MovieChat Forums > Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) Discussion > Why do critics hate this so much?

Why do critics hate this so much?


Way better than many action movies these days. Just because it doesn't quite match up with the original doesn't mean it's not a great action flick. Roger Ebert is about the only one who has a brain.

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This is considered by many ( critics included ) to be the second best Die Hard movie. It was even included on an EW list as one of the best sequels of all time.

The Rottentomatoes critics score is not an accurate reflection of how this movie is viewed in general. It just has a few American reviews posted on the site ( less than 50 in all ), and half the ones featured were mostly critics at the time that had a stick up their asses because of the release date of the movie : It came out just a month after the Oklahoma City bombing. At the time, that was held against the movie as some claimed the timing was insensitive and that it glorified/made light of the terrorist bombing. Which was bullsh!t of course.

What is mystifying to me to this day, is why so many of them praised that so-called fourth part 'Live Free or Die Hard'. That movie was utter concentrated shyte.


SPIRAL OUT!........KEEP GOING!

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Ah interesting. Didn't know about the Oklahoma City bombing thing. I was just basing my post on the fact both Rotten Tomatoes and metacritic ratings are both in the 50's in ratings. I guess it doesn't matter, it's one of the best action movies out there.

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This movie's rotten tomatoes and metacritic score have always baffled me. Of the Die Hard sequels this is the only one that can stand with the classic original. I personally like it even more than the first film.

It's got a tight pace, awesome action scenes, a charismatic villain, and some legitimately great chemistry between Willis and Jackson. What's not to love?

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What's not to love?


The last ten minutes.

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"Welcome to the middle of nowhere-  -the center of everywhere."

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Agreed. GREAT movie up until the last sequence. Whoever wrote that "final fight" deserves a kick in the meatballs.

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This movie's rotten tomatoes and metacritic score have always baffled me. Of the Die Hard sequels this is the only one that can stand with the classic original. I personally like it even more than the first film.

It's got a tight pace, awesome action scenes, a charismatic villain, and some legitimately great chemistry between Willis and Jackson. What's not to love?

Rotten Tomatoes along with imdb doesn't give ratings I agree with. Heck, according to rotten tomatoes Twins with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito is a terrible movie. The Critics rating is 34% and the audience rating is only 38%. That ain't right.

Green Goblin is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1L4ZuaVvaw

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Probably because the first hour (which is from a completely different film, with only the names changed to make it into a Die Hard movie), and the last ten minutes, are completely unnecessary. Sure, it's fun to see Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson rampage around New York, but there's not enough of that, and way too much useless filler.

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This! There is way too much filler and as a whole it's simply clearly not a Die Hard film and all they knew that and tried to make it one with a tenuous link to the first film of Simon being Hans' brother, which isn't so bad in itself but it's delivered way too early and in such an anti climactic fashion. Rather than build a mystery around Simon and give the audience subtle hints as to why he has a bone to pick with John, the audience is literally handed a piece of paper that basically says "Yeah, Simon is Hans' brother."

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@TheNeighborTotoro ...the audience is literally handed a piece of paper...
Well, not literally. I mean, they never handed me one, the cheapskates.

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The script of the first Die Hard movie wasn't a Die Hard script until they decided to change the terrorists to thieves and have one NY cop as a guest at the Xmas party who takes the thieves on and call it Die Hard.

The script for the second Die Hard movie wasn't a Die Hard script until they put the guy from the first Die Hard in the airport and his wife on one of the planes.

And so on.

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same reason they hate 'the hateful eight' - both are racist.and the critics are sensitive to such silliness. give them some gay oscar bait love story and they'll jizz in their pants.

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I didn't really like this one. The plot irritated me quite a bit and the main villains plan and execution went from intelligent to downright stupid in 10 minutes.

And the way McLane figured out their whole plot was just...meh!

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Yeah the bottom of the Tylenol bottle or w/e lol. Did seem a bit contrived. The movie is by no means perfect and there are numerous plot holes, but it's the great action sequences and the "Simon Says" threats that McClane and Zues have to solve that makes it enjoyable for me. Also, the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson is great. They also both starred in Pulp Fiction, my fave movie lol, though they didn't share any screen time, so that also makes it more enjoyable for me. One of my favorite lines is when he's outside wearing the "I hate N'ggers" sign and Zues comes over to help out and the gangstas are like "Hey Zues". Then when they escape in the cab he's like so you're name is Jesus (hey-zues)? Lol. The first Die Hard is obviously a classic, but I enjoyed this more than the second one. Despite it's faults, I still put it up there close to the original. But if I had to rank them I'd go 1,3,4,2,5 (5 was horrendous, barely qualifies for me).

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I kind of see Die Hard 3 if John McClane battled the Riddler.

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No idea. I just watched it again for the 1st time since it came out and I thought it was WAYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Die Hard 2---which seems STUPID in comparison.

Then I went to Wikipedia and was stunned at how 'critic's think '2' is good and this is 'mediocre'. Just the reverse.


Why? I came into this game for the action, the excitement... Listen, kid, we're all in it together.

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It was a mess. Poorly edited. And ftr Ebert was an idiot.

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This movie is so underrated. Very good action movie. I think this is the second best.

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because critics have no talent, including ebert

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