The Die Hard 2 Theory

"A sequel to an iconic movie will always pale in comparison to the original when compared, even if said sequel is a solid movie in its own right"

Die Hard 2 is a really good movie if you take it as a one off action film, the only problem is you can't. Here is John McClane again, and it is even Christmas again, a man alone fending off terrorists. They take McClane out of LA and out of the cramped Nakatomi Plaza and put him in DC at Washington Dulles International Airport, brilliant! It is a good movie, but it isn't a great movie for all the reasons that made the first one great.

I'm not sure when I came up with my "Die Hard 2 Theory" considering I was 8 when it was released, but regardless, the theory stands true. The impetus to share this theory with all 3 of my readers came after going to see The Hangover Part II with my sister. The movie as a whole was good but I could not stop thinking about the original while watching it.

What made the original so great was the novelty of the idea (if you disregard the fact that the premise of waking up and not knowing what happened the night before was done earlier in the movie Dude, Where's my Car), a bunch of guys at a bachelor party wake up with no clue as to what happened the night before and the groom is missing, shenanigans ensue! Alan was a brand new character and every idiotic thing he said was hilarious because we had never seen a character quite like him. All the things that made The Hangover great are all the things that made The Hangover Part II just okay.

If The Hangover Part III is inevitable, and I believe it has already been announced as happening, I only hope that it continues down the Die Hard route. Die Hard with a Vengeance, while still not as good as the original, was far superior from Die Hard 2. What the third installment did right was it took the character you knew and loved and didn't just throw him in a similar situation, but took him someplace new (and don't say The Hangover Part II did that just because they went from Vegas to Thailand).

In conclusion, if you liked The Hangover you'll probably enjoy The Hangover Part II, but it won't thrill you like the first one did. Oh and enjoy your summer of sequels!