Die Hard With A Vengeance (DVD 2002)

Once again, Willis is back in is his role of the uncompromising, street wise, no nonsense New York cop, John McClane. But this time, McClane is partnered up with an unwitting, Samuel L Jackson. Yes, OK it is starting to smell like another Lethal Weapon movie, but wait, there’s more.

Along comes Jeremy Irons, who for me, and I am a massive Willis fan, steals the whole movie. This guy is true class. Irons plays the brother of Hans Gruber, Alan Rickmans character from the first movie, and baby Gruber is out for revenge, for the killing of his big brother, or so we are meant to believe.

I was disappointed at not seeing William Athertons Dick Thornburg character getting puched again, for me, Die Hard without ‘Thornburg’ being punched, is like McClane without a dirty vest.

The movie marries and superb twisting plot line with some incredible action scenes, and a few almost believable but equally stunning stunts. And coupled with the special effects, this makes this movie, the liveliest of the three. If they had only put the same effort into the second movie.

My only major disappointment with this (15) version, is the cutting of the elevator (lift) scene, where Willis, in the original, takes on three bad guys, resulting in true Die Hard carnage. Unfortunately this scene was so badly cut that, I think by a four year old with play scissors, that if you haven’t seen the original, you are left bemused, scratching your head, wondering what just happened.

Still it’s a great movie, and one for your Die Hard collection, until the proper version is released.