A 90s action thriller hailed as ‘bombastic’ is streaming for free right now on BBC iPlayer.
Seven years after Die Hard hit our screens, Die Hard with a Vengeance was released, the third film in the acclaimed franchise following 1990’s Die Hard 2.
Bruce Willis reprised his role as John McClane in a cast rounded out by Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Graham Greene, Colleen Camp, Larry Bryggman, and Sam Phillips.
It follows McClane as he becomes embroiled in a mysterious terrorist plot orchestrated by a shadowy figure, Simon (Irons), threatening to detonate several bombs across New York.
McClane partners with shopkeeper Zeus Carver (Jackson) to uncover Simon’s plot and stop him before thousands are killed.
The film proved a box office success, grossing $366.1 million (£272M) worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.
It was followed by a further two sequels, Live Free or Die Hard in 2007 and A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013.
Die Hard with a Vengeance received lacklustre reviews at the time of its release, but over the decades, it has been critically reassessed and has even been dubbed ‘the best sequel of all time.’
It holds a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics’ consensus reading: ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance benefits from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson’s barbed interplay, but clatters to a bombastic finish in a vain effort to cover for an overall lack of fresh ideas.’
In their review, The Independent said: ‘The first 40 minutes of the movie contain the most giddy and intoxicating action scenes you’ll find in any cinema this summer.’
The Cinephile Hissy Fit podcast went as far as to say ‘there are times we like this one more than the original,’ while Gone With The Twins said it was ‘fast-paced, regularly thrilling, and with a greater serving of wisecracks.’
Movie Mom wrote: ‘The best of the Die Hard movies — Jackson and Willis are terrific together.’
Where to stream all of the Die Hard movies in the UK
- Die Hard – Disney Plus
- Die Hard 2 – Disney Plus
- Die Hard with a Vengeance – BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus
- Live Free or Die Hard – ITVX and Disney Plus
- A Good Day to Die Hard – Disney Plus
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone added: ‘It’s a tense, terrifically funny action dazzler with a wow level in special effects that will be hard to top.’
Earlier this year, Jackson, 76, revealed the invaluable advice he received from Willis, 70, while filming Die Hard with a Vengeance.
‘He told me, “Hopefully you’ll be able to find a character that, when you make bad movies and they don’t make any money, you can always go back to this character everybody loves,” the Hollywood icon told Vanity Fair.
‘He said, “Arnold’s got Terminator. Sylvester’s got Rocky, Rambo. I’ve got John McClane.” I’m like, “Oh, okay.” And it didn’t occur to me until I got that Nick Fury role—and I had a nine-picture deal to be Nick Fury—that, Oh, I’m doing what Bruce said. I’ve got this character now.’
Die Hard with a Vengeance is streaming now on BBC iPlayer
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