Better than Part 2. But a long way away from the heights of Part 1

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2008)

Die Hard is the classic among which all other action films are measured against in my opinion. Such a smooth and exciting film. It flows style and finesse. And then in 1990 came the obligatory sequel. A substantial step down, notably because of Renny Harlin's presence in the director's chair, it took the flawless, tightly plotted original and turned it into an action-packed no-brainer.
Die Hard: With a Vengeance has quite a lot to make up for. And judging from the talent that went into it, I had very high hopes for it. Not only does it bring back Bruce Willis as Detective John McClane, it partners him up with Samuel L Jackson. It has Jeremy Irons in the role of the villain. And sees the welcome return of Die Hard director John McTiernan.
I was expecting great things. But unfortunately, I ended up being a bit disappointed. Its certainly nice to see McTiernan back, and wisely he's adjusted the plot so its not a straight out rehash of Pt 1. The mistake Pt 2 fell into. But somehow, it has more flaws than it should for a film with so many good things to recommend it.
It begins with a cracker of an opening. New York is going about its business when suddenly an explosion rocks the streets of Manhattan. Thoughts of 9/11 immediately spring to mind. The film even includes shots of the World Trade Center in the background, making DHWAV a very eerie film at times.
The bomber who claims responsibility has only just begun. And he has a request to make of the NYPD. Get John McClane on the case. They're going to play a game of Simon Says. Simon gives McClane hints about where other bombs are planted in the city. And if McClane doesn't figure out how to defuse them, or even find where they are...well you can guess the rest.
A hungover McClane, separated from his beloved Holly (sadly Bonnie Bedelia couldn't make it), is on suspension. But he's back on active duty quicker than you can say Yippie-Kayee. Saddled with Zeus (Jackson), a Harlem shopkeeper, the two must unravel Simon's riddles before the next bomb goes off. But things are not what they seem.
The good news about Die Hard: With a Vengeance is that it is a better film than Pt 2. McTiernan keeps the action steady, Pulp Fiction stars Jackson and Willis are an inspired double-act, and Jeremy Irons clearly loves chewing on the scenery before he blows it up.
But somehow I was left with a nagging feeling of disappointment. And I only realised why after seeing it for the second time. The film begins promisingly enough with Simon's little games. They're quite lively, with lots of witty banter between Jackson and Willis, and some of the finest action not seen since...well Die Hard actually!
But when it gets to the halfway point, the film then heads off in another direction. It turns out Simon's little game of Find the Bomb is just to keep the NYPD distracted, while he gets what he really wants. A gold heist. While everybody is running around like headless chickens trying to find a bomb he's put in a school, Simon's looting every gold depository in town.
When I first saw DHWAV, this new angle seemed novel and inventive. But gradually, it was a plot development that rang a bit hollow. Its almost like the film is trying to be a bit too clever for its own good. Some people may accept it. And others may not. I suppose the film just about gets away with it, but the effort to do so does show through.
Nethertheless, this film is a considerable improvement over its predecessor. It never gets quite as mindless as Die Hard 2, but that's because John McTiernan is a much better director than Renny Harlin. And he brings his usual style and finesse to this film as well. The action scenes are just as exciting as you'd expect. But more importantly, McTiernan made the wise choice to emphasise on the buddy relationship between McClane and Zeus.
The two of them have cracking chemistry. In fact if truth be told, the film sags whenever McClane and Zeus aren't around. The Die Hard series up to this point has always been a one man show. With the inclusion of Zeus, its become a buddy movie. It does tread over some of the usual racial jokes, but I always believed they're grudging respect for each other.
As for Jeremy Irons, he does not too badly at all as Simon Gruber, the brother of Hans Gruber, the villain of Die Hard, played by the magnificent Alan Rickman. Irons never quite leaves an indelible impression upon the film the way Rickman did, but at least he keeps himself in check. He never launches into the over the top theatrics that scuppered Dungeons & Dragons. His German accent is convincing enough. But his attempt at an American accent...well, the less said the better.
As the film draws to a close, I did start to get a bit lost. I think McTiernan overdoes some of the action to the point of overkill. In fact McTiernan is guilty of some of the things he was parodying in his previous film, the very underrated Last Action Hero.
Also it makes it that much harder to follow the film at that point. If only the ending had some of the first half's cohesion, I might have praised it almost as favourably as Die Hard. Some of the film's plot holes are so big, they come dangerously close to capsizing it.
But still, Die Hard: With a Vengeance is a worthwhile addition to the series. Its just starting to feel a bit stretched at this point. At least its not as noticeable here as it was with Die Hard 4.