10 Movie Sequels That Were Basically The Same Movie

8. Die Hard 2: Die Harder

Gladiator II Paul Mescal
20th Century Fox

In the very least, Die Hard 2 is self-aware enough to admit that it's a shameless repeat of the original action classic, with John McClane (Bruce Willis) even asking himself, "How can the same s**t happen to the same guy twice?"

The first movie of course tasks McClane with taking down a fleet of terrorists who've taken over the Nakatomi Plaza - the very building where his estranged Holly (Bonny Bedelia) works - on Christmas Eve.

For Die Hard 2: Die Harder, McClane has to spring into action once terrorists overrun an airport and threaten to crash a plane that Holly is aboard. Oh, and it's also set on Christmas Eve.

Die Hard 2 is still a fun movie, albeit hampered by the fact that the original premise is so distinctive, and this follow-up can't help but feel like a wildly inferior facsimile of it with some elements shifted around. Props to threequel Die Hard with a Vengeance for breaking the mold and actually doing something totally different and quite brilliant, focusing instead on a cat-and-mouse game that sprawls across New York City.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.