Die Hard With a Vengeance

John McTiernan returns to director’s chair with this third Die Hard outing, and although the film is grittier and far more cinematically polished than Die Hard 2, Die Hard With a Vengeance is ultimately a far cry from the almost flawless original. That Bruce Willis’ John McClane has been transformed into a grizzled alcoholic is nothing short of baffling, as the character was in a much happier place at the close of part 2 (he had transferred into the LAPD and everything). Such concerns quickly become moot, however, as the plot starts to kick in and McClane – along with Samuel L. Jackson’s Zeus – is thrust into a series of increasingly precarious action sequences (some of which certainly rival anything within the series in terms of pure excitement). But McTiernan – working from Jonathan Hensleigh’s screenplay – tries just a little too hard to replicate the original’s emphasis on the central villain’s exploits, and there’s little doubt that most scenes revolving around baddie Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) fall completely flat (ie the guy just isn’t that interesting, nor are his many cohorts). The uneven vibe persists throughout much of the film’s admittedly overlong running time, with the shockingly anti-climactic conclusion certainly leaving the proceedings with an unusually bad aftertaste. Still, Willis remains as compelling a figure as ever and the movie is ultimately closer in spirit to the original than the first sequel.

*** out of ****