"That's what I said about my last cholesterol test"

Rating: 7/10 (5 August 2007)

Die Hard is and will always be the best of the series. A movie so well executed, the sequels and imitators will always be just that.
Die Hard 2 is on the whole, a very well made action fare. Renny Harlin does a decent job tying elements of the first film's style into this one.
Oliver Wood does a great job of keeping the film's imagery in line with Jan de Bont's coverage from part 1. Willis is good, if not as believable. The ejection scene is a nice scene. The gunplay is furious, but not as focused. Fred Thompson adds a good deal of credibility, as he always seems to do, whether its a jack Ryan film, or Law and Order.
I think the weaknesses are many here. De Souza's script is chock full of corny dialog, not to mention an endless fluffy of F-Bombs. John McClaine now seems to be less a regular guy having a bad day, than SUPERCOP! He, nor the other cast of characters have the charm of the first films ensemble. Dennis Franz is the new A-Hole, and frankly annoying as can be. And the vililans? No Hans here folks, but they serve their purpose.
While initially, I felt Die Hard with a Vengeance was an improvement over this, on reflection now years later, though that film has much better acting and writing, it doesn't have the pure entertainment value of this movie.
Die Hard 2: Die Harder is a by-the-numbers sequel from the early 1990s, but it is still an above average action film. This is purely a popcorn and hot dog job you can sit around and enjoy with friends by picking apart the crappy one liners, and still having a good time.