“Die Hard 2” directed by Renny Harlin; starring Bruce Willis / Z-View
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Director: Renny Harlin
Screenplay: Steven E. de Souza, Doug Richardson; based on 58 MINUTES by Walter Wagner
Stars: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, Reginald VelJohnson, Franco Nero, William Sadler, Dennis Franz, Art Evans, Fred Thompson, Tom Bower, Sheila McCarthy, Don Harvey, Tony Ganios, Robert Patrick, John Leguizamo and John Amos.
Tagline: Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Same John McClane
The Plot…
Christmas Eve two years after the events at Nakatomi Tower. John McClane is now a lieutenant with the LAPD.
While waiting to pick up his wife at the at Dulles International Airport, McClane notices two men sneaking into a restricted area. McClane pulls his police ID and follows. When McClane identifies himself, the two men pull guns and begin shooting. McClane returns fire. After a short gun battle, McClane kills one. The second man escapes.
McClane meets with Carmine Lorenzo airport police chief, and Ed Trudeau, air traffic control director. McClane is concerned that the two men were part of a bigger team planning a major terrorist attack. Neither Lorenzo or Trudeau are willing to accept that.
McClane is right. What nobody knows is the Ramon Esperanza, a cartel drug lord, is in custody. He’s on a plane headed for Dulles International. A squad of ex-military mercenaries led by disgraced US Colonel William Stuart have plans to liberate Esperanza. It will be up to McClane to stop them.
What chance does one cop have against a group of heavily armed terrorists? Anyone remember Nakatomi Tower?
Yippi-Ki-Yay, mother*******.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
Die Hard 2 is loosely based on the Walter Wagner novel 58 MINUTES. A lot was changed for the film. Don’t read the book expecting Die Hard 2 the movie.
Die Hard was loosely based on Roderick Thorp’s novel NOTHING LASTS FOREVER. Thorp was given credit in Die Hard 2 for creating “certain original characters”. His name was misspelled as Thorpe in the credits.
Because Willis’ ad-libbed many of the most popular lines in Die Hard, he was given free reign to ad-lib all he wanted in Die Hard 2.
Die Hard 2 did almost twice the box office of Die Hard. This insured that the franchise would continue.
Roman Esperanza, the drug lord, was said to be from Val Verde. This is the same fictional country used in Commando. John McClane and John Matrix could have teamed up!
Die Hard 2 is a worthy follow-up to the original.
Die Hard 2 (1990) rates 4 of 5 stars