Die Hard with a Vengeance

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). (04/22/2007)

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. (04/15/2014)

Very strong 4*. It’s very nice to see the way this (at the time) trilogy developed. The first one is a thoroughbred “one vs everybody” 1980s action flick with old-school practices, boosted by a new breed of reluctant hero and an original closed space. The second one also relies exclusively on McClane and combines “survival” action with the genre experimentation of the 90s and high production values in an amusing way. The third one is an even more easygoing buddy movie, where Willis is still that “dolt” from the 80s and Jackson represents the wisecracking black character, famous from The Last Boy Scout and even Pulp Fiction. And it all works together very well, the story delivers action entertainment non-stop (what’s most interesting is the total absence of exposure and the introduction of new characters), the only weakness is that by the end is not as bold as at the beginning (the escape from an exploding boat couldn’t be more tired and the ending lacks ideas and creativity). But the pace is great, gradually dividing the action among several groups of characters, this time with a quick change of key locations. In terms of humour, this is hands down the best episode, but, as a representative of the traditions of pure action, it lags a little behind the first two. 85% (04/18/2019)

Die Hard with a Vengeance is the best action movie of all time. It is an absolute masterclass in camerawork, editing and narrative that was made long before everyone was drooling over these things in some Bourne movie. To wonder over the fact that the bad guys’ plans somehow work out too smoothly or that McClane's indestructibility makes him look like a superhero is akin to pondering the calorie count of Erhart cakes. This is pure filmmaking perfection, two hours packed with enough material for at least three movies and the essence of 1990s genre filmmaking turned up way past eleven. That’s not even to mention the fact that a film of such scope, with so many real New York locations imbued with action, could never be made again. Willis may have had a more essential part in The Last Boy Scout and a more nuanced performance in 12 Monkeys, but here he is given the ideal partner in Samuel L. Jackson to help polish his iconic damaged cop to archetypal perfection. And seeing it at the cinema on the big screen was a dream come true. (08/30/2021)

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. (03/16/2022)