Die Hard 2: Die Harder

 Die Hard 2: Die Harder

After John McClane saved the Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard, you would think that the everyman cop would have had enough adventures with terrorists for a lifetime? Nope, he must defeat terrorists yet again. As he quipped, McClane always happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. One could argue that he is in the right place, though. His wife, up in one of the airplanes held hostage, could possibly be one of the victims. The first film is undoubtedly a classic. An action film that will take lots of effort to beat. This film does not reach the standards the 1988 put forth. Yet it remains an infectiously fun movie with plenty of high-octane action. There are some stunts that still surprise me with how effective they are. There is some CGI, but it is not like there is a CGI overload. If you are a frequent traveler, you may not like this scene, but the plane crash scene is very effective. In keeping with the action that made the first (and now this film) so fun to watch, the comedy likewise remains effective. Bruce Willis had fantastic lines that made me laugh out loud. Steven E. de Souza’s and Doug Richardson’s script continued that trend. Because of the film’s nature, note that the filmmakers took certain liberties in terms of realism. My brain is hardwired to nitpick realism in movies, so when it was said that the planes could only circle above the airport, well, why don’t we fly to Baltimore or Philadelphia? Those airports are not far from Dulles at all. Then the stakes would not be as high. After all, Holly McClane is on one of those planes. I am thankful I know how to turn off my brain when it matters.

After the success of the first film, producer Lawrence Gordon could have gotten anyone to direct his film. He could have brough back John McTiernan, but he was busy with The Hunt for Red October. He took a chance with a relatively unknown director, Renny Harlin. Harlin would be known for some dreadful movies. Luckily, Die Hard 2: Die Harder would be his magnum opus. Harlin had his work cut out for him. One of his biggest difficulties was trying to find snow as the film was set during Christmas. They were originally going to film in Denver, but they had to vacate those plans because there was no snow. But as we can see, they did find a way to make it work. I think his biggest challenge was finding a way to expand the story and tell something different while maintaining the spirit of the original. He succeeded. The film was a massive 4^th of July hit and had the biggest pre-opening gross as of yet.

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is at the Dulles Airport in Washington D.C waiting for his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) to land so they can spend Christmas with her family. It just so happens to be the time that a notorious South American overlord known for his drug dealing habits, General Esperanza (Franco Nero) is set to be handed to the American authorities. McClane noticed some men acting oddly in the airport, so he follows them. They engage in a shooting match. He tries to work with the Chief of Airport Security, Carmine Lorenzo (Dennis Franz) but Lorenzo is too full of himself to listen. Using old friend Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), he starts his own investigation into the matter. It does not end there. A group of men led by a ruthless man named Stuart (William Sadler) took control of the airport control system. They refuse to land any of the circling planes, even those running low on fuel, unless they hand over Esperanza to them.

Bruce Willis uses his bag of familiar tricks to make John McClane the everyman hero that everyone loves. He has a very keen eye for a cop but also a unique sense of humor. It was nice to see old friends from the first movie like Reginald VelJohnson and William Atherton return. William Sadler is one sadistic villain. He doesn’t top the all-time performance of Alan Rickman, but he delivered his own terrifying villain. He is also a bit more complicated which makes sense given all the technology at the airport. My favorite supporting character is the one played by Dennis Franz. His character is a blustering idiot so full of himself. His ego got in the way of Willis trying to solve the case. Gotta have a movie, I suppose.

Die Hard 2: Die Harder is a small step down from the first film that set the world on fire. It has comfort food that we are familiar with such as daring action scenes and Willis’s comedic timing. It is not going to break any new ground. It is Die Hard but on a plane. The most important thing that matters is how fun everything is. A quality action-heavy sequel to one of the best action movies ever. Yippie-ka….”

My Grade: B+