DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE
A film review by Michael J. Legeros
Copyright 1995 Michael J. Legeros
(Fox)
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by Jonathan Hensleigh
Cast Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson,
Graham Greene, Colleen Camp, Larry Bryggman, Sam
Phillips
MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for language and violence)
Running Time 125 minutes
Reviewed at Wynnsong Cinema 10, Durham, NC (19MAY95)
==
Time has worked in favor of DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE, the first gas- guzzling action sequel of the summer. We've had over five years to forget the formulas of both DIE HARD (1988) and DIE HARDER (1990), so we don't really notice that the new film isn't set at Christmastime, and that it doesn't involve the character of McClane's wife. We've also forgotten the *follies* of the first films-- such as continuity errors and tone problems. (Remember the Pacific Bell telephones in DIE HARD 2?) So, even with the original DIE HARD director John McTiernan back at the helm, the new DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE feels different-- like a second-cousin to the source material. And it feels fresh, thanks to a strong cast, a great plot, and the best location for filming on the face of the earth.
Bruce Willis is back as John McClane, the New York cop known for ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. These days he's not doing too well-- he's on suspension, estranged from his wife, and suffering from a hangover that lasts the entire film. His salvation from self-destruct- ion is a Harlem repair-shop owner (Samuel L. Jackson), who becomes McClane's reluctant partner in a battle of wits against a riddle-toting bomber (Jeremy Irons). Jackson's character seems to be written as McClane's "human side," but their relationship is never adequately fleshed-out. They don't bond. The casting of aristocratic actor Jeremy Irons as the villain is a nice touch, though. He has a grand old time hacking his way through a bad German accent, even if he isn't terribly, ahem, animated.
The plot of DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE plays more like a caper-film than anything else. The superbly staged action sequences are little more than bookends to a marvelously intricate heist that recalls a certain 1964 James Bond film. The car chases and subway explosions are a gas, to be sure, but what's really neat is watching the bad guys march right through Wall Street in an audacious daylight robbery. (The rest of the plot has Willis et al tracking down chemical bombs. Its an amusing division.)
Not surprisingly, DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE runs low on steam at the end. When the caper concludes, all that's left is for the bad guys to get theirs. Unfortunately, the last two sequences, involving a ship and a helicopter, are rushed and they don't deliver the expected emotional payoff. Instead of flash, its a fizzle. The movie just ends. There are other examples of bad editing, such as the many small plot details that need more explanation. For example, just how *does* McClane manage to muster cross-jurisdictional support at the very end of the story? A tighter film (ala SPEED) wouldn't care, but DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is too big for that sort of nonsense. Blame the rushed production schedule.
The most enjoyable aspect of DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is, of course, New York City. The villains blow up Wall Street, the heroes careen through Central Park, and everyone keeps asking about last night's lotto. There's flourish after flourish, from spectators gawking at fire engines to dump-truck drivers who know obscure presidential trivia. For a good ninety minutes, Bruce, Sam, and Jeremy play opposite the film's most colorful character, the City. Who can say what's more exciting, subway trains exploding, or *New York* subway trains exploding?
BOTTOM LINE: Badly edited, but still the best New York movie in a
while. One question, where's Andrew Guiliani?
Grade: B+
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