Closed Captioned; Standard Screen; Soundtrack English
The third installment of the "Die Hard" series. Hard-luck New York cop John McClane realizes once again that trouble always has a way of finding him.
This time it comes in the form of Simon, whose brother Hans Gruber was the villainous mastermind killed by McClane in the first "Die Hard." Simon sets out to avenge Hans's death in a rather perverse manner: periodically, he plants a bomb somewhere in New York City (a subway car or an elementary school, for example). Then he calls McClane with a difficult riddle, and a time allotment for solving it. The answer to the riddle reveals the bomb site.
McClane and Zeus, a Black shopkeeper who saves McClane's life and then is forced to join him, wind up in numerous deadly situations as they continuously struggle to save the Big Apple from Simon's bombs. But Simon has other devious plans besides killing McClane: namely to rob the Federal Reserve Bank -- which houses more gold than Fort Knox...
Superhero cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) returns in DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE. Freshly expelled from the NYPD, McClane encounters a number of threatening phone calls from a terrorist calling himself Simon (Jeremy Irons). Simon tests McClane's wits, and allows him the chance to stop each bomb by solving a riddle. In addition to using his previously learned anti-terrorism tactics (DIE HARD, DIE HARD 2), McClane enlists an angry store clerk, Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson) to decipher Simon's tricky enigmas.
DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE finds director John McTiernan returning to the creative helm of the series he began in 1987 (Renny Harlin directed DIE HARD 2). For the third film in the detonative series, McTiernan creates a story line which floats from psycho terror to sonic action to interracial comedy relief. The acting is something to be marveled at as well. Bruce Willis miraculously evokes sympathy whilst playing the angry police man and Jeremy Irons' performance as the villainous Simon is reminiscent of an Eastern European James Bond megalomaniac. Samuel L. Jackson's is also worth mentioning as he gives an angry discourse in racism and then pops off one liners, both ice cold and slick.
Color by Technicolor; filmed in anamorphic widescreen. Prints by DeLuxe.
"Die Hard with a Vengeance" opened in the USA on May 19, 1995. It grossed $22.2 million during its opening weekend.
The film earned $100 million at the box office, making it the 7th highest grossing film for 1995. But the overseas market was a different story, as the movie grossed a whopping $254 million outside the U.S. -- making it the #1 film of the year worldwide.
The plot for this film is based on Jonathan Hensleigh's screenplay "Simon Says."
Additional cast: Sharon Washington (Officer Jane); Stephen Pearlman (Dr. Schiller); and Mischa Hausserman (Mischa).
Additional credits: Charles Zalben (2nd Unit UPM); Lori Stilson (wardrobe for Bruce Willis); Symphony Seattle (score performers); Barbara Hipkiss (casting associate); Mischa Hausserman (aerial coordinator); Danny Aiello II (pilot); Cristina Bartolucci (makeup for Bruce Willis); and Richard W. Cross (special effects supervisor)
Music:
"Summer in the City" composed and performed by The Lovin'
Spoonful
"Off Minor" composed and performed by Thelonious Monk
"Got It Going On" composed and performed by Ted Silbert &
Ric-Hard
"The Fat Outro" performed by Extra Prolific
"Got It Covered" performed by Fu-Schnickens
"Gift Rapped" and "Westwood on a Friday Night" composed &
performed by Mark Mangini
Copyright 1995 20th Century Fox and Cinergi Pictures Entertainment, Inc.
Die Hard 3: Die Hard With a Vengeance Quotes/Excerpts:
"Are you trying to hit those people?" -- Zeus (SAMUEL L. JACKSON), to John McClane (BRUCE WILLIS), who is speeding through Central Park
"Maybe the mime." -- John McClane, in response.
"You don't like me because I'm white." -- John McClane BRUCE WILLIS), to Zeus (SAMUEL L. JACKSON)
"I don't like you because you're going to get me killed." -- Zeus, in response
Die Hard 3: Die Hard With a Vengeance Reviews:
"...A tense, terrifically funny action dazzler with a wow level in special effects that will be hard to top..."
-- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"...Crackling sound effects and spectacular stunt work....Jackson continues to impress, bringing ample humor to his character..."
-- Brian Lowry, Variety
"...DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is basically a wind-up action toy, cleverly made, and delivered with high energy. It delivers just what it advertises, with a vengeance..."
-- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
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