a young man named Linguine, who works at the lowest level of kitchen help in a fine restaurant.

Remy teaches the bumbling boy how to cook and his culinary creations become a hit with customers.

Linguine’s success throws the hierarchy of the kitchen staff into turmoil.

The frenzied antics required to hide the rat’s presence from the staff provide much of the film’s good humor.

Many comic and touching situations result as Remy must balance loyalty to his clan with his newfound role among humans.

The outstanding animation provided by Pixar surpasses the technical expertise they pioneered in “Toy Story.”

In spite of the strange premise, the quality of the visuals and the family friendly story should please kids and parents alike.