April 05, 2022
'Die Hard 2'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey are pissing in somebody's pool, and they're fresh out of chlorine. They celebrate Bruce Willis as John McClane in 'Die Hard 2', also starring William Sadler and Dennis Franz.
Cast
Bruce Willis as John McClane
William Sadler as Colonel Stuart
Franco Nero as General Ramon Esperanza
John Amos as Major Grant
Dennis Franz as Captain Carmine Lorenzo
Bonnie Bedelia as Holly McClane
William Atherton as Dick Thornburg
Fred Thompson as Trudeau
Robert Patrick as O'Reilly
Colm Meaney as Pilot Windsor
John Leguizamo as Burke
Directed by: Renny Harlin
Written by: Steven E. de Souza
Produced by: Joel Silver
Notes
- Recorded shortly after Bruce Willis announced his retirement from acting due to aphasia.
- Budget: $70 million; grossed $240 million worldwide ($117 million domestic). 8th highest-grossing film of 1990.
- John McTiernan was supposed to direct but had committed to The Hunt for Red October.
- Val Verde is the same fictional country from 'Commando' – Joel Silver reused it.
- First film to use digitally composited live-action footage with a matte painting.
- William Sadler didn't realize he'd have to be naked for the Tai Chi scene; asked to film it near the end so he could get in shape for 2 months.
- John Leguizamo's role was intended to be much larger until filmmakers realized how short he was.
- John Amos said there was actual tension with Bruce Willis on set: 'Let's just say that he will never humiliate me in public again.'
- Black & Decker paid for product placement of a cordless drill; the scene was cut, so they sued Fox for $150,000 and settled out of court.
- The film was shipped to theaters as a 'wet print' – completed right before the release date.
- The wide aspect ratio hurt it during the pan-and-scan VHS/cable era but plays better on modern widescreen TVs.
- Steven E. de Souza admitted the plot borrowed from the Iran-Contra scandal / Manuel Noriega.
Categories
Roger Ebert's review
Quote from Rog's review:
“I categorize it as a bruised-forearm movie, because when it's over, your forearm is black and blue from where your date has been grabbing it during the moments of suspense.”
- Ebert called it 'terrific entertainment.'
- Gene Siskel also had it in his top 5 or 6 of the year.
Most re-watchable scene
- McClane fighting two guys in the security-restricted baggage area – great use of cluttered environment.
- Carmine Lorenzo meets McClane – 'What sets off the metal detectors first, the lead in your ass or the shit in your brains?'
- The plane crash – 'the craziest and most horrifying scene in the history of action movies' but more memorable than rewatchable.
- The ending: blowing up the plane on the runway and using the fuel trail to guide planes in.
What aged the best?
- Naked Tai Chi – William Sadler's villain-establishing nude scene.
- The 'that guy' cast – unprecedented number of character actors who later became bigger names.
- 'How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?' – the self-aware line sampled on Positive K's 'I Got a Man.'
- Airport at Christmas vibe – the chaos, misery, people drinking at bars.
- The widescreen format now plays better on modern TVs than it did in the pan-and-scan era.
What aged the worst?
- The plane crash trauma coming and going in 2.5 minutes – 200+ people incinerated and everyone moves on. Post-9/11 this is especially jarring.
- Lax airport security – people at gates, walking into air traffic control, no TSA.
- Smoking cigarettes indoors at the airport.
- The TV reporter casting (Sheila McCarthy as Samantha Coleman).
Over-acting award
Dennis Franz – 'I almost wonder if Pacino watched Franz in this movie studying to get ready to play Vincent Hanna.'
Best "that guy"
- Don Harvey and Art Evans – Bill gave them both the award (didn't know either name but would recognize them immediately).
- Other mentions: Robert Costanzo, Mark Boone Jr., Vondie Curtis-Hall, Colm Meaney.
Apex Mountain
- Renny Harlin: his most commercially successful film, though hosts love The Long Kiss Goodnight and 'Cliffhanger'.
- Bonnie Bedelia: 1990 was as good as it got ('Die Hard 2' + Presumed Innocent).
- Dennis Franz: no – NYPD Blue is his apex.
- Val Verde (the fictional country): no – 'Commando' is still apex because you actually go there.
- Icicle stabbing in movies: yes.
Picking nits
- The confusing plot – hosts spent 4+ minutes trying to understand why domestic terrorists would kill hundreds to free a foreign drug general.
- Stuart says 'three grenades' but you see 5+ get thrown.
- The jet fuel at the end would not have caught fire from a lighter at that temperature.
- McClane shooting blanks at Dennis Franz instead of just showing him the blue tape.
- Planes circling instead of diverting – D.C. has other airports nearby.
Re-casting couch
The TV reporter Samantha Coleman (Sheila McCarthy) – suggestions: Markie Post, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Sandra Bullock.
What memorabilia would you want (or not want!) from the movie?
- The white snow suits the bad guys wear.
- The gun with blanks and blue tape.
- Bruce Willis's early-90s shawl-collar sweater.
Who won the movie?
Bruce Willis – 'He did it again.'