An enjoyable action romp with twists; almost as good as the original

Rating: 8/10 (14 January 2008)

Die Hard with a Vengeance is the rightful successor to the original Die Hard. While it sheds a number of supporting characters from the previous films as well as the formula of terrorists taking over some building, it gains an able co-star in Samuel L. Jackson, a good villain, more twists and turns than the previous films, a better story than Die Hard 2 and a handful of supporting characters that aren't distractingly ridiculous.
The story is this: A madman named Simon wants McClane dead and will blow up all of Manhattan to get it. Of course, there are lots of twists and complications that show up to make this more than just the story of a mad bomber vs. McClane. The twists and turns are mostly convincing, only occasionally stretching the bounds of believability. One issue with the story is that it basically ignores Die Hard 2 in continuity, so it confused me when McClane at the beginning states that the distance between NY and LA caused a rift between him and his wife--in DH2, McClane became an LAPD officer and was in DC for a little bit. But besides the continuity confusion and the regular contrivances in action movies of this type, the story is a workable piece, helped in part by adding a personal story for its leading character, which was sorely missing in DH2.
The action itself doesn't quite hit the highs of Die Hard or the ridiculousness of Die Hard 2, but still manages to be engaging and entertaining. Furthermore, the inclusion of puzzles and riddles and obstacle-course like challenges are surprisingly entertaining. The pacing suffers a little when unnecessary story elements rear their head--some elements, like multiple criminal organizations--seem to have been written out, but not completely, leading to some confusion.
The direction is engaging if plain, the acting rapport is good, the production values are high and the movie is generally fun. While DHwaV doesn't reach the same highs at Die Hard, in getting a chance to break free from the formula and follow a different path, it becomes something that's almost engaging and fun as the previous Die Hard. As such, it's an enjoyable film that will sate your desire for a fun action movie, but as with previous Die Hard films, you shouldn't expect a moving or intellectually or emotionally compelling work. It's fun. 8/10.