Die Hard with a Vengeance
Tags: comedy, suspenseful, mystery, murder, cult, violence, flashback, insanity, humor, action, revenge

Plot synopsis:
In New York City, the Bonwit Teller department store is destroyed by a bomb during the morning commute. The New York City Police Department receive a call from "Simon" ordering them that suspended police officer Lt. John McClane be dropped in Harlem wearing a sandwich board that says "I hate niggers" and threatening to detonate another bomb if they don't comply. They collect McClane and follow Simon's instructions. McClane is saved from an angry group of young men by Zeus Carver, a nearby shop owner. McClane and Carver escape and return to headquarters, where Simon calls again and threatens to detonate more bombs if McClane and Carver do not follow his instructions.
Simon sends the two on a series of children's riddles. He tells them to reach the Wall Street subway station 90 blocks south, within 30 minutes to stop a bomb planted on a Brooklyn-bound 3 train. McClane boards the subway while Carver drives. McClane locates the bomb and throws it off the train, it still detonates, derailing the train and sending it through the station with minimal injuries due to Carver's warnings. As McClane and Carver regroup with the police, they are met by FBI agents, who reveal Simon is Peter Krieg, a former Colonel in the East German People's Army and a mercenary-for-hire. Krieg is after McClane as Krieg's birth name is Simon Peter Gruber, the brother of Hans Gruber whom McClane had killed years earlier in Los Angeles. Simon calls the police, knowing the FBI is there, to inform them that he has planted a bomb in a NYC-area public school that is rigged with a radio detonator triggered by the police band. Simon tells them that he will give McClane and Carver the school's location if they continue to play his game. While McClane and Carver set off on Simon's next task, the police organize all the city's public works to begin searching schools, using 9-1-1 to coordinate activities.
As McClane solves Simon's riddles, he recognizes that Simon is using the school bomb distraction to draw the police away from Wall Street. They arrive too late to find that Simon and his agents used the destruction of the subway station to dig into the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and steal $140 billion of gold bullion in dump trucks. They follow the trucks to aqueduct in the New York City Water Tunnel No. 3, and McClane has Carver continue on Simon's games. Within the tunnel he kills some of Simon's men, discovering they have a roll of quarters on them. Simon destroys a cofferdam, flooding the tunnel, but McClane escapes through a vent, ending up near Carver. They recognize the roll of quarters would pay for a toll road, and follow the trucks to a tanker vessel in the Long Island Sound. They sneak aboard, but realize too late it is a trap. They are tied to the real bomb and Simon says he will destroy the tanker, redistributing the bullion across the Sound, which would severely destroy the economies of the world. McClane convinces Simon to give him a bottle of aspirin. McClane is able to free them from the bomb before it explodes, sinking the tanker.
As McClane and Carver are debriefed by the police, McClane says he knows Simon and reports that none of the bullion was on the tanker. McClane finds the bottle of aspirin came from a hotel just inside the Quebec border. McClane, Carver, and the police launch an attack on a warehouse near the hotel where Simon and his men are in the process of distributing the wealth and planning their escape. The rest of the men are captured, while Simon and his girlfriend attempt escape in a helicopter, firing upon McClane. McClane shoots an overhead power line so that it falls onto the helicopter, crashing it and killing all aboard. With the bullion located, Carver convinces McClane to call his wife.

Review: Die Hard With A Vengeance is not only a great movie, it is arguably the best masterpiece sequel of all time!.
It was produced and directed by John McTiernan (who directed Die Hard), written by Jonathan Hensleigh, and stars Bruce Willis as New York City Police Department Lieutenant John McClane, Samuel L.
But not only was "Die Hard with a Vengeance" a great movie, it was also arguably the best of its kind: unstoppable, and untoppable.Die Hard With A Vengeance was filmed before CGI made it possible to create scenes like this without breaking a single window, this moment is utter, terrifying perfection.How often do you get an action flick where the heroes spend the entire first half of the film solving puzzles to save lives?
In a franchise that distinguishes itself with action that toes the line between "creative" and "ridiculous," "Die Hard with a Vengeance" stays on brand, in the best way.John McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon Gruber in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.
