Wikipedia

Die Hard with a Vengeance

Die Hard with a Vengeanceis a 1995 Americanaction thriller filmdirected byJohn McTiernanand written byJonathan Hensleigh,which is based on the screenplaySimon Saysby Hensleigh andthe characterscreated byRoderick Thorpfor his 1979 novelNothing Lasts Forever.Die Hard with a Vengeanceis the third film in theDie Hardfilm seriesafterDie Hard 2and was later followed byLive Free or Die HardandA Good Day to Die Hard.

Die Hard with a Vengeance
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn McTiernan
Screenplay byJonathan Hensleigh
Based on
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPeter Menzies Jr.
Edited byJohn Wright
Music byMichael Kamen
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century Fox(United States, Canada and Japan)[1]
Cinergi Productions (International)[a]
Release date
  • May 19, 1995(1995-05-19)(United States)
Running time
128 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$90 million[4]
Box office$366.1 million[4]

The film starsBruce WillisasNYPDLieutenantJohn McClaneandSamuel L. Jacksonas McClane's reluctant partner Zeus Carver. McClane and Carver team up to stop an East German terrorist group headed by "Simon" (Jeremy Irons), who have planted bombs acrossNew York Cityand plot to steal thegold bullionof theFederal Reserve Bank of New York.The film was released on May 19, 1995, and it initially received mixed reviews and becamethe highest-grossing film of the year.

Plot

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TheBonwit Tellerdepartment store inNew York Cityis blown up by a bomb during themorning commute.A man identifying himself as "Simon" telephones theNew York City Police Department(NYPD) and claims responsibility. Making demands in the form of a 'Simon Says' game, he threatens to detonate another bomb unless Lt.John McClaneis sent toHarlemwearing an intentionally provocativesandwich board.The NYPD comply and send McClane to Harlem, where he is confronted by an electrician and shop owner named Zeus Carver. McClane explains his situation before a group of gang members also confront McClane over his sign. Carver intervenes and saves McClane, and they escape in a taxi.

They arrive at1 Police Plaza,where Simon demands that the pair follow a timed challenge or he will set off more bombs. They agree and McClane eventually boards the3 trainheading towards theWall Street stationin order to defuse a bomb that Simon planted on it. Carver arrives at the station before McClane finds the bomb and throws it on the tracks just as it explodes. McClane and Carver regroup with the NYPD and meet someFBIandCIAagents, who initially inform the pair that Simon is "Peter Krieg", amercenaryand formercolonelin theNational People's Army.They then reveal that Krieg's real name is Simon Peter Gruber, the brother ofHans Gruber,who McClane killed years earlier inLos Angeles.[b]

Simon then places another call to the NYPD, informing them that he has planted an explosive in one of the city'selementary schoolswhich is set to explode once class ends and can be triggered by the same radio frequencies utilized by law enforcement. Simon offers to give the authorities the school's location if McClane and Carver follow another timed challenge, warning that he will detonate the explosive if any evacuation attempts are carried out. While the pair solve Simon's next challenge, the NYPD begin to search all elementary schools in the city. McClane realizes that Simon is attempting to distract the NYPD away fromWall Street,which has no schools, and travels to theFederal Reserve Bank of New York Building.He discovers that Simon's men have stolen $140 billion ofgold bullionfrom its vault usingdump trucks.He follows the trucks into the under-constructionNew York City Water Tunnel No. 3while Carver continues Simon's challenges.

Simon blows up acofferdamto flood the tunnel, but McClane escapes and reunites with Carver. Surviving a car chase with Simon's men, the pair find all the men were carrying exactly enough money to pay abridge toll.The pair sneak aboard atankerdocked in theLong Island Sound,but Simon's associates capture them and tie them up next to a bomb. Simon explains that his school threat was fake and broadcasts a message claiming that he is planning on destroying the tanker filled with the bullion to destabilize theWestern world's economy. After he leaves, Carver and McClane free themselves and escape the tanker just before the bomb detonates. As McClane and Carver are debriefed by the NYPD, McClane informs them that none of the bullion Simon's men stole was in the tanker'scargo hold,having deduced that Simon had intended to keep all of it for himself, using his knowledge of the Gruber family'smodus operandi.

