View source for Die Hard with a Vengeance

{{short description|1995 film by John McTiernan}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Die Hard with a Vengeance
| image          = Die Hard With A Vengance.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[John McTiernan]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* John McTiernan
* [[Michael Tadross]]
}}
| screenplay     = [[Jonathan Hensleigh]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|[[List of Die Hard characters|Characters]]|[[Roderick Thorp]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Bruce Willis]]
* [[Jeremy Irons]]
* [[Samuel L. Jackson]]
* [[Graham Greene (actor)|Graham Greene]]
* [[Colleen Camp]]
* [[Larry Bryggman]]
* [[Sam Phillips (musician)|Sam Phillips]]
}}
| music          = [[Michael Kamen]]
| cinematography = [[Peter Menzies Jr.]]
| editing        = [[John Wright (film editor)|John Wright]]
| studio         = [[20th Century Fox]]<br>[[Cinergi Pictures]]
| distributor    = 20th Century Fox (United States, Canada and Japan)<ref name="sec.gov">{{Cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/922519/0000912057-97-024463.txt |title=''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' script |access-date=October 25, 2016 |archive-date=October 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026080004/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/922519/0000912057-97-024463.txt |url-status=live }}</ref><br>Cinergi Productions (International){{efn|Cinergi pre-sold the worldwide distribution rights except for Japan to [[Buena Vista International]] in some regions<ref name="bbfc" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/buena-vista-international/ |title=Buena Vista International |access-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617044746/https://d23.com/a-to-z/buena-vista-international/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and assigned [[Summit Entertainment]] as sales agent for other regions.<ref name="sec.gov"/>}}
| released       = {{Film date|1995|05|19|United States}}
| runtime        = 128 minutes<ref name=bbfc>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/die-hard-vengeance-1970-4|title=''Die Hard with a Vengeance''|publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=August 10, 1995|access-date=April 14, 2018|archive-date=April 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415063253/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/die-hard-vengeance-1970-4|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $90 million<ref name="BOM">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0112864/|title=Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)|publisher=Box Office Mojo|access-date=December 1, 2008|archive-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630023620/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0112864/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| gross          = $366.1 million<ref name="BOM"/>
}}

'''''Die Hard with a Vengeance''''' is a 1995 American [[action film]] directed and produced by [[John McTiernan]], from a screenplay written by [[Jonathan Hensleigh]], and starring [[Bruce Willis]] as [[John McClane]]. It is the sequel to ''[[Die Hard]]'' (1988) and ''[[Die Hard 2]]'' (1990) and the third installment in the [[Die Hard (film series)|''Die Hard'' film series]].  The film also stars [[Jeremy Irons]] and [[Samuel L. Jackson]], and features [[Graham Greene (actor)|Graham Greene]], [[Colleen Camp]], [[Larry Bryggman]] and [[Sam Phillips (musician)|Sam Phillips]].

In the film, [[New York City Police Department|NYPD]] Lieutenant John McClane is embroiled in a plot by a mysterious terrorist calling himself “Simon” (Irons), who extorts the [[New York City|city of New York]] by threatening to detonate several bombs unless McClane solves a series of games scattered across the city. McClane reluctantly partners with a shopkeeper named Zeus Carver (Jackson), and learns the terrorists plot to steal the [[Precious metal#Bullion|gold bullion]] of the [[Federal Reserve Bank of New York]].

Adapted from a [[spec script]] written by Hensleigh, ''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' was the first film in the series not directly based on a literary source material, and the first not to be produced by [[Joel Silver]] and [[Lawrence Gordon (producer)|Lawrence Gordon]], instead being produced by [[Andrew G. Vajna]]’s [[Cinergi Pictures]]. Principal photography took place in New York City and [[South Carolina]].

The film was released on May 19, 1995 and grossed $366.1 million worldwide, becoming [[1995 in film#Highest-grossing films|the highest-grossing film of the year]], and initially received mixed reviews from critics. However, the film has received positive reevaluation over time and is now largely considered the best sequel in the franchise.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-review/|title = DIE HARD WITH a VENGEANCE Review. DIE HARD WITH a VENGEANCE Stars Bruce Willis|website = [[Collider (website)|Collider]]|date = February 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/ranking-the-die-hard-movies/|title = Ranking the die Hard Movies|date = December 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://culturedvultures.com/ranking-die-hard-movies-worst-best/|title = Ranking Every die Hard Movie from Worst to Best|date = August 6, 2021}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/best-bruce-willis-movies-ranked/|title=These Are The Best Bruce Willis Movies, Ranked|date=November 29, 2021|website=MovieWeb}}</ref>}} The film was followed by ''[[Live Free or Die Hard]]'' in 2007 and ''[[A Good Day to Die Hard]]'' in 2013.

