Die Hard 2 (1990)

It might not have been fair to attack Live Free or Die Hard for making McClane too unbelievable a killing machine: I had forgotten his earlier adventures in invulnerability to bullets and slow-motion falling. Die Harder has its moments, but there's only so far you can go with clumsy direction and a sub-par script. The real tragedy is that, despite its flaws, it's still head and shoulders above most movies in its category.

I always remember Die Hard 2 as better than it is. The plot is engaging, but the dialogue is awful and director Renny Harlin barely seems to know which direction to point the camera. Miserably, the highlight is the irrelevantside-plot involving self-important journalist Dick Thornburg (William Atherton), a bit of fanservice introduced to make the script (adapted from an unrelated novel) more Die Hardish.