Die Hard With a Vengeance
"'Cause I know the man, I know the family. The only thing better than blowing up a hundred billion dollars worth of gold is making people think you did." - John McClane
release year: 1995
genre: action
viewing setting: home Bluray 7/20/13
synopsis: A group of terrorists manipulates hard-luck cop John McClane and the NYPD while pursuing a hidden agenda.
impressions: This was decent, but the early portion was often slow and painful to watch. I see enough of racial issues in this country every day without having to constantly be reminded about it via the dialogue between the two main characters. Anyway, once the actual goal of the bad guys was revealed and got set in motion, the movie became more entertaining for me. There was less gunplay and witty banter than in the first two movies.
body count: 17
acting: Bruce Willis is playing the same character he played in the first two movies (and basically The Last Boy Scout too) - a weary but tough veteran cop who notices odd things and never backs down. Samuel Jackson is the bitter, racist shop owner who gets drawn into the plot and must co-operate with people he wouldn't normally give a damn about. Jeremy Irons is the lean, mean foreign head bad guy. Sam Phillips is a non-speaking but lethal evil henchwoman. Larry Bryggman is McClane's often-exasperated boss.
final word: Worth seeing, but drags at times; weakest entry in the series to that point.
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