== Plot ==
The [[Bonwit Teller]] department store in [[New York City]] is blown up by a bomb during the [[Commuting|morning commute]]. A man identifying himself as "Simon" telephones the [[New York Police Department]] (NYPD) and claims responsibility. Making demands in the form of a '[[Simon Says]]' game, he threatens to detonate another bomb unless Police Lieutenant [[John McClane]] is sent to [[Harlem]] wearing an intentionally provocative [[sandwich board]] with a [[racial slur]] written on the board. The NYPD comply and send McClane to Harlem, where he is confronted by an electrician and shop owner named Zeus Carver. McClane explains his situation before a group of gang members also confront McClane over his sign. Carver intervenes and saves McClane, and they escape in a taxi.

They arrive at [[1 Police Plaza]], where Simon demands that the pair follow a timed challenge or he will set off more bombs. They agree and McClane eventually boards the [[3 (New York City Subway service)|3 train]] heading towards the [[Wall Street station (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)|Wall Street station]] in order to defuse a bomb that Simon planted on it. Carver arrives at the station before McClane finds the bomb and throws it on the tracks just as it explodes. McClane and Carver regroup with the NYPD and meet some [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] and [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] agents, who initially inform the pair that Simon is "Peter Krieg", a [[mercenary]] and former [[colonel]] in the [[National People's Army]]. They then reveal that Krieg's real name is Simon Peter Gruber, the brother of [[Hans Gruber (character)|Hans Gruber]], whom McClane killed years earlier in [[Los Angeles]].{{Efn|As depicted in ''[[Die Hard]]'' (1988).}}

Simon then places another call to the NYPD, informing them that he has planted an explosive in one of the city's [[Primary school|elementary school]]s which is set to explode once class ends and can be triggered by the same radio frequencies utilized by law enforcement. Simon offers to give the authorities the school's location if McClane and Carver follow another timed challenge, warning that he will detonate the explosive if any evacuation attempts are carried out. While the pair solve Simon's next challenge, the NYPD begin to search all elementary schools in the city. McClane realizes that Simon is attempting to distract the NYPD away from [[Wall Street]], which has no schools, and travels to the [[Federal Reserve Bank of New York Building]]. He discovers that Simon's men have stolen $140 billion of [[Precious metal#Bullion|gold bullion]] from its vault using [[dump truck]]s. He follows the trucks into the under-construction [[New York City Water Tunnel No. 3]] while Carver continues Simon's challenges.

Simon blows up a [[cofferdam]] to flood the tunnel, but McClane escapes and reunites with Carver. Surviving a car chase with Simon's men, the pair find all the men were carrying exactly enough money to pay a [[Toll bridge|bridge toll]]. The pair sneak aboard a [[Tanker (ship)|tanker]] docked in the [[Long Island Sound]], but Simon's associates capture them and tie them up next to a bomb. Simon explains that his school threat was fake and broadcasts a message claiming that he is planning on destroying the tanker filled with the bullion to destabilize the [[Western world]]'s economy. After he leaves, Carver and McClane free themselves and escape the tanker just before the bomb detonates. As McClane and Carver are debriefed by the NYPD, McClane informs them that none of the bullion Simon's men stole was in the tanker's [[Hold (compartment)|cargo hold]], having deduced that Simon had intended to keep all of it for himself, using his knowledge of the Gruber family's ''[[modus operandi]]''.

While attempting to place a call to his estranged wife Holly, McClane glances at a bottle of [[aspirin]] given to him by Simon onboard the tanker and notices that it was purchased at a [[truck stop]] in [[Quebec]] on the [[Canada–United States border]]. McClane informs the NYPD of his discovery, and joins them and Carver as they rush towards a warehouse near the truck stop where Simon and his men are redistributing the bullion and planning their escape. The rest of Simon's men are quickly apprehended by law enforcement personnel, though Simon and his girlfriend Katya attempt to escape in a helicopter, attacking McClane. McClane shoots at an overhead power line which falls onto the helicopter, causing it to crash and explode, killing Simon and Katya. While they are celebrating their triumph, Carver persuades McClane to place another call to Holly.

