Bruce Willis, William Atherton and Bonnie Bedelia in the Renny Harlin movie ‘Die Hard 2’

With the theory that movies set with references to Christmas as part of the underpinnings for establishing the story might be Christmas movies, we return to the action thriller sequel to Die Hard (1988) with the Renny Harlin directed movie Die Hard 2 (1990). This movie is set on Christmas Eve with the main context for the movie being Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia.

(From left, Bruce Willis as John McClane and Dennis Franz as Captain Carmine Lorenzo in the Renny Harlin movie Die Hard 2).

With the movie Die Hard 2 having been based on the book 58 Minutes by Walter Wager, we encounter John McClane awaiting the arrival of his wife, Holly, on a flight arriving at the airport. McClane, as portrayed by Bruce Willis, uses his intuition as a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department to act on his suspicions that a pair of men are behaving erratically. In following the men into a restricted space for sorting baggage, a gun fight ensues with just two of the three men in the encounter escaping with their lives. Bonnie Bedelia portrayed Holly, John’s wife.

(From left, William Atherton as Dick Thornburg and Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennero McClane in the Renny Harlin movie Die Hard 2).

The men confronted in the restricted area are part of a plan aimed at freeing corrupt foreign military leader General Ramon Esperanza, who is being extradited to from outside the country by airplane to Dulles International Airport. With the help of Sergeant Al Powell of the LAPD, John McClane learns that the man he killed was an American soldier who supposedly died in a helicopter accident two years previously. Airport police chief, Carmine Lorenzo, and air traffic control director Ed Trudeau find McClane’s suspicions unlikely when he reports what he knows. Franco Nero, Reginald VelJohnson, Dennis Franz and Fred Thompson portrayed Esperanza, Powell, Lorenzo and Trudeau, respectively.

(From left, Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell, Fred Thompson as Trudeau and John Amos as Major Grant in the Renny Harlin movie Die Hard 2).

Former Colonel William Stuart, meanwhile, works with a group of ex-military sympathizers on the outskirts of the airport in support of causing chaos among the team operating the airport. Thrills, twists and turns follow the initial baggage claim scene with the motivations of Major Grant, Dick Thornburg and others coming into question. The seeds of McClane seizing the initiative, as cultivated with the original Die Hard movie, bears fruit during the blizzard and flight control issues that follow the shenanigans intended by Stuart and the team allied with Ramon Esperanza. William Sadler, John Amos and William Atherton portrayed Stuart, Grant and Thornburg, respectively.

(From left, Franco Nero as General Ramon Esperanza, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Miller and William Sadler as Colonel William Stuart in the Renny Harlin movie Die Hard 2).

The central appeal for the movie Die Hard is first and foremost the action and intrigue. The undercurrent of humor present with the original movie were downplayed with the sequel, though I found the movie did not require the humor to remain engaging. I grant Die Hard 2 as directed by Renny Harlin 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, December 3, 2022

Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Robert Duvall in the Tony Scott movie ‘Days of Thunder’

2022 was a summer of revisiting a 20th century adrenaline-infused collaboration of director Tony Scott and actor Tom Cruise. With this film review, we look into the other adrenaline-infused need for speed with the movie Days of Thunder (1990).

(From left, Nicole Kidman as Dr. Claire Lewicki and Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle in the Tony Scott movie Days of Thunder).

The movie Days of Thunder introduces us to young racer Cole Trickle of the Eagle Rock community of Los Angeles County, California. Trickle, as portrayed by Tom Cruise, had success on the World of Outlaws circuit of racing. Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to rise to the level of financial backing to compete at the Indianapolis 500, Cole Trickle’s fortunes took a turn for the better when Chevrolet dealership tycoon Tim Daland, as portrayed by Randy Quaid, recruited him to race on what in 1990 was called the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

(From left, Robert Duvall as Harry Hogge and John C. Reilly as Buck Bretherton in the Tony Scott movie Days of Thunder).

Daland had recruited crew chief and car builder Harry Hogge, as portrayed by Robert Duvall, out of retirement to lead Cole’s pit crew. Hogge had retired so as to avoid a NASCAR investigation of Hogge’s role in the death of driver Buddy Bretherton. The introduction of personalities and histories weren’t completely smooth, as Buck Bretherton became Cole Trickle’s car chief with this deal. John C. Reilly portrayed Buck Bretherton.

(From left, Randy Quaid as Tim Daland and Michael Rooker as Rowdy Burns in the Tony Scott movie Days of Thunder).

