New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he’d seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new “partner” — and his beloved city — in a deadly game that demands their concentration.
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Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• John McClane: Bruce Willis
• Simon Peter Gruber: Jeremy Irons
• Zeus Carver: Samuel L. Jackson
• Joe Lambert: Graham Greene
• Connie Kowalski: Colleen Camp
• Chief Walter Cobb: Larry Bryggman
• Ricky Walsh: Anthony Peck
• Mathias Targo: Nicholas Wyman
• Katya: Sam Phillips
• Charles Weiss: Kevin Chamberlin
• Officer Jane: Sharon Washington
• Dr. Schiller: Stephen Pearlman
• Dexter: Michael Alexander Jackson
• Raymond: Aldis Hodge
• Mischa: Mischa Hausserman
• Dexter’s Friend: Edwin Hodge
• Rolf: Robert Sedgwick
• Roman: Tony Halme
• Ivan: Bill Christ
• Gang Member #1: Anthony Thomas
• Gang Member #2: Glenn Herman
• Gang Member #3: Kent Faulcon
• Gang Member #4: Akili Prince
• Gang Member #5: Ardie Fuqua
• Gang Member #6: Mike Jefferson
• Gang Member #7: Andre Ware
• Van Driver: Michael Lee Merrins
• Harlem Woman: Birdie M. Hale
• Livery Driver: Daryl Edwards
• Phone Woman: Barbara Hipkiss
• Arab Cabbie: Aasif Mandvi
• Business Guy (Taxi): Bill Kux
• Transit Cop: Scott Nicholson
• Businessman (Station): Ralph Buckley
• Cross: Charles Dumas
• Jarvis: Michael Cristofer
• Wanda Shepard: Phyllis Yvonne Stickney
• Sgt. John Turley: J.R. Horne
• Greek Deli Proprietor: Michael Tadross
• Radio D.J.: Elvis Duran
• Fisherman: John McTiernan Sr.
• Kurt: Greg A. Skoric
• Karl: Sven Toorvald
• Berndt: T. Alloy Langenfeld
• Gunther: Timothy Adams
• Felix Little: John C. Vennema
• Nils: Gerrit Vooren
• Klaus: Willis Sparks
• Marshal #1: Tony Travis
• Marshal #2: Danny Dutton
• Korean Proprietor: James Saito
• Kid #1: Patrick Borriello
• Kid #2: Víctor Rojas
• Yuppie Stockbroker: Jeffrey Dreisbach
• Jerry Parks: Joe Zaloom
• Construction Foreman: John Doman
• Miss Thomas: Patricia Mauceri
• Principal Martinez: Franchelle Stewart Dorn
• Little Tina: Kharisma Gooden
• Larry Griffith: Gerry Becker
• Otto: Richard Council
• Second Broker: John Robert Tillotson
• Janitor: Ray Arahna
• Erik: Phil Theis
• Subway Man: Flip
• Reporter: Dory Binyon
• Kid at Gas Station: David Vitt
• Federal Reserve Guard #1: John Glenn Hoyt
• Federal Reserve Guard #2: Bray Poor
• Secretary: Shari-Lyn Safir
• Villain A: Ivan Skoric
• FBI Agent: Faisal Hassan
• FBI Chief: Richard Russell Ramos
• Cop #1: Angela Amato
• Chief Allen: Richard V. Allen
• Cop #2: Shirley J. Hatcher
• Federal Reserve Guard #3: David P. Martin
• Fat Larry Lumis: James Patrick Whalen Sr.
• Man in Precinct: Paul Simon
• Helicopter Villain: Carl Brewer
• Woman at Subway Station: Jeannie Epper

Film Crew:

