Think fast, look alive and Yippee-Kay-Yay!

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2007)

Die Hard with a Vengeance starts out with a bang and never lets up. Its a fantastic, original and suspenseful action thriller pitting a suspended and very hung-over Detective John McLane with marital issues against an elusive enemy calling himself Simon. McClane is about to have a very bad day and Simon wants McClane to play a game, 'Simon Says' or he is going to set off another bomb in a very public place. Racing through New York City, leaping onto subway trains, dodging gunfire, and jumping through hoops for a psychopath McCLane unwittingly picks up Zeus Carver, a racist shop-owner played masterfully by Samuel L Jackson who is drawn into the action.
Vengeance in essence is a direct sequel to the first Die Hard only totally different. Its not Christmas, and its not confined to a building but John McTiernan is back to direct and its like he never left because the grit, intensity, and attitude of the original Die Hard is ever present and though Hans Gruber is long dead Jeremy Irons does more than enough to carry the weight of a worthy advisory to McClane whose one step shy of becoming a full-blown alcoholic. The quips are there, the one-liners, the German bad guys, the foul language and non-stop action.
The supporting cast and many extras of Vengeance are also great. Vengeance is an ode to New York and there are long periods without any McClane, Jackson or Irons which only serve to make the movie stronger and setup the explosive finale. But the real winner here is truly the banter and chemistry between the two leads and the sidekick formula completely works here and is a welcome break from the McClane being alone in a confined place scenario. Overall this is my favourite rendition of John McClane who hasn't missed a beat and it's a great performance from Bruce Willis in a role he knows so well. The ending doesn't quite live up to the rest of the movie but there's enough here to warrant a true classic in my opinion as Vengeance's re-watch value is very high. I loved it.
Nine out of ten.