5 Questions: Die Hard 2

When Die Hard became a breakout hit for 20th Century Fox in 1988, the question was not IF there would be a Die Hard sequel, but when. That question was answered on July 4th, 1990, when Die Hard 2 hit theaters.

Now I’ve seen Die Hard 2 numerous times over the years and numerous questions always pop into my head whenever I view this action classic….

1. How does the same $h*t happen to the same guy twice?

If the events of the original Die Hard actually happened in real life it would be one of those once in a lifetime events that define a person for the rest of their lives. They would get their 15 minutes of fame, they would probably get a book deal (which would be turned into a movie) and they would forever be known as the person who thwarted a bunch of terrorists at Nakatomi Plaza.

But the rules that apply to ordinary people in the real world obviously don’t apply to the extraordinary John McClane in the world of action entertainment… but even he is stunned when he finds himself at the epicenter of another terrorist plot on U.S. soil, this time at Dulles International Airport.

The odds that both of these events happen during “the most wonderful time of the year” are even more astronomical, but I can think of one other person who had more than one traumatic Christmas…

2. Was it really necessary for William Sadler to be practicing his Tai Chi in the nude? 

I could see the decision being made for some male nudity to be included in Die Hard 2 if the original Die Hard got some heavy criticism for having massive amounts of gratuitous female nudity. 

Was there some huge desire by William Sadler fans to see their favorite actor in the buff and the producers decided to make their wish come true?!? Was it meant to get the audience to hate him, you know just in case causing the death of hundreds of people wasn’t enough of a reason?

The only reasonable explanation is that Sadler demanded it. #Exhibitionist

3. Why didn’t any of the cops fire on John McClane when he was “shooting” Captain Lorenzo?

One of the big twists in Die Hard 2 is when McClane discovers that Major Grant (John Amos) and his commandos are actually in cahoots with Col. Stuart (William Sadler) and General Esperanza (Franco Nero). McClane figured it out when he finds the ammo that Grant’s team was using in their fire fight with Stuart’s men were blanks.

When Captain Lorenzo (Dennis Franz) doesn’t believe McClane, McClane gives him an extreme demonstration as he opens fire on the top cop at Dulles. But while he does it, the other cops who report to Lorenzo just stand there with their guns pointed at McClane, not one of them fires. This seems highly unlikely, unless of course Lorenzo is as much of a jerk to them as he is to John McClane. And speaking of jerks…

4. Can William Atherton only play characters that are world class jerks? 

Has Atherton ever played a likable character? In Die Hard 2 he reprises his role as pompous journalist Richard Thornburg, who is driven by ratings and his own ego that craves attention. He doesn’t care who he hurts along the way to get his journalistic glory.

But the Die Hard films are just two examples in a body of work where Atherton plays a jerk. Just off the top of my head there’s the original Ghostbusters, Bio-Dome and Chrome Soldiers. Maybe he should change his name to William Assholton.

5. That is what Franco Nero really sounds like?!?!

Imagine my surprise when I was sitting in the theater so many years ago watching Die Hard 2 and hearing General Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero) speak and he didn’t sound like a guy named Cole from Texas. This is what happens when your only prior exposure to Nero’s work was his starring role in Cannon’s Enter the Ninja.