The setting might be larger, the fight scenes might be more elaborate, the terrorists might be more prepared, and John McClane might get beat up even more, but Die Hard 2 stays in the same spirit as the original, and is just as good.
The switch from an office building to an airport immediately opens up new options, and one of the first instances of this occurs in the very first fight scene, set in a baggage handling area. The irregular environment complicates movement, but the passing bags provide plenty of improvised weapons. The suspense of the first film is intact here, even though the area isn't locked up. Even more hostages factor into the situation - any one of the eighteen planes probably carries more than thirty people - but it's presented well enough.
The terrorists in this film are much more straightforward in their intent than Gruber's group, but that doesn't mean their plan is any less complex. Oh, no, they've got a scheme involving old airport blueprints, a fake air traffic control, and even an assault on their base of operations. In fact, things they didn't prepare for that aren't named "John McClane" are basically nullified by the stuff they did plan for. Again, like the first film, this is all believable, if a little bit more strained.
The fights are now bigger and more complex, while still remaining within the bounds of belief. This even includes the climactic fight on the wing of a moving jet: the characters strain a little in the wind and they need to be careful about their footing, as one bad guy shows when he slips onto the engine and pulled into the turbine. Even when McClane gets hurled from the wing, it's a while before he can do much more than deliver his catch phrase.
In spite of everything being bigger and maybe just a little less real, the characters keep everything grounded. They act realistically, are consistent with themselves, and John and Holly McClane both acknowledge the odds of such an incident happening twice. The resident jerk cop who opposes McClane even gets some character development, softening up a bit near the end and tearing up the parking ticket McClane got at the beginning with a "Merry Christmas!"
All in all, Die Hard 2 is an excellent sequel to an excellent movie. It keeps what was good about the first intact while adding stuff of its own.
Die Hard 2: Is a Normal Christmas Too Much to Ask For?
The setting might be larger, the fight scenes might be more elaborate, the terrorists might be more prepared, and John McClane might get beat up even more, but Die Hard 2 stays in the same spirit as the original, and is just as good.
The switch from an office building to an airport immediately opens up new options, and one of the first instances of this occurs in the very first fight scene, set in a baggage handling area. The irregular environment complicates movement, but the passing bags provide plenty of improvised weapons. The suspense of the first film is intact here, even though the area isn't locked up. Even more hostages factor into the situation - any one of the eighteen planes probably carries more than thirty people - but it's presented well enough.
The terrorists in this film are much more straightforward in their intent than Gruber's group, but that doesn't mean their plan is any less complex. Oh, no, they've got a scheme involving old airport blueprints, a fake air traffic control, and even an assault on their base of operations. In fact, things they didn't prepare for that aren't named "John McClane" are basically nullified by the stuff they did plan for. Again, like the first film, this is all believable, if a little bit more strained.
The fights are now bigger and more complex, while still remaining within the bounds of belief. This even includes the climactic fight on the wing of a moving jet: the characters strain a little in the wind and they need to be careful about their footing, as one bad guy shows when he slips onto the engine and pulled into the turbine. Even when McClane gets hurled from the wing, it's a while before he can do much more than deliver his catch phrase.
In spite of everything being bigger and maybe just a little less real, the characters keep everything grounded. They act realistically, are consistent with themselves, and John and Holly McClane both acknowledge the odds of such an incident happening twice. The resident jerk cop who opposes McClane even gets some character development, softening up a bit near the end and tearing up the parking ticket McClane got at the beginning with a "Merry Christmas!"
All in all, Die Hard 2 is an excellent sequel to an excellent movie. It keeps what was good about the first intact while adding stuff of its own.