While attempting to place a call to his estranged wife Holly, McClane glances at a bottle ofaspiringiven to him by Simon onboard the tanker and notices that it was purchased at atruck stopinQuebecon theCanada–United States border.McClane informs the NYPD of his discovery, and joins them and Carver as they rush towards a warehouse near the truck stop where Simon and his men are redistributing the bullion and planning their escape. The rest of Simon's men are quickly apprehended by law enforcement personnel, though Simon and his girlfriend Katya attempt to escape in a helicopter, attacking McClane. McClane shoots at an overhead power line which falls onto the helicopter, causing it to crash and explode, killing Simon and Katya. While they are celebrating their triumph, Carver persuades McClane to place another call to Holly.

Cast

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Production

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Development and writing

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Like most of the films in the series, the premise of this film was repurposed from a stand-alone project. Various scripts were written forDie Hard 3;a number of them were ultimately rejected by Bruce Willis on the grounds that they felt like retreads of the action movies that came in the wake of the first film.[5]One script, originally titledTroubleshooter,had McClane fighting terrorists on a Caribbean cruise line, but was rejected for being too similar toUnder Siege.[6]Troubleshooterwas later repurposed forSpeed 2: Cruise Control.[5]

The script ultimately used was intended for a film entitledSimon Says,originally positioned as aBrandon Leevehicle and the character of Zeus was written with an actress in mind, but the project was cancelled after Lee's death during filming ofThe Crow.Warner Bros.bought the script and rewrote it as aLethal Weaponsequel. Warner Bros. later put the script in turnaround, only to be purchased by20th Century Foxand rewritten as aDie Hardfilm.[5]

Andy VajnareplacedJoel SilverandLarry Gordonas the producer on the film due to a fall-out with Willis.[6]As a result, Vajna's company,Cinergi,acquired foreign rights to the film. In most regions, the film rights were acquired byDisneyandSummit Entertainment,while Fox retained domestic and Japan rights.[1]In July 1997, Cinergi sold its 50% stake in the film to Fox for $11.25 million.[7]

Casting

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Laurence Fishburnewas originally offered the co-starring role of Zeus Carver, a part also written for him, but wanted a higher fee. Producer Andy Vajna held out on the deal. Fishburne had earlier turned down the role of Jules Winnfield inPulp Fiction,which was eventually played by Samuel L. Jackson. Fishburne was talked out of playing Jules by his representatives who wanted him to only accept leading parts, otherwise he would be stuck career-wise as a supporting actor. Subsequently,Pulp Fictionpremiered at theCannes Film Festivalduring the same time as Fishburne's pay negotiations. Vajna also attended the event to support Willis who was appearing in theQuentin Tarantinofilm. Tarantino recalled that Vajna was so impressed by Jackson's performance that he offered him the part of Carver instead. Fishburne later filed a lawsuit against Vajna's company Cinergi for reneging on a verbal agreement.[8][9]The lawsuit was settled before going to trial, with Fishburne receiving $750,000 and a guarantee that Cinergi would option a screenplay he had written.[10][11]

Music

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Main article:Die Hard with a Vengeance (soundtrack)

Michael Kamenreturned to score the third film, again incorporating other material into his score (most notably "When Johnny Comes Marching Home",not included on the soundtrack album). Excerpts from his scores forDie HardandDie Hard 2were also included in the new film. The soundtrack was released byRCA Victor.[citation needed]In 2012, La-La Land Records released an expanded version of the soundtrack, containing music that Kamen had composed but went unused in the final film.[12]

Release

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Theatrical

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Unlike its predecessors,Die Hard with a Vengeancedid not take place duringChristmas,instead being set during the late summer. It opened in theaters on May 19, 1995, five years afterDie Hard 2.Despite concerns about the film portraying bomb threats and terrorism with theOklahoma City bombinghaving occurred the previous month, the film was released as originally scheduled.[13]