• Sound Designer: Mark A. Mangini
• Screenplay: Jonathan Hensleigh
• Producer: John McTiernan
• Set Decoration: Leslie Bloom
• Screenplay: Roderick Thorp
• Original Music Composer: Michael Kamen
• Production Design: Jackson De Govia
• Art Direction: John R. Jensen
• Editor: John Wright
• Foley: Christopher Moriana
• Executive Producer: Buzz Feitshans
• Casting: Patricia McCorkle
• Director of Photography: Peter Menzies Jr.
• Producer: Michael Tadross
• Co-Producer: David Willis
• Hairstylist: Linda DeVetta
• Costume Design: Joseph G. Aulisi
• Executive Producer: Andrew G. Vajna
• Assistant Art Director: Peter Rogness
• Special Effects Coordinator: Phil Cory
• Co-Producer: Carmine Zozzora
• Visual Effects Producer: Julia Frey
• Art Direction: Woods Mackintosh
• ADR & Dubbing: Avram D. Gold
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Daniel J. Leahy
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Bob Beemer
• Set Designer: Kyung W. Chang
• Hairstylist: Audrey Futterman-Stern
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Minkler
• Construction Coordinator: Anthony Dunne
• Visual Effects Art Director: David B. Sharp
• Property Master: Tommy Tomlinson
• Associate Producer: Robert H. Lemer
• Construction Coordinator: Bruce J. Gfeller
• Hairstylist: Verne Caruso
• Hairstylist: Carol Meikle
• Makeup Artist: Marilyn Peoples
• Makeup Artist: Christina Bartolucci
• Property Master: Philip Saccio Jr.
• Set Designer: Bob Shaw
• Sound Recordist: Kim Maitland
• Visual Effects Editor: Jennifer Wollan
• Visual Effects Editor: Juliette Yager
• Visual Effects Producer: Diane Pearlman
• Visual Effects Producer: Carolyn Soper
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Scott E. Anderson
• Executive Producer: Robert Lawrence
• Scoring Mixer: Stephen McLaughlin

Movie Reviews:

• talisencrw: With this having been the first DH film I ever watched (and the only one so far I have seen upon its original theatrical release), I hold a quiet sense of satisfaction that over time it seems to have become generally people’s favourite of the series, next to the original. It is much more original than its predecessor, and has much higher-caliber supporting players in Jeremy Irons and Samuel L. Jackson–not to mention the best director the franchise has ever had.

  This was great to see once again, and I STILL have nightmares with that wicked Katya (played by composer Sam Phillips) slicing my head off…

• Wuchak: ***Big, dumb, fun action flick with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in New York City***

  RELEASED IN 1995 and directed by John McTiernan, “Die Hard with a Vengeance” is the third of (currently) five installments in the Die Hard series. In this one, suspended New York City cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) rejoins the force to tangle with a mad-but-genius German bomber named “Simon” (Jeremy Irons) while teaming up with a good Samaritan from Harlem (Samuel L. Jackson).

  This franchise fills the bill if you’re in the mood for big, dumb, fun action thrills. Don’t get me wrong because a lot of work goes into making these kinds of films and it takes talent & genius to pull them off. I mean “dumb” in the sense that the focus is on unbelievable action rather than deeper themes beyond “genuinely good people may be flawed, cocky and somewhat profane, but they’re courageous and never give up in the face of evil.”

  The Die Hard flicks are the natural progeny of over-the-top films like 1977’s “The Gauntlet” where the action scenes are so overdone they’re cartoony, but entertaining. There’s a thin line that filmmakers must tread with these kinds of blockbusters because they can easily fall into overKILL, like 2001’s “The Mummy Returns.”

  “Die Hard with a Vengeance” evades that ditch because it offers entertaining protagonists & antagonists, amusing scenes, worthy bits of character development and a compelling comic booky story.

  While all five Die Hard movies are of the same action expertise, I prefer the sequels because the original film took place almost entirely in and around a skyscraper. I favor the wider location scope of the others, including this one, which was the best up to this point.

  It starts out a little shaky because Simon’s shenanigans are so contrived they’re unbelievable, but if you can persevere the story builds momentum and there are surprises. Even John and Zeus’ conflict-habituated relationship has a story arc with Zeus being bluntly confronted with his reverse racism. The sometimes contrary camaraderie of John and Zeus is great.

  THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hours, 8 minutes and was shot in New York City; Berkeley County, South Carolina; and Jessup, Maryland (ending). ADDITIONAL CAST: Graham Greene and Colleen Camp are on hand as cops while sharp Sam Phillips appears as an icy Euro-villainess.

  GRADE: A-/B+