Lois Larson
Die Hard 2 (1990) is the instalment of the Die Hard film series that features an airport. The film is set on Christmas Eve, and sees Bruce Willis' character John McClane waiting for his wife Holly at Washington Dulles International Airport. As he waits, a group of terrorists take over the airport's control system, threatening to cause multiple plane crashes. McClane must stop the terrorists before the planes, including the one his wife is on, run out of fuel and crash.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Die Hard 2 |
| Other names | Die Hard 2: Die Harder |
| Release date | 22 June 1990 |
| Box office earnings | $240 million worldwide |
| Prequel | Die Hard |
| Sequel | Die Hard with a Vengeance |
| Setting | Washington Dulles International Airport |
| Main character | John McClane |
| Main character's profession | Off-duty police detective |
| Main character's goal | To stop terrorists from causing multiple plane crashes, including the one his wife is on |
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What You'll Learn
Die Hard 2 features a race against time
Die Hard 2, the 1990 action-thriller film, is a race against time for the protagonist John McClane. The film is set on Christmas Eve, two years after the events of the first film, where McClane is waiting at Washington Dulles International Airport for his wife Holly's plane to arrive. He notices some suspicious men in the airport lounge and follows them to the luggage area, where a shootout ensues. McClane kills one of the mercenaries, Oswald Cochrane, and the other escapes.
McClane then investigates Cochrane's fingerprints and discovers that he was believed to have died two years prior in Honduras. He tries to warn the airport police chief, Captain Carmine Lorenzo, but his concerns are dismissed. As the airport's control tower is hijacked by terrorists led by Colonel Stuart, McClane finds himself in a race to stop them before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights run out of fuel and crash.
The film features a combination of live-action footage and traditional matte painting, with elaborate action sequences and humour driven by Bruce Willis' charisma as McClane. Die Hard 2 was a major box-office success, grossing $240 million worldwide and doubling the earnings of its predecessor. It received positive reviews from critics, particularly for its action sequences, and was considered an enjoyable sequel that stayed true to the successful formula of the original Die Hard.
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Terrorists take over an airport's control system
On Christmas Eve, off-duty police detective John McClane is at Washington Dulles International Airport, waiting for his wife Holly's plane to land. He notices some suspicious men in the airport lounge and follows them to the luggage area, where he sees them tampering with the control panel for the luggage conveyor belt. A shootout ensues, and McClane kills a mercenary named Oswald Cochrane, while another, Miller, escapes.
McClane investigates further and discovers that Cochrane was a professional mercenary, not a petty thief, as the airport police chief, Captain Carmine Lorenzo, believes. As McClane enters the control tower, it is hijacked by rogue military officer Colonel Stuart and his band of terrorists, who shut off the landing lights, causing chaos. McClane must now stop the terrorists before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights circling the airport run out of fuel and crash.
During his mission, McClane also contends with the airport police and a military commander, neither of whom welcome his involvement. He chases enemies on a snowmobile and, at one point, on the wing of a plane. He must also avoid killing civilians as he shoots at the terrorists. McClane ultimately succeeds in killing all the mercenaries, thwarting their plan, and providing a landing light for the planes, reuniting with his wife.
The events of Die Hard 2 highlight the very real threat of terrorists targeting airports and aviation security. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, airport security measures were significantly enhanced, with passengers now required to remove their shoes for screening, restrictions on liquids, and the implementation of high-tech body scanners. These measures aim to counter evolving threats, such as concealed explosives and plots targeting aviation.
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John McClane kills mercenaries and thwarts their plan
John McClane, a former New York City police officer now working for the LA Police Department, finds himself in a familiar situation in Die Hard 2. On Christmas Eve 1990, two years after the Nakatomi Tower incident, McClane is at Washington Dulles International Airport, waiting for his wife Holly's plane to arrive from Los Angeles. He notices some men acting suspiciously and follows them into the baggage area, where a shootout ensues. McClane kills one of the mercenaries, Oswald Cochrane, while the other, Miller, escapes.
McClane retrieves Cochrane's fingerprints and has his friend Sergeant Al Powell run a background check. He discovers that Cochrane was believed to have been killed in a helicopter accident two years earlier while serving as an American military advisor in Honduras. Recognizing that the man he killed is a professional mercenary, McClane attempts to warn the airport police chief, Captain Carmine Lorenzo, but his concerns are dismissed.
As the terrorists take control of the airport's electrical equipment and air traffic control system, McClane races against time to stop them before the planes, including his wife's, run out of fuel and crash. He confronts the rogue military officer, Colonel Stuart, and his team of terrorists, who are planning to rescue a captured drug lord, General Esperanza, by landing his plane at the airport.
McClane kills all the mercenaries and thwarts their plan by blowing up their getaway plane. He provides landing lights for the circling planes, preventing a disaster, and is finally reunited with his wife. Throughout his heroic efforts, McClane not only battles the terrorists but also contends with an incompetent airport police chief and a deadly winter snowstorm.
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The film was a major box-office success
Die Hard 2, the film that features an airport, was a major box-office success. The film exceeded all expectations by outdoing the box-office success of its predecessor, the first Die Hard film. It had the largest pre-opening, earning $3.7 million from 1,828 theatres. It held this record for six years until Independence Day surpassed it in 1996. The film had a wide release in 2,507 theatres across the United States and Canada, grossing $21.7 million on its opening weekend.
Die Hard 2 went on to gross $117.5 million in the United States and Canada, and made $122.5 million internationally, earning over $240 million worldwide. This was almost double the earnings of the first Die Hard film. The film was re-released internationally in 1993 and made an additional $216,339, bringing its total gross to $240.2 million.
The film's success can be attributed to its thrilling action sequences and the charisma and humour of Bruce Willis, who reprised his role as John McClane. The film also benefited from positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised its action sequences. Die Hard 2 doubled the earnings of its predecessor and finished as the seventh-highest-grossing film of its year.
The success of Die Hard 2 led to the release of several sequels, including Die Hard with a Vengeance in 1995, Live Free or Die Hard in 2007, and A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013. The film's impact also extended to video games, with the release of Die Hard 2: Die Harder, a side-scrolling first-person rail shooter game that utilised the movie's plot.
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It was the first film to use digitally composited footage
Die Hard 2, which is set in Washington Dulles International Airport, was the first film to use digitally composited footage. The film's predominant setting is an actual airport and is the primary international airport serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The action in Die Hard 2 takes place on Christmas Eve, with John McClane waiting for his wife to land at the airport when terrorists take over the air traffic control system.
Die Hard 2 was the first film to use digitally composited live-action footage with a traditional matte painting that had been photographed and scanned into a computer. This technique was used for the final scene, which took place on a runway.
While Die Hard 2 was the first film to use digitally composited footage, it was not the first to use digital composites. The 1986 film Howard the Duck used digital composites to remove wires from a shot. Additionally, The Abyss, released in 1989, also made use of digital compositing.
The original Die Hard film, released before Die Hard 2, also used composite footage. In one scene, Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza, and the background behind him is composited with footage taken from Fox Plaza and falling confetti that looks like bearer bonds. In another scene, John McClane leaps from the top of Nakatomi Plaza with a firehose wrapped around his waist. This scene was created by compositing multiple shots together.
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Frequently asked questions
Die Hard 2.
Washington Dulles International Airport.
John McClane is waiting for his wife, Holly, at the airport when terrorists take over the air traffic control system. He must stop them before his wife's plane and several other incoming flights run out of fuel and crash.
1990.