The transition to the NASCAR racing style began for Trickle with the race in Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Besides the intimating style of racing by Winston Cup champion and dirty driver Rowdy Burns, as portrayed by Michael Rooker, communicating with his crew and the aerodynamics of NASCAR racing were a challenge. Races at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennesse, Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware and Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina led to further communication difficulty.

(From left, Cary Elwes as Russ Wheeler and Fred Thompson as Big John in the Tony Scott movie Days of Thunder).

Things would begin to turn the corner at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Things between Burns and Trickle as competitors take a dangerous turn at the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Cole Trickle develops a romantic relationship with neurosurgeon Dr. Claire Lewicki, as portrayed by Nicole Kidman, in the aftermath. NASCAR President Big John, as portrayed by Fred Thompson, intervenes between Trickle and Burns after their incident, though as interesting exchange involving rental cars occurs before the heat of this latter relationship diminishes. Meanwhile, Russ Wheeler, as portrayed by Cary Elwes, races in Burns’ place as the two recover.

(From left, actor Tom Cruise and director Tony Scott during the filming of the Tony Scott movie Days of Thunder).

The drama that climbs to the surface at the Daytona 500 to start the next racing season, with many strings of story coming to a head with how the race resolves itself, were satisfying if a bit predictable. The racing scenes themselves were more realistic than I’ve seen in other racing films. The extreme sense of wills clashing seems legitimate to the sport of auto racing, however. It is in this space that my regard for the film improves. Overall, I give Days of Thunder as directed by Tony Scott and co-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, August 20, 2022

Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin and the movie ‘The Hunt for Red October’

The franchise built around characters Jack Ryan and James Greer started for many with the book made movie of the same name called The Hunt for Red October (1990). The Tom Clancy book The Hunt for Red October that inspired it all was first published in 1984, and told the story of a new class of Soviet Union nuclear submarine using a hypothetical magnetic propulsion system with crew intent headed towards the United States with intent unclear. The ensuing thriller packed with suspense subsequently started a popular book, movie, and television series.

(From left, Sean Connery as Red October Captain Marko Ramius, Alec Baldwin as CIA Analyst and former Marine Jack Ryan, and Scott Glenn as Dallas Captain Bart Mancuso in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

As our focus here is the movie adaptation of The Hunt For Red October, we first are introduced to the launching of the Soviet Nuclear Submarine Red October with Captain Marko Ramius, as played by Sean Connery, as the ship’s captain. We learn that Ramius’ wife has died a year before the launching of the submarine, and that Ramius has chosen a crew of single men with a crew loyal to him with the political agenda of seeing this new creation for making war kept from the hands of the leadership of the USSR.

(Courtney B. Vance as Seaman Ronald ‘Jonesy’ Jones in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

A sonar expert aboard the USS Dallas named Seaman Ronald ‘Jonesy’ Jones, as played by Courtney B. Vance, gives USS Dallas Captain Bart Mancuso the first ability to track the Red October. Scott Glenn portrays Bart Mancuso. At the initial point of contact, neither man understands neither the significance of the capabilities of Red October nor the intention of the ship’s crew to defect. Something even more significant further eludes them.

(From left, Alec Baldwin as CIA Analyst and former Marine Jack Ryan and James Earl Jones as CIA Deputy Director and Admiral James Greer in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

It is the combination of CIA Deputy Director Admiral James Greer and CIA Analyst / former Marine turned stock analyst Jack Ryan that discover hints of the larger stakes underpinning the defection. James Earl Jones plays Greer, the boss to Ryan as played by Alec Baldwin. The Soviets were quicker to determine the intent of the crew of the Red October, so they have sent the naval fleet of the Soviet Union to sink the boat that launched to start the movie. Sam Neill as Red October Captain and second in command Vasili Borodin serves Ramius in an important role through the course of the film.

(Sam Neill as Red October Captain Vasili Borodin in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

An appealing and redeeming quality of the film The Hunt for Red October was that the movie kept largely to the story of the source novel from which it was drawn. Larry Ferguson, Donald E. Stewart, and David Shaber wrote the screenplay that called for roles for Fred Thompson, Tim Curry and others of note in crafting what worked as a story. The intrigue of the story coupled with the quality unfolding of the intrigue make this a movie that I can watch again and again. The film The Hunt for Red October scores a 4-star rating on a scale of one-to-five from my corner.

Matt – Saturday, May 23, 2020