'Die Hart' Review: Kevin Hart's action-comedy series is the win Quibi has been looking for
Quibi had some blockbuster snackable content in the form of Liam Hemsworth's Most Dangerous Game', Idris Elba's 'Elba v Block', Sophie Turner's 'Survive'. And now it rolls out another popcorn flick in Kevin Hart's action-comedy 'Die Hart'. Look at it as a film split into a ten-part series that comes with some hilarious comic sequences, nail-biting action, and boasts of a solid cast.
John Travolta, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Jean Reno star with Hart in a flick that's set to tickle the funny bone. Hart plays himself in this fictionalized comic-relief series and he has a meltdown. The man's tired of being a comedy sidekick and he wants to be a pow-bam-pow action star. A bonafide leading star. Except, he's got no opportunity to put them big biceps to test. A chance comes in the form of director Claude Van De Velde's upcoming action film. However, Hart needs to train under a tough and acclaimed (read lunatic) coach, Ron Wilcox (John Travolta) at his acting school.
Needless to say, for a man who's done comedy roles, Hart has a tough time adapting to Wilcox's methods. Making things harder, embarrassing, and downright funny is the arrival of Jordan King (Nathalie Emmanuel) as the duo undergo some rigorous training. In addition to getting whacked on the face by a baseball bat and hilariously failing at his attempts to be Action Man, Hart reminds us of a kid who hates going to school.
One of the reasons that would make 'Die Hart' a fun affair apart from Hart is the cast. Travolta as the bald, menacing-looking coach with a morbid sense of humor and Emmanuel's King as a total badass richly complements the storyline. Reno as the French director manages to get his timing spot-on as he quickly weaves in and out of the plot at key moments. Perhaps, this is the win Quibi has been looking for. Contrary to the mixed response the site garnered, it has quality shows, and 'Die Hart' will surely make a mark. For Hart, this comes as an absolute win as the series has everything, probably a bit of inspiration to aspiring action stars as well.
There are some "aww" moments that Hart quickly switches to "oh! hell no! but there's a nice feel-good story in there no doubt. Co-created by 'Stuber's director, Tripper Clancy, and helmed by 'The Office's Eric Appel, 'Die Hard' is a fun roller-coaster and most certainly deserves a watch.
'Die Hart' releases July 20 on Quibi with new episodes released every day until June 29.
