Not quite the blockbuster its predecessor was

Rating: 5/10 (26 January 2009)

Try as it might, "Die Hard 2" is not quite what "Die Hard" was. The original casted an enormous shadow as a consummate action situation film and while "Die Hard 2" seems to fit that mold on premise, some key elements that made the first film so good manage to slip out of this one.
Like the first film, "Die Hard 2" takes place in one night as a group of terrorists take over Dulles airport's communications system in order to help a drug lord flee the country. As a result, it keeps inbound planes in a holding pattern that if held too long, will result in disaster. What the terrorists don't know, is that Holly McClane is on one of the planes, the wife of Lieutennant John "I'll take matters into my own hands thank you" McClane (Bruce Willis).
McClane is in the wrong place at the wrong time yet again, but he handles it remarkably better this time, seeing as he's done this kind of thing before. While he still talks to himself in the movie, one of his character's signatures, and he's motivated by love for his wife once again, there's something different about this mishap. Last time, McClane was trapped; his fear was fully realized by the audience. He had no one to communicate with and had to rely entirely on himself. He spends way too much time in this film bickering with D.C. airport police (led by Dennis Franz) and befriending odd airport employees. There's a lot more negotiating and planning--not doing. Even when things are blowing up and guns are being fired, director Renny Harlin, who takes the reigns from a hard to replace John McTiernan, doesn't do much with it. The action is not particularly exciting.
"Die Hard 2" also fails in its antagonist. The group of terrorists have no strong leader, no Alan Rickman from the first film to pose any formidable threat. They give you very little reason to believe that McClane won't succeed. While we know the good guys will win out in these kinds of films, the better movies will always test your assurance to some extent and this movie doesn't. The suspense is just not the same.
Lastly, the concept is just not as impressive. While airports and terrorists generally work well together, in this movie the plot has no real magnitude. Considering the film was put right into production after the success of the first film, it would seem that they weren't too picky or worried about the concept behind the sequel: they just wanted to churn it out. Sure, fans of the original will enjoy watching John McClane's latest exercise in terrorist-shooting, curse-shouting fun, but connoisseurs of great action movies will be largely unstirred by it.