Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Overview

*Die Hard with a Vengeance* is the third movie in the die hard franchise — so why does it make this list? It is afterall very rare for a sequal to be better than the origional let alone the sequal of the sequal. Here are some reasons why you need to watch "Die Hard with a Vengeance" - or die trying.

Why It Works

It's not that the original Die Hard (1988) is bad—it's just that Die Hard with a Vengeance is so good. We get all the same classic moments we love from the original, but with so much more. In the original, John McClane was stuck in the physical confines of Nakatomi Plaza's ventilation shafts. It was cramped and limiting. You got a real sense of relief when he was able to reach the rooftop, and especially when he was finally able to escape.

In Die Hard with a Vengeance, McClane isn't confined physically but mentally. As the movie starts, we see him following every whim of a madman. He's going all throughout New York City on a wild goose chase just to satisfy the demands of this unkwown villian. The demands are more like games, with no real purpose other than to torture McClane.

Fortunately for our hero, he is not alone. We get an excellent performance by Samuel L. Jackson. From the start of the movie, he helps McClane—not because he has to, but because it's the right thing to do. Together, they work through each obstacle to ultimately defeat their enemy.

And that brings me to my final point: the enemy is excellent. We all loved Hans Gruber; now we are fighting his brother. Out for vengeance (and a lot of money), we are facing the same savvy and sophisticated enemy we loved from the original movie. And that's what makes Die Hard with a Vengeance better than the original. It's everything we love about the original—and more. Bruce Willis is in his prime, and it's simply a must-see and a ChrisPick.