Die Hard With A Vengeance
review by David G.
Rated R
Running Time: 131 Minutes
Starring: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L.
Jackson
Screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh
Directed by John McTiernan
Retail Price: 29.98
Studio: Fox
Specs: Non-Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1, 5.1 Dolby
Digital English, Dolby Surround English, Dolby Surround
French, English and Spanish subtitles, Chapter Search,
Animated Menus
Who says that same s**t does not happen to the same guy
the third time around? McClane (Bruce willis) our favorite
New York City cop is back in this third Die Hard. And this
time, he is the toy of a certain Simon (Jeremy Irons) who
wants McClane to do different things like walking threw
Harlem with a mean panel marked on his back or solving
riddles. Otherwise, Simon will blow a public place. McClane
will be helped in this bad day by the unwilling Zeus (Samuel
L. Jackson). Of course, nobody guesses that Simon has
another goal than just playing with McClane.
Many movies have surfed on the wave initiated by the
first "Die Hard", and at my knowledge no one of them managed
to be as great as it is. We had to wait until 1995 to, at
last, watch a movie with even a superior quality and we
weren't surprised to hear that the director was John
McTiernan who already made the first "Die Hard". Tthe story
doesn't take place in a unique place in contrast of the last
two, but the whole New York is the principal scene of the
movie. With impressive directing, New York has never looking
so huge or so realistic. McTiernan decided also to break the
path constructed by himself 7 years ago, by shooting the
action with an arm-carried camera, making this blockbuster
looking like an experimental movie. But McTiernan is
talented enough to capture all information in this apparent
confusion and the precision of the screenplay contribute to
make this movie a masterpiece more in the McTiernan's
filmography.
However, there is one huge default: the ending. The
original director's cut did not have this ending but the
studio didn't like it and forced McTiernan to shoot another
one. At Chapter 24 on the DVD, you realize all is lost. What
a pity!
"Die Hard with a Vengeance" is presented in
non-anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1 format and although the
picture seems a little granular, it's all part of the
documentary look wanted by the director. The colors are well
contrasted too. The movie looks great!
The 5.1 Dolby Digital English is incredible. It's simple:
with this DVD you are in the action, you are in the traffic
jam, you are in the crowd. Being French I have to complain
once more about the French soundtrack. In effect, the
dubbing really, really sucks and that manages to spoil this
wonderful movie. This dubbing joins with Cliffhanger and Bad
Boys (those being the worst).
The three discs of the trilogy are built on the same
scheme: trailers for each "Die Hard" movie, a slide show
with barely 10 pictures, a useless featurette and some cast
bios. For this disc, I would have liked to seen the Deleted
Scenes that seem so interesting. Maybe one day a special
edition will be released. Let's pray.
A action movie classic to join with the first Die Hard as
the ultimate action movies ever made.
Now a riddle: How to fill precisely a five gallons jug
with four gallons of water when you have only a three gallon
jug? Don't know? Watch the movie for the answer.
 (4.5/5, NOT included in
final score)
 (4/5)
(4/5)
 (2/5)
(4/5,
NOT an average)
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