Die Hard 2

It's hard to tell how that Bruce does it, but he gets me every time. John McClane's character is one of his most successful. Even though he doesn't make me cry here like he did in Armageddon, I'm still glued to the screen and drooling. John always knows what to say and he always knows what to do. To me, he's a hero whose every move I trust. And it wouldn't be the same if he didn't throw in a good line here and there. The best in the most over-the-top situations, eh...? Since I have a thing for airports, I like this one a little bit more than the first one. 4.5 stars. (08/20/2011)

A 1990s example of a faithful genre flick that adds new ammo to a worn out template with allusions to new technologies, the obsolescence of McClane’s methods, and the direct clash of the old school (represented by McClane inside the story, as well as the 1980s action drive on the surface) with these newcomers (a hacker’s threat and the self-aware wink and homage to predecessors). The narrative is perfectly structured into several small blocks and it manages to retain the coherent impression of the first one, the action scenes are all entertaining (save for a couple of surprising exceptions), the development of the villains makes sense and Willis drops wisecracks as if his life depended on it. The golden 90s at their best, but with a slightly worn-out package. Harlin was good. 90% (04/10/2019)

Harlin did it right and his rendering of the "Diehard poetics" is completely different from the previous work, more expansive in terms of the plot, and much more formally sweeping. The action he filmed may have lost some of the elegant realism of McTiernan, but the quantity scores full marks this time, and McLane is sent into action that has no close rivals. On the other hand, it should be noted that John McLane has lost the initial charm of his personality, with which he dazzled action fans in his time, but Bruce Willis is still simply hotshot No. 1. At the beginning when he incredulously utters "How does the same shit happen to the same guy twice?", people need to realize that Harlin takes it all with a healthy detachment, occasionally winking ironically at viewers who are in the right mood. I can’t help but give it a perfect score. (09/24/2006)

It’s Christmas again and John McClane is waiting for his wife to arrive at Dulles International Airport in Washington. I know no better way of spending this stifling summer afternoon (12 July 2006, temp. 90°F in the shade) than in the company of John McClane and a band of terrorists capable of any atrocity. Bruce Willis is simply flawless as McClane and 16 years later he’s just as cool as ever. Renny Harlin handles action and suspense perfectly and lots of déjà vu lines like: "Just once, I'd like a regular, normal Christmas. Eggnog, a fuckin' Christmas tree, a little turkey..." They pleasantly lighten the mood of Die Hard 2. Too bad that they don’t make movies like this any more. (07/12/2006)

"Another basement, another elevator. How is it possible that it happens twice?" The first installment is a well-deserved cult, but I have to go against the stream and praise the second part, Die Harder, even more. Harlin starts from scratch, letting McClane be vulnerable again as a cop who occasionally gets shaken up, and naturally handles the transition into a rescuer with ease, which is both natural and surprisingly well-developed. The situation, reminiscent of Nakatomi Plaza, is intensified by the airport setting. The only advantage that the previous adventure retains is in the main villain, as the airport phantom is not of the same caliber as Hans, but rather a sadistic bad guy. Die Harder is a bit better than the first mainly because of the action, which looks even rougher and more graceful than in its older sibling. 90% (06/16/2007)