Directed by:
John McTiernanScreenplay:
Jonathan HensleighCinematography:
Peter Menzies Jr.Composer:
Michael KamenCast:
Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Graham Greene, Colleen Camp, Anthony Peck, Kevin Chamberlin, Michael Cristofer, Tony Travis, Jeannie Epper (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
John McClane and a store owner must play a bomber's deadly game as they race around New York while trying to stop him. (official distributor synopsis)
Videos (2)
Reviews (8)
McTiernan’s return to the series paid off. Part three is at last a bit different, presented differently. Less action, but when it happens, it is well worth the wait. Willis still reels out cynical snappy lines and at last has a good partner. The idea with the various tasks to be performed works excellently here. Although Irons’ villain has a little room for improvement, at least he isn’t absolutely terrible. The only significant minus of part three is the weak ending which is not at all fitting for this still above-average action series.
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A boring mess lacking action, where John McTiernan buried both his career and the basic storyline of the entire Die Hard franchise. Both the first and second films were about an individual fighting against overwhelming odds, the first one in a skyscraper, the second one in an airport. Some details different, Renny Harlin is slightly better with action, but otherwise it's essentially the same thing. But this attractive trademark gets completely sidelined in the third installment, and in an effort to be eye-catching and different, the director throws together everything possible. He turns the city upside down, offends the black community, he even has “helper” Samuel L. Jackson (which, cool as it may be, he’s just unfitting here) and the main villain Jeremy Irons is simply embarrassing. There is a lack of action and it can't be compared to the second film. The least of the problems are the many gimmicks in the convoluted plot (suddenly someone comes up with something and miraculously it always works), the dream-like stunts (how could someone survive a 10-meter fall onto an iron container) and the dull visual effects (water in the tunnel).
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As a standalone film, Die Hard with a Vengeance is a solid watch, but as a proud continuation of an excellent series, it is disappointing. John McTiernan was unable to replicate the lightness of the first installment and failed to adapt to Renny Harlin's attempt to unleash pure action. He attempted to do so, but in the process turned McClane into a tough guy who drinks, curses, and bleeds, but he is not the same John from the first two films that the audience feared. From a certain point, I was just waiting for Simon to finally catch up to him and take care of him in a flashy way with "Yipee-ki-yay" on his lips. And when the finale came to an end, I just nodded, because the reckoning is filmed so coldly and almost unconcerned that it symbolically belongs to the entire movie. Still, Die Hard with a Vengeance cannot be condemned entirely. Samuel L. Jackson proved to be an excellent partner, and the pessimistic beginning with the grumpy main character is absolutely flawless. However, the basic problem stems from the fact that the scope of the events is once again expanded, this time disproportionately. To progress from a skyscraper to an airport is enticing, but from an airport to the entire city, the plot shatters into too many diverse variations, causing the viewer to lose sight of the main antagonist. In Jeremy Irons' cold-blooded performance he unfortunately becomes a mere talkative figure who cannot bring anything to a conclusion. But I will say it again – it is not a complete disappointment, and for one reason only. There is McClane, and therefore Bruce Willis is not absent. Just his "pissed-off face" alone keeps the rating from going any lower.
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I enjoyed it just as much as the second one, mainly because we are returning to the events of the first movie. Jeremy Irons could easily be the film brother of Alan Rickman, both are excellent villains. The city, which is a much bigger playground, suits John and he knows how to maneuver here. Samuel L. Jackson is a good sidekick.
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"Simon's going to tell Lt. McClane what to do, and Lt. McClane is going to do it." Unlike the first two, Die Hard With a Vengeance isn’t set at Christmas time and, after Los Angeles and Washington, tries its luck in New York. The position of director was taken up again by the tried and tested maker of part one, John McTiernan and, instead of being cooped up in a skyscraper, this time we career around one of the largest cities in the USA. The story harks slightly back to part one, but in a completely different style than to what we were used to in previous Die Hards. Even Willis’ McClane is more like Joe Hallenbeck from The Last Boy Scout. And we also have Sam Jackson, who is excellent as McClane’s involuntary partner. Plus, the original dubbing on the VHS is almost as perfect as the dubbing of the cult Pulp Fiction and wisecracks are reeled out left right and center.
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