Home media

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Die Hard with a Vengeancewas released onVHSon December 19, 1995, in the United States byFox Videowith aTHX-certified version, while it was released in international countries byTouchstone Home Entertainmentand released in South Africa on VHS bySter-Kinekor Home Video.[14]It was then released onLaserDiscon January 17, 1996, and onDVDon March 9, 1999. A special edition was released on DVD on July 10, 2001, and then re-released in February 2005 and 2007.[15]The film was released onBlu-rayin 2007 and 2013.[16]A4Krelease of the film has been made available for digital purchase on services suchApple TV,Amazon Video,and theMicrosoft Store,plus free 4K streaming on select platforms such asDisney+.[17]

Alternative ending

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An alternative ending to the one shown in the final movie was filmed with Jeremy Irons and Bruce Willis, set some time after the events in New York. It can be found on the Special Edition DVD. In this version, it is presumed that the robbery succeeds, and that McClane was used as the scapegoat for everything that went wrong. He is fired from the NYPD after more than 20 years on the force and the FBI has even taken away his pension; it is also mentioned that McClane and his wife Holly have divorced. Nevertheless, he still manages to track Simon using the batch number on the bottle of aspirins and they meet in a bar in Hungary. In this version, Simon has double-crossed most of his accomplices, gotten the loot to a safe hiding place somewhere in Hungary, and has the gold turned into statuettes of theEmpire State Buildingin order to smuggle it out of the country. McClane is keen to take his problems out on Simon, who he invites to play a game called "McClane Says". This involves a form ofRussian roulettewith a small Chinese rocket launcher that has had the sights removed, meaning it is impossible to determine which end is which. McClane then asks Simon some riddles similar to the ones he played in New York. When Simon gets a riddle wrong, McClane forces him at gunpoint to fire the launcher, which fires the rocket through Simon, killing him.[18][19]

In the DVD audio commentary, screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh claims that this version was dropped because the studio thought it showed a more cruel and menacing side to McClane, a man who killed for revenge rather than in self-defense. The studio was also displeased with the lack of action in the scene, feeling that it did not fit as a "climax" and therefore chose to reshoot the finale as an action sequence at a significant monetary cost. Hensleigh's intention was to show that the events in New York and the subsequent repercussions had tilted McClane psychologically. This alternative ending, set some time after the film's main events, would have marked a serious break from theDie Hardformula, in which the plot unfolds over a period of roughly 12 hours.[19]

According to the DVD audio commentary, a second alternative ending had McClane and Carver floating back to shore on a makeshift raft after the explosion at sea. Carver says it is a shame the bad guys are going to get away; McClane tells him not to be so sure. The scene then shifts to the boat where the terrorists find the briefcase bomb they left in the park and which Carver gave back to them (in this version it was not used to blow up the dam). The film would end on a darkly comic note as Simon asks if anyone has a four-gallon jug. This draft of the script was rejected early on – possibly due to the similarity of the ending toDie Hard 2,where all the villains board a plane that later explodes – so it was never actually filmed. The rocket-launcher sequence was the only alternative ending to be filmed.[19]

Reception

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Box office

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Die Hard with a Vengeanceopened in the United States on May 19, 1995, and earned $22,162,245 in its opening weekend.[20][21]The film ranked number one at the box office, beatingCrimson Tide.[20]In Japan, it set a record opening for 20th Century Fox with a five-day gross of $13.5 million, beatingReturn of the Jediand rankingnumber onefor five consecutive weeks, grossing over $81 million.[c]Its opening in France set a summer record with a gross of $8.8 million in its first 8 days.[23]The film went on to gross $100,012,499 in the United States and Canada, and $266,089,167 in other markets, giving it a total worldwide gross of $366,101,666 and making itthe highest-grossing film of 1995.[4][25]

Critical response

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OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 60% based on 80 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Die Hard with a Vengeancegets off to a fast start and 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. "[26]OnMetacritic,the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[27]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[28]