== Cast ==

{{cast listing|
* [[Bruce Willis]] as [[NYPD]] Lieutenant Detective [[John McClane]]
* [[Jeremy Irons]] as Simon Peter Gruber
* [[Samuel L. Jackson]] as Zeus Carver
* [[Graham Greene (actor)|Graham Greene]] as [[NYPD]] Detective Joe Lambert
* [[Colleen Camp]] as [[NYPD]] Detective Connie Kowalski
* [[Larry Bryggman]] as [[NYPD]] Inspector Walter Cobb
* [[Anthony Peck]] as [[NYPD]] Detective Ricky Walsh
* [[Nick Wyman]] as Mathias Targo
* [[Sam Phillips (musician)|Sam Phillips]] as Katya
* [[Stephen Pearlman]] as [[NYPD]] Psychologist Fred Schiller
* [[Kevin Chamberlin]] as [[NYPD]] Bomb Squad Expert Charlie Weiss
* [[Michael Cristofer]] as Bill Jarvis
* [[Richard E. Council|Richard Council]] as Otto
* [[Mischa Hausserman]] as Mischa
* [[Phyllis Yvonne Stickney]] as Wanda Shepard
* [[Damien Demento|Phil Theis]] as Erik
* Sven Toorvald as Karl
* [[Robert Sedgwick (actor)|Robert Sedgwick]] as Rolf
* [[Timothy Adams (actor)|Timothy Adams]] as Gunther
* [[Tony Halme]] as Roman
* [[Aldis Hodge]] as Raymond Carver
* [[John Doman]] as Foreman
* [[Elvis Duran]] as Radio DJ
}}

== Production ==
===Development and writing===
Like most of the films in the series, the premise of this film was repurposed from a stand-alone project. Various scripts were written for ''Die Hard 3''; a number of them were ultimately rejected by Bruce Willis on the grounds that they felt like retreads of the action movies that came in the wake of the first film.<ref name="denofgeek">{{Cite news|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/die-hard/21313/the-strange-history-of-the-die-hard-movies|title=The strange history of the Die Hard movies|newspaper=Den of Geek|access-date=November 11, 2016}}</ref> One script, originally titled ''Troubleshooter'', had McClane fighting terrorists on a Caribbean cruise line, but was rejected for being too similar to ''[[Under Siege]]''.<ref name="latimes">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-01-ca-1596-story.html|title=OFF-CENTERPIECE : 'Die Hard 3' Blown Out of the Water by 'Siege'|last=Wells|first=Jeffrey|date=November 1, 1992|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] S|issn=0458-3035|access-date=November 11, 2016|archive-date=February 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202080403/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-01-ca-1596-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Troubleshooter'' was later repurposed for ''[[Speed 2: Cruise Control]]''.<ref name="denofgeek" />

The script ultimately used was intended for a film entitled ''Simon Says'', originally positioned as a [[Brandon Lee]] vehicle and the character of Zeus was written with an actress in mind, but the project was cancelled after Lee's death during filming of ''[[The Crow (1994 film)|The Crow]]''. [[Warner Bros.]] bought the script and rewrote it as a ''[[Lethal Weapon (franchise)|Lethal Weapon]]'' sequel. Warner Bros. later put the script in turnaround, only to be purchased by [[20th Century Fox]] and rewritten as a ''Die Hard'' film.<ref name="denofgeek" />

