The Die Hard Collection (Blu-ray)
Die Hard Film Score: 5.0
Quite simply one of the best action films ever made. It revolutionized the genre and still stands up after nearly 20 years. The script is smart, the direction by John McTiernan keeps things flowing at a good pace, the cinematography by Jan De Bont is dynamic, and the special and visual effects still hold up amazingly well after two decades. The film is also funny in the right moments, and the humor is neither stupid nor juvenile.
The performances by the cast are legendary: this is the film that proved Bruce Willis could be a movie star. John McClane will always be the action hero that many guys imagine themselves to be…what would we do if we were the ones caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? Yet he doesn’t play McClane as some superman: he get battered, bruised, bloodied, and shows real fear. He’s no Arnold Schwarzenegger-type killing machine. Willis is vulnerable, gets injured, and as an audience you think he could possibly be killed.
A good villain is just as important as the hero, and this film has one in Hans Gruber. This is arguably Alan Rickman’s most memorable role, and he plays him charming, intelligent, and dangerous. Bonnie Bedelia shines as Holly Gennero McClane, who plays her as smart, strong, but not sassy or annoying. Even the supporting characters are memorable. Reginald VelJohnson is terrific as L.A.P.D. officer Al Powell: his camaraderie with Willis is believable, even though their interaction is almost entirely though CB radio. William Atherton is convincingly sleazy as a reporter who will run over anyone to get the story. I could go on, but I will just say that there isn’t a bad performance to be found.
For me, this is one of my all time favorite films, and I recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of not only the action genre, but as one of the best films of the 1980’s.
Die Hard 2: Die Harder Film Score 1.5
Oh, what a let down! Created simply to cash in on the success of the first film, this movie defines the cliché of sequels which are nothing more than a half-baked rehash of the original. Renny Harlin is serviceable as director, but what he lets get by is unforgiveable. From sloppy continuity and technical mistakes (such as the famous Pacific Bell phone booth on the East Coast), to the illogical script (why doesn’t Air Traffic Control divert the planes elsewhere?), to the whole mean spiritedness of the film in general. The humor is forced. The first film had a smart and charming villain, here Col. Stuart is cold and heartless. Stuart crashes a plane full of innocent people to make a point (and why would a plane flying on fumes explode like a fully fueled one anyway?). Shootings have an exaggerated amount of blood: the original had a couple shock moments but it was never about gore. Certain things, like having the same obnoxious reporter on the same flight as Holly, strain credibility beyond belief. The visual effects have aged badly, and even the music score is a rehash of the first film. A poor effort all around.
Die Hard With A Vengeance Film Score 3.5
A much, much better film than the second, but not quite as good as the original. Still, at least the filmmakers try to shake things up a bit. Instead of being trapped someplace, John McClane has all of Manhattan to run and search through. The addition of Samuel L. Jackson is a great move, and it’s their repartee that helps to give the film a different experience than the others. Jeremy Iron’s Simon Gruber is an interestRead full review