Roger EbertofChicago Sun-Timesgave the film three stars out of four, praising the action sequences and the performances of Willis, Jackson, and Irons, concluding: "Die Hard with a Vengeanceis basically a wind-up action toy, cleverly made, and delivered with high energy. It delivers just what it advertises, with a vengeance. "[29]Entertainment Weekly'sOwen Gleibermandisliked the film, stating that while "[John] McTiernanstages individual sequences with great finesse... they don't add up to a taut, dread-ridden whole ".[30]

James Berardinellithought that the explosions and fights were "filmed with consummate skill, and are thrilling in their own right".[31]Samuel L. Jackson's performance in the film was also praised by critics.Desson HoweofThe Washington Postthought that "the best thing about the movie is the relationship between McClane and Zeus," saying that Jackson was "almost as good as he was inPulp Fiction."[32]ForVariety,Brian Lowry wrote the film was the "least accomplished" of theDie Hardseries, but "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".[33]

Empiremagazine's Ian Nathan gave the film a three out of five stars review, stating that "Die Hard with a Vengeanceis better thanDie 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 tieAlan Rickman's shoelaces. "[34]

In theCrime Time Filmbook,which archives various UK film reviews, the film was given a perfect 5-star review, citing it as "...simply the best Action film of the decade, leaving imitators likeBad Boys,Executive Decision,The RockandChain Reactionin varying depths of shadow.[35]

Retrospective rankings have called the film the best sequel in the franchise.[d]Empireconsidered it to be one of the 50 greatest film sequels in 2009.[40]Ben Sherlock ofScreen Rantregarded it as the best sequel of the franchise.[41]Johnny Hoffman from Movieweb considered it a step up from the previous film and praised Willis and Jackson's chemistry and the action scenes.[39]

Notes

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  1. ^Cinergi pre-sold the worldwide distribution rights except for Japan toBuena Vista Internationalin some regions[2][3]and assignedSummit Entertainmentas sales agent for other regions.[1]
  2. ^As depicted inDie Hard(1988).
  3. ^Attributed to multiple references:[22][23][24][4]
  4. ^Attributed to multiple references:[36][37][38][39]

