This breathed life back into the series.

Rating: 7/10 (25 March 2005)

After Die Hard 2, I didn't expect much from this film, but it really was a major improvement. While not quite as fresh, slick, or tense as the original, this one did the job well. The plot, unlike Die Hard 2, is again pretty original, with a significant, convincing, and meaningful twist to it, and generally the film succeeds at building tension, keeping the excitement going, etc. By tying the film into Hans Gruber from the first film, it not only mostly reconnects to the original's unique qualities, but provides further meaning and relevance to this film. It is thus a logical progression from the first rather than simply being a film about the same character doing similar things in what could otherwise be a totally different film. Also, with Samuel L. Jakcson and Jeremy Irons, there is more good acting along the lines of Rickman's role in the original.