Just as timely as ever with terrorists storming the airport...

Rating: 7/10 (13 July 2007)

You gotta say one thing for these DIE HARD movies with BRUCE WILLIS--they move. Fast. Hard. And there's usually a plot twist that jumps at you unexpectedly and they're here too. The other element going for them are the clever scripts with plenty of punch lines for Willis to say, and most of them suit his character of John McClane to a T.
DIE HARD 2 makes good use of artificial snow to keep the atmosphere on the frosty side for its holiday tale about a South American drug lord (FRANCO NERO) being expedited to the United States, but being helped in an escape plan by a group of mercenaries led by WILLIAM SADLER. The escape plan includes shutting down the airport and taking over the tower duties so that the plane carrying Nero can land safely before he boards another one for freedom.
What the terrorists don't count on is John McClane being at the airport to meet his wife's plane landing at Dulles. There he gets mixed up in the terrorist plot and finds himself using his brawn and his wits to outsmart them at every turn.
While the story is highly unbelievable, it's also a first class piece of action entertainment on every level. BONNIE BEDELIA does a nice job with some sharp lines as McClane's wife, WILLIAM ATHERTON is chilling as the cold-blooded terrorist leader, DENNIS FRANZ is intentionally obnoxious as a stubborn police captain, and upcoming political candidate for president, FRED THOMPSON, lends his grim presence to the role of Trudeau, the tower supervisor.
Once the action starts, there's seldom a lapse in pace. All of the stunts are pulled off with the kind of timely realism that makes some of the incidents seem more credible than they otherwise would be.
Summing up: A good sequel to the original DIE HARD, it's highly entertaining and most of the credit goes to Willis for doing a first rate job.