In fact, Die Hard: With a Vengeance is so well constructed, so well acted and so well directed that I like it just as much, if not better, than Die Hard.John McClane (Bruce Willis) is once again separated from his wife, and he's once again living and working as a cop in New York City.
Every scene leads inevitably, logically to the next scene, even though the film takes many "left turns", and the solution of one dilemma to the next often involves split-second timing.It's often said that McTiernan and Hensleigh simply ignored Die Hard 2, and in terms of direct plot and dialogue references, this may be true, but they still give Die Hard 2 a nod by having an attendant humor--often almost "goofy" humor--in many action scenes.
McClane sets out to meet the demands of the terrorists with bystander Zeus Carver in tow.This is the third in the Die Hard series and it makes an immediate improvement on the second by bringing back the original director John McTiernan.
It's difficult to put into words but this effect was missing from the second film.The film has a hatful of nice twists towards the end and the only problem is that the conclusion in Canada doesn't feel like it fits in (the original ending was changed following the Okalahoma bombing) but this is a minor problem in a film that is a great addition to the action packed Die Hard series..
But John is going to make sure that he puts the Gruber name to shame.Die Hard: With a Vengeance is an excellent action movie, it was a lot of fun and I couldn't believe how well it was made.
Regardless of what you might think of Bruce Willis, he really does excel in this series of films and John McClane, the all action policeman is the perfect role for him.This time his sidekick is the guru of the action film, Samuel L.
The first two Die Hard movies were brilliant but this installment just blows the first two out of the water.Bruce Willis is back as police officer Lt. John McClane and in this movie he teams with Samuel L.
But until then, we can look to "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" as the end-all to the overall excellent John McClane trilogy.The third film opens up where nothing left off; McClane (Bruce Willis) is on the streets of NYC when a man who calls himself "Simon" blows up a Manhattan department store, and then orders McClane to stand in Harlem with a sandwich board that says...well...something you wouldn't want to be wearing in Harlem.
Which is probably not too odd, seeing that the script, originally titled "Simon Says" (no, not the Dennis Rodman one), was actually a sequel to "Lethal Weapon." Of course, moderations were made after the "Die Hard" series bought out the script, but the character of Zeus was probably Danny Glover, and John McClane was probably Mel Gibson.
The first 'Die Hard' was amazing, the second was better than a lot of other movies at that time, but not as great as the first, however, this one blows-back onto the scene.
Jackson as Zeus and Jeremy Irons as the evil bomber Simon Gruber and you got the cast for one of the best damn action films ever made.Check it out and see what exactly makes these films worth dying hard for..
As a result, it lacks the vice like suspense and tension of the first film, and plays much more like a kick-ass crowd pleasing summer action film, which was very much the case with Die Hard 2.This film very quickly pairs Bruce Willis's McClane character with a shop-keeper with 'chip on his shoulder', Zeus, brilliantly played by Samuel L Jackson.
This buddying up of two characters who initially hate each other, and then evolve to support and respect each other is straight out of the Lethal Weapon play-book, and while not as quite as entertaining or as profound as that film, was certainly a much better 'buddy cop' that the Lethal Weapon sequels and most other films in this sub-genre.The plot is straightforward but fairly clever, and departs from the previous two Die Hard films by massively expanding its scope, but adding tension through pervasive threat of potential bombs going off across this city that full of semi-permanent traffic jams.
The films actual ending feels rather tacked on and cheap after this previous climax, and sadly lets the film down as this sequence feels a little disjointed and the pace and feel of this sequence is very different from the rest of the film.Bruce Willis as again great value as John McClane, and plays his in a surprisingly grounded and more gritty version compared to the more emotional and frightened character in the first one, and one that feels like bit like a working class James Bond super hero rip off in Die Hard 2.
Third in the "Die Hard" series with Willis reprising his role as unstoppable cop John McClane this time facing German terrorist Irons playing "Simon Says" with explosives in scorching summertime Manhattan with some truly explosive and imaginative action sequences bordering on the impossible a la Wile E.
But this is a terrific action film that not only has great suspense making you think till the end, but good teamwork by Bruce Willis and Samuel L.
Also, it's nice to see McTiernan directing again, injecting what he gained from the first film into here, thus giving it a "Die Hard" feel even more.Overall, I think this is a major improvement over the second, and its definitely one of the better action sequels out there.
