Die Hard 2 (1990)
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A police officer must battle terrorists who have seized control of an airport's air traffic system during the Christmas season.
The story
On an unspecified day during Christmas week, LAPD lieutenant John McClane arrives at Dulles International Airport to pick up his wife, Holly. However, the airport is seized by a group of ex-military sympathizers who have taken over the air traffic control system. McClane must navigate the chaotic environment, contending with both the terrorists and uncooperative airport authorities, to ensure that Holly's plane and several other incoming flights land safely before they run out of fuel and crash.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Two years after the events of the previous film, John McClane is a lieutenant with the LAPD. While waiting for his wife Holly at Dulles International Airport during Christmas week, he discovers that a group of ex-military sympathizers led by Colonel William Stuart has seized the air traffic control system. They have grounded all planes, including Holly's, and are demanding that a plane carrying a corrupt foreign leader, General Ramon Esperanza, be allowed to land. McClane discovers the plot after a brief skirmish and begins working with airport staff to find a way to communicate with the stranded planes. After a series of escalating conflicts with the terrorists and a military unit led by Major Grant, McClane realizes the military is in league with the terrorists. He eventually manages to reach Holly's plane via helicopter and confronts the terrorists on the wing of a Boeing 747. He causes an explosion that destroys the terrorists' transport plane while creating a fire trail that allows the other planes to land safely. The film ends with McClane and Holly being reunited by a janitor.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 124
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Renny Harlin
- Writers
- Steven E. de Souza · screenplay; Doug Richardson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Bruce Willis · John McClane; Bonnie Bedelia; William Atherton; Reginald VelJohnson; Franco Nero; William Sadler; John Amos
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Themes
- survival; heroism
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- action; sequel; terrorism; aviation
- Source material / true-story basis
- Walter Wager's 1987 novel 58 Minutes
- Franchise connections
- Die Hard
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics for its action sequences, though it was considered inferior to its predecessor. It was a major box-office success, grossing $240 million and doubling the earnings of the first film.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 68% · scale: percentage · review count: 68; Metacritic · score: 67 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Production trivia
- The screenplay was adapted from the novel 58 Minutes.; The film was the first to use digitally composited live-action footage with a traditional matte painting.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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