[[Andrew G. Vajna|Andy Vajna]] replaced [[Joel Silver]] and [[Lawrence Gordon (producer)|Larry Gordon]] as the producer on the film due to a fall-out with Willis.<ref name="latimes" /> As a result, Vajna's company, [[Cinergi Pictures|Cinergi]], acquired foreign rights to the film. In most regions, the film rights were acquired by [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Disney]] and [[Summit Entertainment]], while Fox retained domestic and Japan rights.<ref name="sec.gov"/> In July 1997, Cinergi sold its 50% stake in the film to Fox for $11.25 million.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 17, 1997|title=Fox buys 'Die Hard' part|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/fox-buys-die-hard-part-1116676671/|access-date=October 28, 2020|website=Variety|language=en-US|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031202828/https://variety.com/1997/film/news/fox-buys-die-hard-part-1116676671/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
[[Laurence Fishburne]] was originally offered the co-starring role of Zeus Carver, a part also written for him, but wanted a higher fee. Producer Andy Vajna held out on the deal. Fishburne had earlier turned down the role of Jules Winnfield in ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', which was eventually played by Samuel L. Jackson. Fishburne was talked out of playing Jules by his representatives who wanted him to only accept leading parts, otherwise he would be stuck career-wise as a supporting actor. Subsequently, ''Pulp Fiction'' premiered at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] during the same time as Fishburne's pay negotiations. Vajna also attended the event to support Willis who was appearing in the [[Quentin Tarantino]] film. Tarantino recalled that Vajna was so impressed by Jackson's performance that he offered him the part of Carver instead. Fishburne later filed a lawsuit against Vajna's company Cinergi for reneging on a verbal agreement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Quentin Tarantino Says Laurence Fishburne Turned Down 'Pulp Fiction' Which Led To Him Losing Role In 'Die Hard' |url=https://theplaylist.net/laurence-fishburne-tarantino-pulp-fiction-role-die-hard-20200120/ |work=theplaylist.net |date=28 October 1996 |access-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126040023/https://theplaylist.net/laurence-fishburne-tarantino-pulp-fiction-role-die-hard-20200120/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Fink |first1=Mitchell |title=The Insider |url=https://people.com/archive/the-insider-vol-46-no-18/ |work=People.com |access-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-date=January 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126040021/https://people.com/archive/the-insider-vol-46-no-18/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The lawsuit was settled before going to trial, with Fishburne receiving $750,000 and a guarantee that Cinergi would option a screenplay he had written.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 19, 2020 |last=Jung |first=E. Alex |title=Laurence Fishburne Knows Who He Is |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/laurence-fishburne-in-conversation.html |website=Vulture |access-date=September 2, 2020 |archive-date=August 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200821082213/https://www.vulture.com/article/laurence-fishburne-in-conversation.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Beasley |first1=Tom |title='Die Hard With a Vengeance': The strange saga of Laurence Fishburne and how it ended up in court |url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/movies/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-laurence-fishburne-151015302.html |website=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=3 December 2024 |date=14 May 2020}}</ref>

==Music==
{{main|Die Hard with a Vengeance (soundtrack)}}
[[Michael Kamen]] returned to score the third film, again incorporating other material into his score (most notably "[[When Johnny Comes Marching Home]]", not included on the soundtrack album). Excerpts from his scores for ''[[Die Hard]]'' and ''[[Die Hard 2]]'' were also included in the new film. The soundtrack was released by [[RCA Victor]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} In 2012, La-La Land Records released an expanded version of the soundtrack, containing music that Kamen had composed but went unused in the final film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lalalandrecords.com/Site/DHWAV.html|title=La-La Land Records' release of Die Hard with a Vengeance - Expanded Score|work=La-La Land Records|access-date=December 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315003908/http://lalalandrecords.com/Site/DHWAV.html|archive-date=March 15, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Release==
===Theatrical===
Unlike its predecessors, ''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' did not take place during [[Christmas]], but instead being set during the late summer. It opened in theaters on May 19, 1995, five years after ''[[Die Hard 2]]''. Despite concerns about the film portraying bomb threats and terrorism with the [[Oklahoma City bombing]] having occurred the previous month, the film was released as originally scheduled.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1995/may/04/bombing-wont-delay-third-die-hard-movie/|title=Bombing Won't Delay Third 'Die Hard' Movie|date=May 4, 1995 }}</ref>

