DIE HARD 2

US, 1990, 124 minutes, Colour.
Bruce Willis, Franco Nero, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, William Sadler, Reginald Veljohnson, Art Evans, Fred Dalton Thompson.
Directed by Rene Harlin.

Die Hard 2 is an action-packed thriller. If the first movie was farfetched, Die Harder is farfetcheder!

The film is almost a rerun of the original - the setting changed from Los Angeles in the summer to Washington DC in Christmas week, the snow and the storms. This time the villains are a Latin- American General, a drug-runner who is being extradited from his country - but has infiltrated the American armed forces, who use their expertise to get him out of the United States. By chance, Jack Mc Clane happens to be waiting for his wife to arrive at Washington DC airport, notices some strange happenings in the airport and immediately gets involved. After innumerable fights, extraordinary physical dangers, extraordinary ingenuity, sheer chance and good luck, Mc Clane actually foils all the enemy, blows up their plane - and the trail of burning fuel serves as a light for the incoming traffic, including the plane with his wife. However, the logic of the movie doesn't matter. It moves with crackling action pace.

Once again, Bruce Willis finds the role that perfectly suits him. He carries off the difficult feat of making Mc Clane interesting, entertaining with his verbal wit, low-key manner as well as his extraordinary heroics. The film has a strong supporting cast led by Franco Nero as the General. Denis Franz has an enjoyable role as an obtuse bureaucrat at the airport. Fred Dalton- Thompson oversees the running of the airport. Bonnie Bedelia is once again Bruce Willis's wife. She finds herself on a plane with the obnoxious TV reporter from the first movie, played by William Atherton.

The special effects are quite extraordinary, including the blowing up of a plane - actually two planes. The director is Rennie Harlin, director of Prison as well as The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.

Strong escapist entertainment - and shows the power of moviemaking in the '90s.

1. Popularity of the original? This film as a rerun? The ingredients: plot, characters, relevance? Special effects? The whole sense of tension, heightened?

2. The film as a rerun rather than as a sequel? The tongue in cheek references to the original? The film as a vehicle for Bruce Willis and his laconic style? His wife, the media reporter and the Los Angeles references being worked in from the original?

3. Widescreen photography, one night at Washington airport, the weather and the storms, the atmosphere of Washington DC? The use of the airport interiors and exteriors? The planes?

4. The stunt work, the chases, the fights, the shootouts, the planes and the explosions? Locations and their use? The atmospheric musical score?

5. The title and its tone?

6. Bruce Willis's portrait of Jack McClane: arriving at the airport, the clash with Lorenzo and the fine for his car? Presenting his credentials? The airport, phoning his wife on the plane - and his comments about technology? Noticing Captain Stewart? Suspicions, getting the key, going into the back rooms, interrupting the gang infiltrating? The vigorous fights - manoeuvres, dangers? Deaths? The clashes with Lorenzo, meeting Trudeau and getting his approval? His assistant, the controller? Getting the fingerprints and faxing them to Los Angeles? The information about the dead suspect? His assessing the situation?

7. The General, drug-dealing (and echoes of General Noriega of Panama)? His leaving his country, the crew - those guarding him? Asking for the cigarette lighter - and attacking the guards? Shooting the pilot and flying the plane himself? Stewart and the opening with his training? At the airport with his men, the encounter with McClane? Setting up in the abandoned church? Things beginning to go wrong, his threatening his officer with blanks? Controlling the airwaves? His announcements, control of the planes - and his crashing the plane without remorse?

8. The weather, planes in holding pattern, fuel running out? The impact of the plane crashing? Its impact on Trudeau and his staff? The crews in the plane and emergencies? Mc Clane's wife and her being harassed by the TV reporter? The memories of the original, his attack on the wife? His listening in to the airport and the pilot's cockpit? Connecting with the TV station? Going to the toilet, his broadcasting - heightened and melodramatic, causing panic on the ground? Mc Clane's wife hitting him in the toilet - his going back to his seat, lying wimpishly on the ground - and the final insult from the elderly passenger?

9. Jack and his using his wits, going to the alternate transmitter, Marvin and his records? With the controller, the announcements? Alternate signals to the planes? On the runway, the plane landing on top of him? Meeting the General at the door, the fight with the general, the shots - his going into the cockpit, the shooting, the hand grenades - and his ejecting?

10. The background of the church, the control? The relief guard being brought in? Their battles - getting Lorenzo out of the way? The irony of their fighting with blanks? On the side of Stewart? The sled chase and the fight? Mc Clane and the hand-to-hand battles? His going back and getting on the helicopter, taking the reporter with him? Being lowered down on the plane?

11. The relief force, the irony of their being traitors? Their leader, dealing with Mc Clane, with Lorenzo? Murdering his assistant after the talk about Granada? Linking up with Stewart? Jack on the wing, the fight with their leader, his being sucked into the jets? Stewart and the fight, Mc Clane falling off - opening the fuel gate, the fuel falling - and his lighting it? The explosion?

12. The lighting of the fuel for helping the planes down? The happy ending?

13. Lorenzo, the obtuse bureaucrat? His not understanding? Mc Clane firing the guns - and at last his realising? His using his brother? The final genial comment about the parking ticket?

14. Trudeau, his responsibility, handling the situations? His staff? The controller?

15. The guards, training, expertise - and their being bought off? The battles?

16. The media, the TV reporter on the ground and her after a story? Helping Mc Clane? With him on the helicopter? The finale? The contrast with the reporter on the plane and his bad judgment, panicking people?

17. The touch of humanity by having Mrs Mc Clane on the plane, contact with her husband, the clash with the TV reporter? With the passengers? Her prayer - safety?

18. A Bruce Willis vehicle, his screen persona, verbal humour, action - and the middle-aged single hero combating evil?