Die Hard 2 (sometimes colloquially referred to as Die Hard 2: Die Harder) is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The film co-stars Bonnie Bedelia (reprising her role as Holly McClane), William Sadler, Art Evans, William Atherton reprising his role as Richard (Dick) Thornburg, Franco Nero, Dennis Franz, Fred Thompson, John Amos, and Reginald VelJohnson, who makes a cameo appearance reprising his role as Sgt. Al Powell from the first film.

The screenplay was written by Steven E. de Souza and Doug Richardson, adapted from the novel 58 Minutes by Walter Wager. The novel has the same premise but differs slightly: A cop must stop terrorists who take an airport hostage while his wife's plane circles overhead. He has 58 minutes to do so before the plane crashes. Roderick Thorp, who wrote the novel Nothing Lasts Forever, upon which the first Die Hard film was based, receives credit for creating "certain original characters", although his name is misspelled onscreen as "Roderick Thorpe."

As with the first film, the action in Die Hard 2 takes place on Christmas Eve. McClane is waiting for his wife to land at Washington Dulles International Airport when terrorists take over the air traffic control system. He must stop the terrorists before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights that are circling the airport run out of fuel and crash. During the night, McClane must also contend with airport police, maintenance workers, and a military commander who does not want his assistance.

The film was followed by Die Hard with a Vengeance in 1995 and Live Free or Die Hard in 2007.

I was sure I reviewed this last year but anyway what it should have read then: Pretty good action flick, very entertaining B+

Just rewatched it and does it NOT hold up. I have finally decided or found that any scene depicting any villain with any weapon that is 100% assured of killing the protagonist/hero and who does not because of a sudden case of stupidity is terrible, terrible writing. Once upon a time the old "It's a popcorn flick/it's meant to be fun/unrealistic/Take a chill pill/Relax/etc." form of an excuse would work but, after seeing this same scenario depicted in Die Hard 2 multiple times, I must say, fuck off.

It's one thing to delay to kill the person who has continued to meddle in your plans because you may need them later on, or if you have a believable pause, BUT WHY would anyone decide NOT to kill them when they have no purpose or pause like amnesia before carrying out their plan is beyond me. It's shit writing.

Die Hard 2- Goes downhill when Willis is allowed to survive on the conveyor floor and obviously using the machine to bring his gun toward him and the villain, instead of shooting him with his freaking machine gun, decides to try and jump to reach Willis' gun. Other examples are a plane full of Marines being unable to take out Willis without hitting the plane and machine gun fire destroying the entire cockpit but never once grazing Willis who proceeds to escape with an ejector seat when 8 grenades fail to go off, and in yet another example, two Marines shooting straight on at Willis manage to not even destroy the glass on his snowmobile.

In lesser words, the writing is some cockshit.

It was more of a rehash of the first in a new setting...