=== Home media ===
''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' was released on [[VHS]] on December 19, 1995, in the United States by [[Fox Video]] with a [[THX]]-certified version, while it was released in international countries by [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment|Touchstone Home Entertainment]] and released in South Africa on VHS by [[Ster-Kinekor|Ster-Kinekor Home Video]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sIRIAAAAIBAJ&q=die+hard+with+a+vengeance+video+dec+19&pg=PA44|title=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|language=en|access-date=November 10, 2020|archive-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630023652/https://books.google.com/books?id=sIRIAAAAIBAJ&q=die+hard+with+a+vengeance+video+dec+19&pg=PA44|url-status=live}}</ref> It was then released on [[LaserDisc]] on January 17, 1996, and on [[DVD]] on March 9, 1999. A special edition was released on DVD on July 10, 2001, and then re-released in February 2005 and 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/671/Die-Hard:-With-a-Vengeance-(1995).html|title=Die Hard: With a Vengeance DVD Release Date|access-date=April 14, 2018|archive-date=April 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414092001/https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/671/Die-Hard:-With-a-Vengeance-(1995).html|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was released on [[Blu-ray]] in 2007 and 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Die-Hard-with-a-Vengeance-Blu-ray/559/|title=Die Hard with a Vengeance Blu-ray|website=Blu-ray.com|access-date=April 14, 2018|archive-date=April 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414091538/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Die-Hard-with-a-Vengeance-Blu-ray/559/|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[4K resolution|4K]] release of the film has been made available for digital purchase on services such [[Apple TV]], [[Amazon Prime Video|Amazon Video]], and the [[Microsoft Store]], plus free 4K streaming on select platforms such as [[Disney+]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/die-hard-3 |title=Die Hard: With a Vengeance - watch stream online |language=en |access-date=2025-01-09 |via=www.justwatch.com}}</ref>

==== Alternative ending ====
An alternative ending to the one shown in the final movie was filmed with Jeremy Irons and Bruce Willis, set some time after the events in New York. It can be found on the Special Edition DVD. In this version, it is presumed that the robbery succeeds, and that McClane was used as the scapegoat for everything that went wrong. He is fired from the NYPD after more than 20 years on the force and the FBI has even taken away his pension; it is also mentioned that McClane and his wife Holly have divorced. Nevertheless, he still manages to track Simon using the batch number on the bottle of aspirins and they meet in a bar in [[Hungary]]. In this version, Simon has double-crossed most of his accomplices, gotten the loot to a safe hiding place somewhere in Hungary, and has the gold turned into statuettes of the [[Empire State Building]] in order to smuggle it out of the country. McClane is keen to take his problems out on Simon, who he invites to play a game called "McClane Says". This involves a form of [[Russian roulette]] with a small Chinese rocket launcher that has had the sights removed, meaning it is impossible to determine which end is which. McClane then asks Simon some riddles similar to the ones he played in New York. When Simon gets a riddle wrong, McClane forces him at gunpoint to fire the launcher, which fires the rocket through Simon, killing him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-review/|title=Dying Hard: Matt Revisits DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE|work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|first=Matt|last=Goldberg|date=February 13, 2013|access-date=June 13, 2020|archive-date=June 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613042808/https://collider.com/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-review/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Commentary">{{cite AV media|title=Alternate Ending with Optional Commentary with Jonathan Hensleigh|date=March 25, 2002|publisher=[[20th Century Fox]]|people=[[Jonathan Hensleigh]]|trans-title=Audio Commentary}}</ref>

In the DVD audio commentary, screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh claims that this version was dropped because the studio thought it showed a more cruel and menacing side to McClane, a man who killed for revenge rather than in self-defense. The studio was also displeased with the lack of action in the scene, feeling that it did not fit as a "climax" and therefore chose to reshoot the finale as an action sequence at a significant monetary cost. Hensleigh's intention was to show that the events in New York and the subsequent repercussions had tilted McClane psychologically. This alternative ending, set some time after the film's main events, would have marked a serious break from the ''Die Hard'' formula, in which the plot unfolds over a period of roughly 12 hours.<ref name="Commentary"/>

According to the DVD audio commentary, a second alternative ending had McClane and Carver floating back to shore on a makeshift raft after the explosion at sea. Carver says it is a shame the bad guys are going to get away; McClane tells him not to be so sure. The scene then shifts to the boat where the terrorists find the briefcase bomb they left in the park and which Carver gave back to them (in this version it was not used to blow up the dam). The film would end on a darkly comic note as Simon asks if anyone has a four-gallon jug. This draft of the script was rejected early on – possibly due to the similarity of the ending to ''[[Die Hard 2]]'', where all the villains board a plane that later explodes – so it was never actually filmed. The rocket-launcher sequence was the only alternative ending to be filmed.<ref name="Commentary"/>

