Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

6/10

Starring

Bruce Willis

Bonnie Bedelia

Williams Sadler

Art Evans

Directed by Renny Harlin

Die Hard 2: Die Harder begins with McClane in good spirits, eagerly anticipating reuniting with his wife at the airport. But things quickly escalate as the new villain and his crew take their positions to execute their plan to seize control of Washington Dulles International Airport. The movie kicks off with intensity, pulling you in as you anticipate the outcome of this group of bad guys. Soon enough, we’re watching our lone hero take on a terrorist gang in ways that would make even Jack Bauer (apologies to all 24 fans) envious.

In this second installment of the franchise, the action starts early. After a brief introduction, McClane is already taking down bad guys, with his first kill within the first 15 minutes. However, the movie isn’t without its flaws—like the scene where one of the villains inexplicably stops running to look back, conveniently getting himself killed so McClane can steal his ride.

Like the first film, Die Hard 2 is adapted from a book—this time, 58 Minutes by Walter Wager, released in 1987. The characters remain rooted in Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel, Nothing Lasts Forever. This sequel also brings back some familiar faces, including McClane’s wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), reporter Dick Thornburg (William Atherton), and Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), who makes a brief appearance.

The story unfolds on Christmas Eve, just like the first movie. This time, terrorists take over the airport, intending to free their ally from a plane without interference. Unfortunately for them, McClane is at the same airport, and his wife is in the air aboard one of the planes running out of fuel. McClane must eliminate the terrorists and find a way to safely land the planes.

Once again, McClane is thrust into a mess similar to the first film, with a comparable setting. Just like before, he starts out carefree but ends up battered and bruised by the end. The action is relentless, and McClane’s determination keeps you hooked.

The production cost of this movie was three times that of the original Die Hard (1988), but it nearly doubled the box office earnings of its predecessor. Released in 1990, Die Hard 2 was a commercial success and received positive reviews, though it didn’t achieve the same critical acclaim as the first film. That said, if you’ve enjoyed the excitement of the original, there’s no reason not to dig into this sequel.

After Die Hard 2, 20th Century Fox waited five years to bring McClane back in Die Hard with aVengeance (1995). The franchise continued with Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). And, of course, through it all, McClane never fails to drop his iconic “Yippee kai yay, motherfu@#er” as he takes down the bad guys.