Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Die Hard 2’

Written by Scott Edwards

Holiday traveling is something in life that no one ever looks forward to. When everyone is in a hurry trying to get to their destination as quickly as possible, attitudes tend to get a little worse for wear. The same thing happens to the people that are trying to help those get to their destinations, but they try to keep cooler heads than their customers.

Lt. John McClane is in Washington D.C. on one of his hardest assignments, dealing with his in-laws. Waiting for his wife Holly to arrive in D.C. as well, John’s instincts get the best of him when he notices some strange goings on around the airport terminal. Since he isn't a local officer, John is met with plenty of resistance from the locals, especially from Captain Lorenzo, the head of airport security.

Stumbling onto a plot that goes much deeper than expected, John uses all of his resources and winning personality to find out as much as possible and he comes to discover that he is up against a team of local terrorists that are highly trained by the U.S. military. Led by Colonel Stuart, the team is highly motivated to achieve their goal of raising havoc on the airport all in the hopes of freeing a foreign drug dealer. 

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​Taking away the tower's communications, the terrorists have the airport along with all of the planes on approach in limbo as no one is allowed to land. With a blizzard moving into the area as well, the surrounding planes have no visibility to the airport or the runways. Not knowing what is happening on the ground and running on fumes, the pilots are anxious for any word from ground control on when to land. This proves to be a deadly situation for the flyers around the D.C. area as they are being directed by the terrorists who are looking for nothing more than to prove their power.

Die Hard 2 (which is also known as Die Hard 2: Die Harder) is the second installment in the series as John McClane is once again thrown into another panic filled Christmas. Trying with all of his might to save the unknowing passengers from an untimely demise, he is more focused on trying to save his wife who is onboard one of the planes circling the airport. The security force at the airport try as hard as they can to correct the issue at hand, but not knowing what they are up against, they call in one of the top military units. Knowing nothing about the unit's past, the D.C. crew is happy for the help, but are not prepared for what will ensue. 

Action, adventure and a reluctant hero make this a great movie overall. Die Hard 2 stays true to the original as John McClane continues to be the only person that can save the day. Trying to save everyone he possibly can, John is shocked by the lack of response that the locals can provide. With his wife’s life in trouble once again, he tries to take his game up to the highest level possible, but with it being around the holiday, he is held back from what he is really, really good at. Keeping it cool during the holidays could be one of the hardest things to do, but pulling that off during this stressful time is what really shows everyone what you are made of. Happy Holidays!

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