Hard, fast & furious

Rating: Null/10 (21 July 2000)

Another typically efficient movie from director John McTiernan, better than DH2 butlags slightly on originality compared to the first.
Rather than following the same one man against them all scenario as witnessed in the first 2 movies, McTiernan offers a bit more variety with a buddy-buddy Lethal Weapon formula, which works very well.
Jackson outcools Willis by a wide margin as Zeus the black electrician from Harlem who gets involved in saving Willis' life. Jackson hardly has to work his character very hard because it is so becoming of his great talents.
Willis is of course excellent as the picked-on cop who has now seen his marriage & career flush down the pan, and yet he is still in demand - by all the bad guys! As soon as Willis dons that white vest he seems to turn into Superman as he gets involved in so many scrapes, stunts, chases and shootouts you have to believe the guy is protected by Kryptonite.
Once again McTiernan goes to Europe for the mainstream baddy, and what better choice than Jeremy Irons playing the typically shrewd, cool & stylish German out to revenge the death of his brother at the hands of Willis from the first movie.
Three fine actors make the film far more interesting than it would have been had it relied on just the special effects and B grade actors. In fact the SFX do take over the film a little too much and we are asked to stretch our believability ever further.
But this isn't a serious criticism. DH3 sparkles with excess, humour & drama. It also tries to poke a little fun at Political Correctness without really offending anyone.
A good film, although whether Willis has got the will power to don the vest again we will have to wait and see.
***/*****