Watched Die Hard With A Vengeance Featuring Bruce Willis(The Fifth Element ) as John McClane , Samuel L.
Together they tear through New York, a wide-open playground filled with outrageous set-pieces in pursuit of Simon.John McTiernan (a REAL Die Hard director) stages some ruthless action scenes, perfectly edited, perfectly shot, and with some clever touches you might not notice if you switch your brain off.
Future filmmakers need to study how older, better movies were made and John McTiernan's Die Hard movies are the best examples.Also returning for the third time is Michael Kamen, delivering a fun, exciting score that is made even more enjoyable thanks to his completely wonderful rendition of 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home'.
Wisecracks, humor, swearing, blood squibs, a great villain, and a smart story - this IS a summer action movie, and the last true Die Hard film.And keep a lookout for an appropriate Loaded Weapon reference..
The question now is, is this about revenge on John, or is Simon planning something a lot bigger?Another great action movie with amazing effects, stunning subway crash, unexpected humor, and all around fun flick.Die Hard With a Vengeance gets 10 stars..
The story, about a crazy bomber (Jeremy Irons) who wants to play a game of Simon Says with John McClane (Bruce Willis), provides an excellent framework for the numerous explosions and car chases.
Especially the interaction between Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson, who plays a racist shopkeeper forced to help McClane, is probably the best ever seen in a movie.
There is more action, better actors, and the terrorist played by Jeremy Irons is a bit more twisted and evil.Bruce Willis returns as John McClane.
In the third instalment of the Die Hard series, detective John McClane must obey a bomber's rules whilst trying to get along with electrician Zeus and recover from a really bad headache.With an explosive beginning, literally, Die Hard with a vengeance starts as it means to go on with top notch action, adrenaline and an amazing appetite for adventure.Willis (Moonlighting) returns as the iconic McClane and is juxtaposed with Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction) as the nervous but intelligent electrician Zeus and as in Pulp Fiction, the two perform their hearts out in another excellent Die Hard film.Filled with humour and one liners, both characters are enjoyable to watch and make the plot even more intense with witty dialogue.Like the previous Die Hard films, there is plenty of action and a fast tense situation to keep you gripped to your seats.
Though I loved the claustrophobic surroundings in the first two films, spreading his wings was necessary for McClane to be seen as a more wild and courageous man with more to do with himself, such as driving a taxi across a national park and searching for a bomb on a train, which were pure adrenaline rushes.Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune) is excellent as Simon and raised the bar for Jackson and Willis.McTiernan returns to direct and uses his knowledge to great effect with the action sequences all perfectly shot to create the right dramatic effect.The third Die Hard is fast, exciting and beautifully executed by cast and crew to make a memorable action thriller..
In the third outing for John Mclane (Bruce Willis), he is being used as a puppet by a very sinister and vengeful criminal genius who calls himself Simon (Jeremy Irons) When Mclane is just seconds away from being killed on the streets of Harlem, a local shop owner called Zeus (Samuel L Jackson) intervenes and is then forced to join the game.The pairing of Willis and Jackson is throughly entertaining and it is in this concept that this film surpasses its predecessors, Die Hard with a Vengeance is a high paced, action packed buddy cop movie that simply outclasses most that came before it!
Yes it's up there with Lethal Weapon; Mclane and Zeus are every bit as good as Riggs and Murtaugh.Beneath the against the clock action sequences and the laugh out loud comedy from the duo, lies a very believable villain with bags of character and a very sinister desire to both succeed in his plans and reap vengeance on Mclane in the process, for reasons that do become apparent.Die Hard with a Vengeance is an action movie, a comedy, a thriller and an adventure all packaged as one film; it entertains on every level and is definitely one of the best movies of its kind ever made.Excellent cast, excellent plot, excellent gags, excellent direction, excellent script, excellent movie.
The first movie set the template and the second didn't stray far from the original premise but I guess they felt that they had to change things up for the third entry.This time around, NYPD detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is once again the focal character but he's joined by Samuel L.
However, in my mind, this departure makes the movie seem a little less like a "Die Hard" movie.Despite this change, the movie still calls back to the original by featuring a storyline that pits McClane against Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons), the brother of original villain Hans Gruber.
