Die Hard and Die Hard 2 are actual Die Hard films. 3 and 4 are just 'Generic Bruce Willis Action Blockbuster' movies with the actual character of John McClane nowhere to be seen. Seriously, they are no different from Striking Distance or that one where Bruce had to protect a retarded math genius kid.
Die Hard 3 goes way off the rails. Yes, John McTiernan is awesome but Die Hard 3 ain't. C'mon, Hans Gruber's brother? And he orders Willis around NYC with riddles? "Fill my jugs full of water, my pretty, and perhaps I will reveal my diabolical plan!"."Go to Yankee Stadium and look under a chair!" "What is 21 out of 42?"
Like, huh? When did Die Hard turn into this? What a load of toss. It might as well be an old Batman episode with Burgess Meredith as the villian.
The whole movie from start to finish is cliched up the ass. Alcoholic burnt-out detective whose supervisor threatens to suspend him all the time. Dorky but heroic bomb expert. Cops relate to each other only by telling each other to go f**k themselves. Sam Jackson is the funny negro sidekick who hates white people.
You're supposed to care about John McClane in these movies. Not a million sub-par side characters. Like when the bomb expert bravely tells his boss "I'm staying" to defuse the bomb in the school and possibly die along with it, WHO CARES? Sure dude, you go ahead and die if you want. The audience don't give two craps about you buddy. And the funny truck driver in the aquaduct tunnel. And the funny black woman in the 911 call centre. And the funny, uptight, casually racist taxi passenger. And Sam Jackson's funny, slightly retarded nephews. And the funny detectives who drop one-liners. And the funny terrorists dressed as cops who don't want to leave the bomb on the pavement because "some kid could...". IT'S TOO GODDAMN MUCH.
In summary, Die Hard 3 sucks. And Die Hard 4 is slightly worse.
Die Hard 3 is the best Die Hard film of them all hands down. John McClane is awesome, pair him with Zeus and holy lepping huck! there is a combo that just engages brilliance like no other. The only way this film could have been more awesome is if both John and Zeus wore three wolf shirts during the movie.
Die Hard with a Vengeance is a much better movie than Die Hard 2. Live Free or Die Hard is as well. Die Hard 2 is nothing more than a hastily made rehash to cash in on a great movie.
In fact, I have always stated how it would be a more respectable franchise if 2 didn't exist. Nothing can compare to the original, and I am not a fan of movie sequels in general but it would have been cool to have Die Hard, With a Vengeance and Live Free as the trilogy, all almost a decade apart and each one ramping up the action and scope of the last.
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