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Die Hard 2

Die Hard 2

Action · Thriller · 1990

One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a snowy Christmas Eve, as he waits for his wife's plane to land at Washington Dulles International Airport, terrorists take over the air traffic control system in a plot to free a South American army general and drug smuggler being flown into the US to face drug charges. It's now up to McClane to take on the terrorists, while coping with an inept airport police chief, an uncooperative anti-terrorist squad, and the life of his wife and everyone else trapped in planes circling overhead.

Movie details

Die Hard 2

“Die harder.”

1990 Action · Thriller 2h 4m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a snowy Christmas Eve, as he waits for his wife's plane to land at Washington Dulles International Airport, terrorists take over the air traffic control system in a plot to free a South American army general and drug smuggler being flown into the US to face drug charges. It's now up to McClane to take on the terrorists, while coping with an inept airport police chief, an uncooperative anti-terrorist squad, and the life of his wife and everyone else trapped in planes circling overhead.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Die Hard 2?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Renny Harlin

Written by

Doug Richardson · Steven E. de Souza

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis

John McClane

Bonnie Bedelia

Bonnie Bedelia

Holly McClane

William Sadler

William Sadler

Stuart

John Amos

John Amos

Major Grant

Franco Nero

Franco Nero

General Ramon Esperanza

William Atherton

William Atherton

Richard Thornberg

Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz

Capt. Carmine Lorenzo

Court is in session

Put Die Hard 2 on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.