THRILL SCALE 1-10
8.5
HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?
Yes, but just like Die Hard 2, only once shortly after seeing the first one for the first time
BEST SEQUENCE
This might seem like an odd choice because John's not in it, but the sequence of Simon's plan coming to fruition is pretty damn slick. In terms of action scenes involving John McClane, I love watching him drive a taxi right through the lawns and footpaths of Central Park
BEST LINE
"There's a difference, you know, between not liking one's brother and not caring when some dumb Irish flatfoot drops him out of a window."
ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE
60%
- WOW that seems low to me. That's even lower than Die Hard 2
ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS
"Die Hard with a Vengeance benefits from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson's barbed interplay, but clatters to a bombastic finish in a vain effort to cover for an overall lack of fresh ideas."
IMDB SYNOPSIS
"John McClane is forced out of suspension to play a game of "Simon Says" by a terrorist who has planted bombs all around New York City and will detonate them if McClane doesn't do what he says."
DIRECTOR
John McTiernan
MAIN CAST
Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Larry Bryggman
THOUGHTS
- Now this is how you do a sequel!
- It's different enough from the original movie that it's still worth watching on its own, and the changes that are made are replaced or enhanced by new enjoyable qualities. For example: Die Hard 1 is great because it's one cop, all on his own, and he's the only guy who can save the day. Die Hard 2 had him constantly surrounded by people, with supporting characters and allies, but no one I really cared about. With a Vengeance effectively splits the difference: due to the nature of Simon's plan John needs to be the hero again, and while he's not strictly working alone, he has fantastic chemistry and a fun dynamic with Samuel L. Jackson as Zeus
- Also, crucially, Jeremy Irons' Simon is a great villain, while not quite as great as Alan Rickman. But I'll say this for Simon: what a fashion icon! That HAIR! Those little SUNGLASSES! That sassy SHIRT! Slay, Simon. Slay
- Another difference between this movie and the first one: Die Hard got a lot of mileage out of the confined setting and John being unable to escape the building. Vengeance swaps that for a fantastic sense of scale. This is a really terrific New York City movie, and watching John and Zeus bounce all around the city is half the fun. This also means that Vengeance has some tremendous car stunts and sequences, which the first one couldn't really include, for the aforementioned "confined to a building" reason
- And I'll admit, this is a movie that I mostly remember because of the first hour or so, as it does run a little long, but the whole package is still really great. I also quite liked Simon's brainteasers and riddles, and I liked what they added to the movie's structure. They also kind of reminded me of The Game or The Dark Knight, in a way
- And that's about all I have to say about the Die Hard franchise! As I mentioned previously, there are still two later movies that I didn't really care to review; I don't even think I've seen the last movie, A Good Day to Die Hard
- Finally, I also wanted to mention, this is the last Bruce Willis movie I'll review, but he had a fantastic showing in these reviews and in general. It was tragic to hear of Willis's dementia diagnosis, and I just want to say one more time, thanks for all the wonderful movies, Mr. Willis. You're a film icon and your work will not be forgotten anytime soon
- P.S. Everyone watch this video - Die Hard by Guyz Nite
Up Next: Hitchcock's 3rd movie on the list, and another one that I haven't seen before, Notorious
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