It is the third film in the Die Hard series and is about officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) who is called into action to stop a terrorist who is detonating areas around New York City.As someone who wasn't a big fan of Die Hard 2, this film impressed me lots and was a big improvement over the previous instalment.
For me, Die Hard 2 was a rather bland action film with nothing particularly smart about it and at the same time felt too similar to the original with McClane's wife being in peril and also the fact that it too took place at Christmas, just like the first.
Right from the start I knew this would be much better than Die Hard 2 as it proves straight away that it has wildly different ideas and provides a whole new exciting experience.Bruce Willis is once again great in the role of John McClane and the film doesn't slow itself down at any points to let us know what stage of his life he is in, and instead gives us the information over the course of the film which makes for a more effective way of giving us information rather than blatant exposition.
The way the scene prior to the final scene set up the ending only worked with the original ending it was expecting, however because of the studio wanting it to be changed, the ending we received feels very out of place and overall dissatisfying.Overall, Die Hard with a Vengeance was the sequel we should have initially received instead of Die Hard 2 in my opinion and started off with many fresh ideas and constant tension as well as a brilliant pace, however most of these elements are sadly lost in the latter half and the film becomes a bland action picture towards the end.
Die Hard With a Vengeance is a decent continuation to John McTiernan's action franchise, and proves that Bruce Willis is still committed to his character John McClane.
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.
Since a lot of bad guys have the chance to kill the hero but don't kill them in a lot of movies (like Karl from the first one) it does give an excuse as to why Simon doesn't kill McClane when he has the chance.The acting is still good, the action as always is fun, the film has a couple of chuckles here and there, and some great suspenseful scenes.
It wasn't bad per say, but seemed as if they didn't want the villain to win so they just said, "Let's just have McClane find Simon and take him out cause we can't have the villain win." But at the end of the day Die Hard with a Vengeance is a great 90's action film that is a great sequel to the original that I highly recommend..
I've seen this installment more times than any of the other 3 'Die Hard' films with good reason: hilarious dialogue – from both Willis and Jackson who steals every scene he's in, exciting plot, character development, original explosive scenes (way before 9/11, obviously – in fact, I'm sure, following the real life '01 terrorist attacks, New Yorker's had a hard time watching this) that held very little CGI – the real way to make films and a great archenemy, Irons, who also stole his scenes.
Finally home in NYC, McClane (Willis) is sent on a cat & mouse "Simon Says" deadly game with Zeus (Jackson) all across the city, ditching the claustrophobic atmosphere of the first 2 installments all the while Simon (Irons) sets traps, a plan and plays God. Fun, lighthearted, great action sequences, and definitively not to be taken too seriously, this is an absolute must watch..
Die Hard: With a Vengeance stars Bruce Willis (Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense), Samuel Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Negotiator) and Jeremy Irons (Dungeons & Dragons, The Time Machine) in this epic action flick of the decade.
The movie this time finds John McClane(Bruce Willis) and a shop owner named Zeus (Samuel L.
Movie Review: "Die Hard With A Vengeance"It can be said that John McClane's New York action adventure has hardly become a near-perfect Hollywood movie, but the tricky scenes created by screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh puts actor trio surrounding Bruce Willis, taking the screen better pill to cope, comes to terms with Zeus actor Samuel L.
Die Hard director John McTiernan returns for this second sequel to his 1988 action classic, which sees Bruce Willis once again playing tough NY cop John McClane, this time being sent on a wild-goose chase around the Big Apple in the company of Harlem 'good Samaritan' Zeus Carver (Samuel L.
Jackson) while evil Euro-villain Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) breaks into the city's Federal Gold Reserve.Full of the incredible explosive set-pieces that one has come to expect of the series, Die Hard: With a Vengeance certainly delivers in terms of sheer spectacle, but with Jackson's Carver in tow, one-time 'lone cowboy' McClane has now become one half of a comedy act, the film working more like an 80s buddy movie as a result.
Jackson as a team as they are very good actors,and I also appreciated Jeremy Irons performance.John McClane (Bruce Willis) and Zeus (Samuel L.
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) *** (out of 4) John McClane (Bruce Willis) is thrown back into action when a madman (Jeremy Irons) plants bombs throughout New York City.
Third installment keeps Die Hard at the top as the best action movies of all time.This is much less serious then the other films.