Overview
A lone cop faces a new wave of terror as he fights to save innocent lives at an airport.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- propulsive
- witty
- explosive
- holiday movie marathon
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the sequel to be a taut, entertaining action spectacle whose set pieces compensate for implausible plotting and weaker freshness than its predecessor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John McClane again confronts terrorists alone, while the airport setting and larger-scale threat expand the first film's setup.
McClane uses blunt jokes, profanity, and improvised tactics while trapped inside a hostile airport crisis.
The terrorists seize airport electrical and communications systems, leaving planes circling without runway lights.
The airport crisis unfolds during the Christmas travel season, combining holiday atmosphere with terrorism and explosions.
Films like Die Hard 2, and why
Executive Decision
shared airport terrorism, escalating set pieces, sardonic action-hero energy, and high-stakes thriller pacing
Die Hard
shared lone-cop-versus-terrorists structure, urban siege mechanics, and muscular early-1990s action style
Passenger 57
shared aviation crisis, military antagonists, explosive spectacle, and propulsive action-thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Release Date
- 1990-07-03
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (6610)
Cast
- Bruce Willis
- Bonnie Bedelia
- William Sadler
- John Amos
- Franco Nero
- William Atherton
- Dennis Franz
- Art Evans
- Fred Thompson
- Tom Bower
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Die Hard 2 about?
- A tenacious New York cop battles a militarized terrorist takeover of a snowbound airport while stranded planes circle overhead.
- What is Die Hard 2 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Die Hard 2 as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Die Hard 2 violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Die Hard 2 as brutal.
- What did critics think of Die Hard 2?
- Critics broadly found the sequel to be a taut, entertaining action spectacle whose set pieces compensate for implausible plotting and weaker freshness than its predecessor.
- Which films are like Die Hard 2?
- Films with a similar feel include Executive Decision, Die Hard, and Passenger 57.
- How long is Die Hard 2?
- Die Hard 2 runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Die Hard 2?
- In United States, Die Hard 2 streams on YouTube TV.
