Nothing less than a classic among action films

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2015)

John McTiernan returns for this third opus in John McClane's adventures. It's a beautiful, sunny day in New York city, when a bomb suddenly explodes. Chaos ensues and the man responsible for the attack wastes no time contacting the NYPD. What does he want? None other than John McClane, the former cop who acted as a one man army in handling a difficult hostage situation at the Nakatomi Plaza and prevented a bunch of planes from crashing in Washington. Suspended from his functions, and now a drunk with a terrible hangover, McClane will have to accomplish different tasks throughout the day to prevent other bombs from exploding while the man who apparently placed the bombs instructs him what he has to do next.
This third film from the Die Hard franchise is arguably my personal favourite (a tie with the first one). The action is relentless, the dialogue is sharp and hilarious, the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson is palpable, a proper amount of dark humour is cleverly used to lighten up the tone and even bring social commentary on racial tensions without ever being sanctimonious.
There are plenty of over-the-top moments, and the realism of the script's chronology is definitely questionable. However, it's all honest entertainment, set in the beautiful NYC that you really get to see and feel, thanks to John MacTiernan's talent at establishing geography in his scenes, and the events depicted in the film all happen within the same day, which, to me, is one of the key elements that make the Die Hard films so great, and feel like such a rush of adrenaline.
Bruce Willis offers a great physical performance, and you can bet the house his character is drenched in blood, sweat and oil by the time the credits roll. Samuel L. Jackson is a great addition as John McClane's ally and turns this into a memorable cop buddy movie more than anything else. Jeremy Irons is excellent as the antagonist.
The ending is a bit flawed and feels like it was a tad rushed, but the overall spectacle is so much fun and entertainment, you can't do anything but kick back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Die Hard With a Vengeance is a clever mix of nail-biting situations (the scene when McClane has to walk in Harlem wearing nothing but a sign with a racial slur written on it comes to mind), classic 90's type action (the scene in the subway), and comedy (one scene in which "Johnny comes marching home" will get you smiling), all wrapped up in a competently photographed, dynamically directed, tremendously paced package.
Highly recommended. It ties with the first film as my favourite entry in the Die Hard franchise.