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' opened in the United States on May 19, 1995, and earned $22,162,245 in its opening weekend.<ref name="OneUp">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-23-ca-4908-story.html|title=Weekend Box Office : Latest 'Die Hard' One-Ups 'Die Hard 2'|website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 23, 1995 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3008333313/weekend/|title=Die Hard with a Vengeance - Weekend Grosses|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=June 11, 2020|archive-date=March 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308033813/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=diehardwithavengeance.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The film ranked number one at the box office, beating  ''[[Crimson Tide (film)|Crimson Tide]]''.<ref name="OneUp" /> In Japan, it set a record opening for 20th Century Fox with a five-day gross of $13.5 million, beating ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' and ranking [[List of 1995 box office number-one films in Japan|number one]] for five consecutive weeks, grossing over $81 million.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=12|date=July 10, 1995|title=O'seas B.O. bows to big U.S. pix|last=Groves|first=Don}}</ref><ref name=France/><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=32|date=October 2, 1995|title=O'seas auds boost B.O. of U.S. pix|last=Groves|first=Don}}</ref><ref name="BOM"/>}} Its opening in France set a summer record with a gross of $8.8 million in its first 8 days.<ref name=France>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=10|date=August 14, 1995|title=O'seas B.O. shimmers in August heat|first=Don|last=Groves}}</ref> The film went on to gross $100,012,499 in the United States and Canada, and $266,089,167 in other<!-- Using the word "foreign" in this case is like saying the USA is the only country in the world. --> markets, giving it a total worldwide gross of $366,101,666 and making it [[1995 in film#Highest-grossing films|the highest-grossing film of 1995]].<ref name="BOM"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1995/?ref_=bo_cso_table_1|title=1995 Worldwide Box Office|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|access-date=March 7, 2020|archive-date=June 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611115917/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1995/?ref_=bo_cso_table_1|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 60% based on 80 reviews, with an average rating of 6.20/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' gets off to a fast start and benefits from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson's barbed interplay, but clatters to a bombastic finish in a vain effort to cover for an overall lack of fresh ideas."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/die_hard_with_a_vengeance/|title=Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=January 9, 2024|archive-date=December 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225135706/https://rottentomatoes.com/m/die_hard_with_a_vengeance|url-status=live}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/die-hard-with-a-vengeance|title=Die Hard: With a Vengeance reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=July 9, 2017|archive-date=October 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019045254/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/die-hard-with-a-vengeance|url-status=live}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficeguru.com/021813.htm|title=Weekend Box Office (February 15 - 18, 2013)| first=Gitesh |last=Pandya|publisher=Box Office Guru|date=February 19, 2013|access-date=September 24, 2019|archive-date=September 24, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190924223955/http://www.boxofficeguru.com/021813.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film three stars out of four, praising the action sequences and the performances of Willis, Jackson, and Irons, concluding: "''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' is basically a wind-up action toy, cleverly made, and delivered with high energy. It delivers just what it advertises, with a vengeance."<ref>{{cite web |date=May 19, 1995 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |title=Die Hard With a Vengeance movie review (1995) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-1995 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=September 6, 2020 |archive-date=June 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609152540/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-1995 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'}}s [[Owen Gleiberman]] disliked the film, stating that while "[[John McTiernan|[John] McTiernan]] stages individual sequences with great finesse... they don't add up to a taut, dread-ridden whole".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,297354,00.html |title=Die Hard with a Vengeance |author=Randall Wallace |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=May 26, 1995 |access-date=April 28, 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223154219/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,297354,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[James Berardinelli]] thought that the explosions and fights were "filmed with consummate skill, and are thrilling in their own right".<ref name="Berardinelli">{{cite web |url=https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/d/die_hard3.html |title=Die Hard with a Vengeance - Reelviews Movie Reviews |author=James Berardinelli |author-link=James Berardinelli |work=Reelviews Movie Reviews |access-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-date=July 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719211306/https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/d/die_hard3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Samuel L. Jackson]]'s performance in the film was also praised by critics. [[Desson Thomson|Desson Howe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' thought that "the best thing about the movie is the relationship between McClane and Zeus," saying that Jackson was "almost as good as he was in ''[[Pulp Fiction]]''."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/diehardwithavengeancerhowe_c016b7.htm | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=Die Hard With a Vengeance | date=May 19, 1995 | access-date=September 20, 2017 | archive-date=November 11, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111122932/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/diehardwithavengeancerhowe_c016b7.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> For ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', Brian Lowry wrote the film was the "least accomplished" of the ''Die Hard'' series, but "even a subpar adventure won't kill this series, as the pic's built-in audience will make it a major summer attraction, if perhaps one lacking quite the stamina of the first two movies".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-1200441643/ |title=Die Hard with a Vengeance |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=May 18, 1995 |access-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225055151/https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-1200441643/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine's Ian Nathan gave the film a three out of five stars review, stating that "''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' is better than ''Die Hard 2'', but not as good as the peerless original. Though it's breathless fun, the film runs out of steam in the last act. And Jeremy Irons' villain isn't fit to tie [[Alan Rickman]]'s shoelaces."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=7847 |title=Empire's Die Hard With A Vengeance Movie Review |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402152246/https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=7847|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>

