Heavy Turbulance and High Thrills

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2020)

This is my third favorite film in the franchise and another one of my favorite action films and favorite Christmas films. It's true this sequel isn't as good as the first in my book but it's not trying to be, it's being it's own thing but also just bee a good action film which is all I really ask for sequels to action films to be.
I really like the plot line which I feel is once again plausible and a little scary as this plot hits a little too close to home considering what's happened in recent years. I really love the fact that despite utilizing the same format of the lone hero against a terrorist force and taking place in Christmas time, but the arena is different as this time it's an airport and the leverage is different as the hostages are in air liners, so yeah the stakes are higher and as an old saying goes, it's a whole new ball game.
Characters are pretty good. William Sadler an underrated actor I like, he's a solid main villain He's not really on the same level as Hans and Simon Gruber in my book, he's sort of a B list villain in my book but I don't mind and their better than one's on the D list. He's a villain that is pretty unlikable, this is a guy that is completely cold, calculating, and one that's not afraid to cross the line. I like we see little bits in his character from the possibility he could be a sociopath as he doesn't seem to care about who he kills or anyone else except for anyone that is involved in his operation and is only concerned about his gains or whatever he clams drives him.
But the interesting thing is how hypocritical he is as we hear, though in not much detail they guy was a war hero but somewhere along the line he turned coat. And two things he says about a drug lord having the guts to stand against commie aggression and a quote from a general about "treason being a matter of dates" (whatever the hell that's supposed to mean), from those things he says it shows how far bent and broken his moral compass truly is.
Franco Nero, he has a small cameo role as the Drug Lord, it's sort of interesting that he's in this movie as Franco was a famous action star in the 70's mainly for those Italian exploitation action film's which are cool. Just seeing him and Bruce Wills there in the same film is cool as you have an action star from yesteryear and today. It's a shame both of them didn't get to do some sort of action film together where they were both allies.
Bruce Willis as usual is great as John whom is once again the reluctant hero that didn't ask to be a hero but is. Really like how John Amo's character in one scene sums up McClane "You're the wrong man, at the wrong place, at the wrong time." And John says, "Story of my life." Yes, it is actually it sums up the whole Die-Hard franchise.
Its true John might not be the right hero for the job but he's the hero we need as usual he is kick terrorist scum ass, despite the fact he really wishes he didn't have too, what sane person really does. He as usual has some of the best memorable lines, really like what he says as he is about to crawl into another air duct, yeah John I know the feeling there are somedays I'd rather be and do something else, let alone just have a simple quiet Christmas myself.
The action is great as usual, I really like how the violence is amped up in this film as we actually see some really good blood and squib effects making the film a little more violent than its predecessor. From that Skywalk shootout which was really cool seeing John waste those scum mercs. On a side note one of those mercs was played by Robert Patrick which is cool and true as most familiar faces have got their start playing small roles. Man would have been cool seeing both Bruce and him do a film together.
There is the snowmobile chase and tussle at the Church area. Really like some of the kills in the film that are really good from a platform used as a guitine to smash a scum merc's chest and my favorite where John kills another scum merc by killing him "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" style ripping out an icicle and staking him.
But also, what equal powers the movie and franchise in general is in the suspense and this film does have a really good amount of suspense. From once again getting a step ahead of our protagonist as we see some of what Stewart is up to and hoping John will be able to pick up on it and get a step ahead of them if possible. But also there are some things about Stewart's plan we don't have all the details about which lead to a twist or two that I felt is a good example of ones done right because despite not seeing it one hundred present coming it doesn't feel out of left field and it makes perfect sense.
Even like that military funeral scene where John was trapped in a airplane cockpit and multiple grenades were being thrown in, at that moment you know John is in deep crap, I remember being on the edge of my seat in that moment and thinking "Get out, now, now now!" how John escapes I'll just say "MacGyver, eat your heart out."
There are also some bits of emotion as well, like there is one scene I won't say what that is but there is a scene that is just tragic which just like John put a real tear or two in my eyes. But that scene alone acknodged the jeopardy factor, why losing isn't an option, but most importantly all the more made you care and want John to win; teach Stewart and his scum army a lesson they'll remember forever.
It's true the film does come into a turbulence spot or two, for one thing this is a minor quibble is the fact that there isn't really a memorable supportive cast for John. Yeah there are a few characters that help him like a controller guy, head control guy, and Marvin the Janitor but that's pretty much all and they do help out but not as much. Would of helped the film if John had a number two to bounce off of, like having Denis Franz (another underrated actor I like) instead of being a stereotypical blowhole chief or even Robert Patrick as John's partner helping him out in the situation.
But my main problem with the movie is the pacing is rather uneven, really touch and go. It's just there are places where when the action ends nothing happens for a while. Part of the other problem is some of the scenes with John's wife Holy and that so-called Reporter Dick Thornburg I thought were unnecessary as most of it really didn't do much for the story and were filler by their nature. It just seemed like in those spaces of nothing John should be on the move doing something. But these are just minor specs of turbulence easy to fly though, other than that everything else is fine.
Die Hard 2 flies high with thrills.
Rating: 3 and a half stars