Overblown, but fairly fun nonetheless

Rating: 6/10 (7 January 2015)

John McClaine is forced to be the hero again when Col. Stuart (Sadler) devises a plan to hold the entire airport hostage. Stuart has taken over control of all the electrical equipment affecting all the planes that are landing on the runaway. With no lights on the runaway, all planes are in trouble. If that isn't enough, McClaine's wife Holly is on one of the planes. McClaine must rediscover his nose for trouble and the heroics from the Nakatomi situation to save his wife and everybody else.
No matter how hard Reny Harlin tries, this is nowhere near as good as the first movie. The first movie is a groundbreaking action movie that inspired many clones over the years. This movie is inferior like most sequels. Despite the effort, I didn't sense anything else but wanting to make money from everyone involved. It feels disingenuous and I never really bought into it. The storytelling pales in comparison and it just feels there. Sequels are very tricky because you have to make sure that it feels legitimate and not just a money-maker. This is one of those movies. All that aside, I actually do enjoy this movie a fair amount. It's action packed and Renny makes sure there is never a dull moment. The action is really brainless that feature some ridiculous OTT stunts that aren't believable for a second! McClaine escapes situations that make him look like Superman in certain scenes. Luckily, McClaine's character manages to make you feel like it was smarts and dumb luck. Despite my criticisms, it's entertaining all the same. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the action. Memorable moments include some good scraps on the wing of a plane near the end. It does begin to drag after a while, but I did enjoy them for the most part. The performances are pretty good. Bruce Willis is great as McClaine. When he wants to be, Bruce is a fun actor that can easily carry a movie. He carries this sequel for sure. He has some awesome one- liners that he ad-libbed himself. His boorish wise cracking persona is a treat to watch and he's perfectly adept in the action scenes. He doesn't have as much to work with here, but he makes the most of it. He's a perfect everyman that anyone can relate too. Bonnie Bedelia is wasted here. Her screen time is much shorter than she had in the first. She has a couple of memorable scenes, but she's nowhere near as prominent. William Sandler is technically solid as the villain. His performance is kind of dull, though. He lacks spark and the charisma that Alan Rickman had. His intensity makes up for that somewhat. William Atherton's role is shorter as well, but he does what he does best! Play an A*hole. Dennis Franz can do this type of thing in his sleep, but he's so fun to watch with it! He's so good at what he does, it's impossible to fully dislike him. His interactions with Willis were a blast. John Amos is fun in his role. Reginald VelJohnson is limited to a cameo in this movie, which is a shame. His dynamic with Bruce in the first movie is sorely missed here. Franco Nero makes a dull bad guy. Robert Patrick and John Leguizamo show up as well. The violence is typically strong for a Harlin movie. An ice pick in the eye was the highlight, in my opinion.
Even though it's my least favorite of the original trilogy, I still watch this once a year. This movie is fun! Just make sure you suspend disbelief and temper your expectations if you haven't seen it. That's about the best advice I can give you.
Favorite quotes
McClaine: Hey Carmine, let me ask you something: What sets off the metal detector first? The led in your ass or the s**** in your brains?
Sgt. Al Powell: you're not p*** in somebody's pool are you? McClaine: Yeah, and I'm fresh out of chlorine
6.8/10