In the ''Crime Time Filmbook'', which archives various UK film reviews, the film was given a perfect 5-star review, citing it as "...simply the best Action film of the decade, leaving imitators like ''[[Bad Boys (1995 film)|Bad Boys]]'', ''[[Executive Decision]]'', ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]]'' and ''[[Chain Reaction (1996 film)|Chain Reaction]]'' in varying depths of shadow.<ref>{{Cite book |last= Ashbrook|first= John|date= 1997|title= The Crime Time Filmbook|location= Harpenden, Herts, AL5 IEQ|publisher= No Exit Press|page= 231|isbn=978-1874061847}}</ref>

Retrospective rankings have called the film the best sequel in the franchise.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-review/|title = DIE HARD WITH a VENGEANCE Review. DIE HARD WITH a VENGEANCE Stars Bruce Willis|website = [[Collider (website)|Collider]]|date = February 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/ranking-the-die-hard-movies/|title = Ranking the die Hard Movies|date = December 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://culturedvultures.com/ranking-die-hard-movies-worst-best/|title = Ranking Every die Hard Movie from Worst to Best|date = August 6, 2021}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/best-bruce-willis-movies-ranked/|title=These Are The Best Bruce Willis Movies, Ranked|date=November 29, 2021|website=MovieWeb}}</ref>}} ''Empire'' considered it to be one of the 50 greatest film sequels in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/50greatestsequels/ |title=The Greatest Movie Sequels |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=August 25, 2009 |website=Empire |access-date=September 1, 2020 |archive-date=September 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915192436/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/50greatestsequels/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Ben Sherlock of ''[[Screen Rant]]'' regarded it as the best sequel of the franchise.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/die-hard-vengeance-best-sequel-bruce-willis-action-franchise/ |title=Die Hard with a Vengeance: 10 Reasons It's the Best die Hard Sequel (By Far) |website=[[Screen Rant]] |date=July 11, 2020 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119152103/https://screenrant.com/die-hard-vengeance-best-sequel-bruce-willis-action-franchise/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Johnny Hoffman from ''MovieWeb'' considered it a step up from the previous film and praised Willis and Jackson's chemistry and the action scenes.<ref name="auto"/>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Film|United States|1990s}}
{{wikiquote|Die Hard with a Vengeance}}
* {{IMDb title|0112864}}
* {{TCMDb title|73104}}
* {{AFI film|59875}}

{{Die Hard}}
{{John McTiernan}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Die Hard with a Vengeance}}
[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1995 action thriller films]]
[[Category:1990s buddy cop films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s heist films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:American action thriller films]]
[[Category:American buddy cop films]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:American heist films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:Cinergi Pictures films]]
[[Category:Die Hard]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of the New York City Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about the New York City Police Department]]
[[Category:Films about terrorism in the United States]]
[[Category:Films directed by John McTiernan]]
[[Category:Films scored by Michael Kamen]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films set in Quebec]]
[[Category:Films set on the New York City Subway]]
[[Category:Films shot in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Films shot in Maryland]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Films produced by John McTiernan]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jonathan Hensleigh]]
[[Category:Buena Vista International films]]
[[Category:English-language crime films]]
[[Category:English-language action films]]
[[Category:English-language thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language buddy comedy films]]