DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE (1995)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Original review from 1995, updated)
The first few moments of "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" set a pulsating mood. We hear "Summer in the City" in the soundtrack as we see glimpses of the hustle and bustle of New York City before a loud explosion rocks the city streets. And it is not long before Bruce Willis's third incarnation as John McClane is recruited to battle a new terrorist. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is a lifeless affair.
McClane chases a terrorist who plays a game of Simon Says - he has explosives at numerous locations in Manhattan and it is up to McClane to solve a riddle before the next explosion. Samuel L. Jackson is a junk shop clerk named Zeus who is inadvertently taken for a ride by McClane and, alas, what we have is yet another variation on the buddy-buddy movie genre. So expect the traditional quips, some tiresome racist tirades, lots of explosions, lots of gunfire and, I am afraid, not much else.
I admired the first two "Die Hard" films but this third entry (aimlessly directed by John McTiernan who helmed the original) exudes none of the bravura wit of the previous films, and even less of McClane's human side. And get a load of the villain! Jeremy Irons is Simon Gruber, the terrorist who is mad as hell that his brother was formerly killed by McClane (Yes, Hans Gruber from the original film). But it turns out that Simon, like all pre-9/11 terrorists, is not interested in revenge but in money, specifically the gold at the Federal Reserve Bank! How audacious! How incendiary! Since Simon's reasons are never clear as to why he wants gold or why he even drags McClane into this whole mess, we are left with one extremely convoluted and unnecessary sequel.
There are some pluses. Willis is still a commanding presence as is Sam Jackson, though their banter grows old. I like the addition of McClane's boss (mentioned in passing in the original film). There is a hair-raising Central Park chase scene and a claustrophobic, nailbitingly suspenseful elevator scene. But there are far too many lapses in logic and credibility (is it possible to fall fifty feet from a bride onto a ship, on your head no less, without getting killed?) And the measuring water jugs just about made me laugh at the insane stupidity of it all, not to mention a truly inane and protracted climax (reshot after a dismal preview). This (hopefully) last "Die Hard" should be the final nail on the coffin for this series.
