Best completely unnecessary sequel ever.

Rating: 7/10 (16 July 2005)

There shouldn't't have been a "Die Hard 2". And it certainly shouldn't have worked. They idea that this happened to John McClane twice stretches credibility beyond reasonable limits. And yet, "Die Hard 2" is a wildly entertaining action movie that ALMOST equals the original. While the characters and plot are not as well drawn, the action and atmosphere are as good, and there's a certain "Indiana Jones" element added with the addition of some outdoor action sequences. Director Renny Harlin hit a career high with this one (and has directed a lot of duds since), and deserves a lot of credit for the film working as well as it does. As much as this shouldn't have worked, it's so much fun that the logic doesn't matter - and far more enjoyable than it's successor, "Die Hard With a Vengeance", which tries to do something new but doesn't capture the excitement or suspense of authentic "Die Hard".