10 Best Film Sequels By Different Directors
6. Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)
The Sequel To: Die Hard 2 (Harlin, 1990)
The Director: John McTiernan
Taking Over From: Renny Harlin
The first Die Hard is a masterpiece, so the follow up was always going to wane in comparison. That's not to say that Harlin's effort (subtitled Die Harder) isn't enjoyable enough, but by again restricting the action to effectively one location, Harlin ensured his would always be an inferior product of the same model.
So it was then, that original director John McTiernan again stepped in to helm a Die Hard. The third installment is easily the second-best entry in the series, touching the greatness of the original at times as the action moves to the sprawl of downtown NYC.
John McClane (Bruce Willis), long past the heroics of the first film, is actually a bit of mess here, and it's this fact, coupled with his forced partnership with Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson), that makes the third film so entertaining.
Add to this a scenery-chewing Jeremy Irons as the villain, playing a dangerous game of 'Simon says' all over the city, and you have a high-concept formula that works and rewards. If it wasn't for a shoddy ending, changed at the last minute to please executives, then this fine sequel might've been even closer to matching the unique charms of the original.