References

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  1. ^abc"Die Hard with a Vengeancescript ".Archivedfrom the original on October 26, 2016.RetrievedOctober 25,2016.
  2. ^ab"Die Hard with a Vengeance".British Board of Film Classification.August 10, 1995.Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2018.RetrievedApril 14,2018.
  3. ^"Buena Vista International".Archivedfrom the original on June 17, 2020.RetrievedJune 17,2020.
  4. ^abcd"Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2021.RetrievedDecember 1,2008.
  5. ^abc"The strange history of the Die Hard movies".Den of Geek.RetrievedNovember 11,2016.
  6. ^abWells, Jeffrey (November 1, 1992)."OFF-CENTERPIECE: 'Die Hard 3' Blown Out of the Water by 'Siege'".Los Angeles TimesS.ISSN0458-3035.Archivedfrom the original on February 2, 2021.RetrievedNovember 11,2016.
  7. ^"Fox buys 'Die Hard' part".Variety.July 17, 1997.Archivedfrom the original on October 31, 2020.RetrievedOctober 28,2020.
  8. ^"Quentin Tarantino Says Laurence Fishburne Turned Down 'Pulp Fiction' Which Led To Him Losing Role In 'Die Hard'".theplaylist.net.October 28, 1996.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 26,2020.
  9. ^Fink, Mitchell."The Insider".People.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 26,2020.
  10. ^Jung, E. Alex (August 19, 2020)."Laurence Fishburne Knows Who He Is".Vulture.Archivedfrom the original on August 21, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 2,2020.
  11. ^Beasley, Tom (May 14, 2020)."'Die Hard With a Vengeance': The strange saga of Laurence Fishburne and how it ended up in court ".Yahoo! Movies.RetrievedDecember 3,2024.
  12. ^"La-La Land Records' release of Die Hard with a Vengeance - Expanded Score".La-La Land Records.Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2018.RetrievedDecember 10,2018.
  13. ^"Bombing Won't Delay Third 'Die Hard' Movie".
  14. ^Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.Archivedfrom the original on June 30, 2021.RetrievedNovember 10,2020.
  15. ^"Die Hard: With a Vengeance DVD Release Date".Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2018.RetrievedApril 14,2018.
  16. ^"Die Hard with a Vengeance Blu-ray".Blu-ray.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2018.RetrievedApril 14,2018.
  17. ^Die Hard: With a Vengeance - watch stream online.RetrievedJanuary 9,2025– via justwatch.
  18. ^Goldberg, Matt (February 13, 2013)."Dying Hard: Matt Revisits DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE".Collider.Archivedfrom the original on June 13, 2020.RetrievedJune 13,2020.
  19. ^abcJonathan Hensleigh(March 25, 2002).Alternate Ending with Optional Commentary with Jonathan Hensleigh[Audio Commentary].20th Century Fox.
  20. ^ab"Weekend Box Office: Latest 'Die Hard' One-Ups 'Die Hard 2'".Los Angeles Times.May 23, 1995.
  21. ^"Die Hard with a Vengeance - Weekend Grosses".Box Office Mojo.IMDb.Archivedfrom the original on March 8, 2019.RetrievedJune 11,2020.
  22. ^Groves, Don (July 10, 1995). "O'seas B.O. bows to big U.S. pix".Variety.p. 12.
  23. ^abGroves, Don (August 14, 1995). "O'seas B.O. shimmers in August heat".Variety.p. 10.
  24. ^Groves, Don (October 2, 1995). "O'seas auds boost B.O. of U.S. pix".Variety.p. 32.
  25. ^"1995 Worldwide Box Office".Box Office Mojo.IMDb.Archivedfrom the original on June 11, 2020.RetrievedMarch 7,2020.
  26. ^"Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.Archivedfrom the original on December 25, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 9,2024.
  27. ^"Die Hard: With a Vengeance reviews".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2018.RetrievedJuly 9,2017.
  28. ^Pandya, Gitesh (February 19, 2013)."Weekend Box Office (February 15 - 18, 2013)".Box Office Guru.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 24,2019.
  29. ^Ebert, Roger(May 19, 1995)."Die Hard With a Vengeance movie review (1995)".Chicago Sun-Times.Archivedfrom the original on June 9, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 6,2020.
  30. ^Randall Wallace (May 26, 1995)."Die Hard with a Vengeance".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon December 23, 2014.RetrievedApril 28,2020.
  31. ^James Berardinelli."Die Hard with a Vengeance - Reelviews Movie Reviews".Reelviews Movie Reviews.Archivedfrom the original on July 19, 2020.RetrievedAugust 6,2020.
  32. ^"Die Hard With a Vengeance".The Washington Post.May 19, 1995.Archivedfrom the original on November 11, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 20,2017.
  33. ^"Die Hard with a Vengeance".Variety.May 18, 1995.Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2021.RetrievedJune 13,2020.
  34. ^"Empire's Die Hard With A Vengeance Movie Review".Empire.Archived fromthe originalon April 2, 2015.
  35. ^Ashbrook, John (1997).The Crime Time Filmbook.Harpenden, Herts, AL5 IEQ: No Exit Press. p. 231.ISBN978-1874061847.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location (link)
  36. ^"DIE HARD WITH a VENGEANCE Review. DIE HARD WITH a VENGEANCE Stars Bruce Willis".Collider.February 13, 2013.
  37. ^"Ranking the die Hard Movies".December 19, 2016.
  38. ^"Ranking Every die Hard Movie from Worst to Best".August 6, 2021.
  39. ^ab"These Are The Best Bruce Willis Movies, Ranked".MovieWeb.November 29, 2021.
  40. ^"The Greatest Movie Sequels".Empire.August 25, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on September 15, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 1,2020.
  41. ^"Die Hard with a Vengeance: 10 Reasons It's the Best die Hard Sequel (By Far)".Screen Rant.July 11, 2020.Archivedfrom the original on November 19, 2020.RetrievedFebruary 13,2021.
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