Daisy Ridley’s Die Hard Knockoff, Cleaner, Has Some Fun Action But Little Else
Surprisingly, there’s a glimmer of optimism here. While many films imitating “Die Hard” fall short, there’s a longstanding trend of movies from the 90s, to be precise, that took the “Die Hard” concept and excelled. Movies like “Speed”, “Under Siege”, “Cliffhanger”, “The Rock”, and several others follow this pattern. (For an enjoyable exploration of this genre, listen to the podcast “Die Hard on a Blank” by Liam Billingham and Phil Gawthorne.) The film “Cleaner” is directed by Martin Campbell, a renowned action director who has delivered movies such as “Goldeneye”, “Casino Royale”, and “The Mask of Zorro”. Despite not receiving studio blockbusters anymore, he still delivers high-quality action films. (His last film, the gritty war thriller “Dirty Angels”, was released by Lionsgate in December 2021. I was among the few who enjoyed his 2022 Liam Neeson film “Memory”, but I wasn’t as fond of his 2021 film “The Protégé” starring Maggie Q and Michael Keaton.) Campbell’s direction ensures that when chaos ensues, we are in capable hands.