Think Fast. Look alive. Die Hard.
Following the box office disappointment that was Last Action Hero, McTiernan set his eyes upon returning to the series that made him a force to be reckoned with; to the series that made his career and the career of Bruce Willis; to the series that redefined the action movie. In 1995, John McTiernan returned to the directing chair for Die Hard with a Vengeance.
Watching Vengeance it becomes clear what a good action director McTiernan is. While not as good as the original, it is far superior to the first sequel Die Hard 2. Part 2, directed by Renny Harlin, is not a bad film, and is still better than a lot of the crap that is passed off for action these days but pales in comparison to both the first and third film. McTiernan brings a level of confidence and fluidity to his action that Harlin could only dream about.
Vengeance takes place in New York, starts with an explosion and sets about a high stakes game of cat and mouse with Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Jeremy Irons. There are explosions and chases and fights and one liners and even a few moments of tender and touching moments. But most of all, Die Hard with a Vengeance is an action packed roller coaster ride of a movie that in true McTiernan style barely gives you room to breathe.
Not that the first Die Hard was completely serious, but here the comedy is greater and more in the foreground of this film. In Last Action Hero McTiernan satirized the action film and all the elements that went along with them. In Vengeance it seems that he's taken that satire and used it subliminally within his second take of Detective John McClane's saga. This is a clever move as the aftermath of Die Hard had left a wake of so many copycats that the genre was beginning to feel stale. To make a third Die Hard one must realize that it is an absurd proposition to say that this could be happening a third time to the same guy. But the film never takes itself seriously and allows for that satire and general humor to liven up the pace and ease up the tension of the action (and it doesn't hurt that the ingenious story allows for McClane to be integral to the plot).
The acting throughout the film is top notch, with a few minor performances regulated to the background that aren't up to the standards of the rest of the cast. Jackson, Irons and Willis are terrific and Irons makes an almost as good bad guy as Alan Rickman did in the first film and a much better villain than in the second instalment. McTiernan knows how to direct actors and has no problem pulling out expert performances from them.
Michael Kamen returns to the chair as composer and creates a score that has echoes of the original score but is completely new, original and just as thrilling. While not as memorable as the original's the theme is still one that has stuck in my head since I first saw this film in theatres. The cinematography is up to the usual McTiernan standards by which I mean excellent; sweeping shots, great angles, fluid, and eye-pleasingly framed.
The editing is tight, and while the film runs over two hours it sure doesn't feel like it. The costumes work well, and considering the film was shoot 17 years ago you would think the scenes in Harlem would date the film, but they don't. The Harlam hoods look like they would look today, which as I say often, is always a good thing. The make-up is good too, with Jackson and Willis gradually looking more and more tired and destroyed as the movie progresses. And there is an ample amount of blood in the film, although it does feel held back compared to the first part (and even the second).
With Die Hard with a Vengeance, John McTiernan officially solidified himself as one of the greatest living action directors, one who could give the visually stunning but overrated Michael Bay a lesson or two. Like almost all his other films, Vengeance is an action packed thrill ride that can be watched over and over and will keep you laughing and entertained each time. I saw Vengeance three times n the theater on it's original release, a few times on VHS, a few more times on DVD and stop and watch it whenever I see it is on TV.
When it comes to action, John McTiernan is the man! Yippie Kay Yay!!!
Film Rating: 83%
Breakdown (How Last Action Hero scored 83%):
Production Design: 9 out of 10
Cinematography: 8 out of 10
Re-playability: 9 out of 10
Originality: 7 out of 10
Costumes: 8 out of 10
Directing: 9 out of 10
Editing: 8 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Music: 9 out of 10
Script: 8 out of 10
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