Movie Monday with Fred!-Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

 

This Monday Fred recommends: Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

I had sat down the other day for the annual Christmas viewing of Die Hard. And while I think it's one of the greatest actions movies ever made, it got me thinking about the rest of the franchise. And I think it's save to say that the first one is the best, and the fifth one is by far the worst, there's those middle three movies that tend to shift and movie for everyone on how good they are. 

Die Hard 2 (1990) while fun feels a little cartoony to me at times; nothing crazy, but the one-liners and quips are a little more goofy. But overall it's a fun movie, it just has a little too much repetition from the first movie for its own good. 

Then there's Live Free or Die Hard (2007) that could have an argument made for being possibly underrated. I think it's a really fun movie (and maybe I might do a post about at some point). but there are some things that hold it back. Firstly, it being PG-13 was a massive mistake. This franchise should always be R rated, and while they released that version on DVD, it's theatrical release was the watered down version. Secondly, while the action set pieces are a lot of fun, they do tend to be a little over the top and outlandish. And the third thing is the villain isn't the most memorable; though I remember them more that the ones from A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).

But between those films is Die Hard With a Vengeance, and I maybe crazy here, but it feels like this movie isn't as highly regarded as I feel like it should be. At least it doesn't get as talked about as much.

After a bomb is set off in New York, the terrorist makes a demand; to play a game of "Simon Says" with John McClane (Bruce Willis). Pulled from his suspension, while hung over, he must team up with a local store own, Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson), to play the deadly game Simon (Jeremy Irons) has laid out for them. If they fail, he will detonate more bombs around the city.

I gotta say, this has to up there with one of my favorite action movies. The pacing hits the ground running and never lets up until the credits are rolling! Though, unfortunately, that comes at a slight cost; the character development. Where the first film had a better balance of action scenes and good character beats for most of its major players, this one is a little more focused on the action.

But that action is some of the very best in the series. Frantic car chases through crowded New York streets, a brutal (and bloody) shootout in a closed elevator and a bomb on a subway train are just some of the highlights for me. 

On top of that, I enjoy the riddles McClane and Zeus have to work together in order to solve along the way. They may not be deep head-scratchers, but I like when movies give out riddles you can try and solve along with the characters. Though, I must admit, the water jug puzzle still loses me every time I see it. Good thing, I'm not the one that had to solve it!

The cast here are all good! Bruce Willis brings McClane back to that every-man vision (with every-man problems) we watched at the start of the first movie. And that's what the other sequels seemed to forget about the character: he's not supposed to be an over-the-top action hero; he's just supposed to be a normal guy caught in an extraordinary situation.

Samuel L. Jackson is good as Zeus, the reluctant store owner forced to team up with McClane. He just doesn't have a lot going on beyond that. Again, the pacing doesn't allow enough time for some of the characters to grow. But he still gets quite a few memorable scenes with Willis, and they play off each other well enough, that you kind of overlook that fault.

And Jeremy Irons as Simon has a menacing presence over the film from the start, and he doesn't show up physically until around an hour in! He is, by far, my second favorite franchise villain after Hans Gruber. Which is fitting given the connection those two characters have. 

Then behind the camera you have John McTiernan returning to direct this sequel. And once again proves that when he is on his game, he can direct the hell out of a movie. He is responsible for some of the best action movies of the 80s and 90s. Every thing from Predator (1987) to Die Hard (1988) in the 80s. And then The Hunt for Red October(1990), Die Hard With a Vengeance(1995) and Last Action Hero(1993) (that is a very underrated movie and I will die on that hill!) and The 13th Warrior (1999) in the 90s. 

 

Simon Says, go give this movie another chance if you haven't seen it in a while. And let me know in the comments what you thought of Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)!

And we'll be back next time with another Movie Monday with Fred! Until then I hope everyone is having a great day!