Die Hard with a Vengeance
Rent & Buy
New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.
What critics thought
Mixed reviews greeted the third Die Hard at release, with critics broadly enjoying the Willis-Jackson dynamic and McTiernan's individual set pieces while arguing the film runs out of ideas and momentum before it reaches the finish line. The gap between contemporary critical opinion and lasting audience affection is real — retrospective rankings have repeatedly called it the best sequel in the franchise, a verdict that sits well above what 1995 reviewers were willing to give it.
“Die Hard with a Vengeance is basically a wind-up action toy, cleverly made, and delivered with high energy. It delivers just what it advertises, with a vengeance.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“McTiernan stages individual sequences with great finesse... they don't add up to a taut, dread-ridden whole”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“Die Hard with a Vengeance is better than Die Hard 2, but not as good as the peerless original. Though it's breathless fun, the film runs out of steam in the last act. And Jeremy Irons' villain isn't fit to tie Alan Rickman's shoelaces.”
Ian Nathan·Empire
“even a subpar adventure won't kill this series, as the pic's built-in audience will make it a major summer attraction, if perhaps one lacking quite the stamina of the first two movies”
Brian Lowry·Variety
Genres
Action, Adventure, Thriller
Cast & Crew
John McTiernanDirector
Bruce WillisJohn McClane
Jeremy IronsSimon
Samuel L. JacksonZeus Carver
Larry BryggmanChief Walter Cobb
Graham GreeneJoe Lambert
Anthony PeckRicky Walsh
Nicholas WymanMathias Targo
Kevin ChamberlinCharles Weiss
Colleen CampConnie Kowalski
Sam PhillipsKatya
Aldis HodgeRaymond
Michael KamenComposer
Jonathan HensleighWriter
Peter Menzies Jr.CinematographyDie Hard with a Vengeance
New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.
What critics thought
Mixed reviews greeted the third Die Hard at release, with critics broadly enjoying the Willis-Jackson dynamic and McTiernan's individual set pieces while arguing the film runs out of ideas and momentum before it reaches the finish line. The gap between contemporary critical opinion and lasting audience affection is real — retrospective rankings have repeatedly called it the best sequel in the franchise, a verdict that sits well above what 1995 reviewers were willing to give it.
“Die Hard with a Vengeance is basically a wind-up action toy, cleverly made, and delivered with high energy. It delivers just what it advertises, with a vengeance.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“McTiernan stages individual sequences with great finesse... they don't add up to a taut, dread-ridden whole”
Owen Gleiberman·Entertainment Weekly
“Die Hard with a Vengeance is better than Die Hard 2, but not as good as the peerless original. Though it's breathless fun, the film runs out of steam in the last act. And Jeremy Irons' villain isn't fit to tie Alan Rickman's shoelaces.”
Ian Nathan·Empire
“even a subpar adventure won't kill this series, as the pic's built-in audience will make it a major summer attraction, if perhaps one lacking quite the stamina of the first two movies”
Brian Lowry·Variety
Genres
Action, Adventure, Thriller
Cast & Crew
John McTiernanDirectorBruce WillisJohn McClaneJeremy IronsSimonSamuel L. JacksonZeus CarverLarry BryggmanChief Walter CobbGraham GreeneJoe LambertAnthony PeckRicky WalshNicholas WymanMathias TargoKevin ChamberlinCharles WeissColleen CampConnie KowalskiSam PhillipsKatyaAldis HodgeRaymondMichael KamenComposerJonathan HensleighWriterPeter Menzies Jr.CinematographyRent & Buy