--- title: "Die Hard: With a Vengeance: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/die-hard-with-a-vengeance/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/die-hard-with-a-vengeance" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 9 reviews: 3 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative. The reviews are evenly divided between positive, mixed and negative, but praise clusters around the stunt work, Manhattan set pieces and the testy pairing of Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Even some detractors acknowledge the action’s physical impact, while warmer assessments find enough energy and humour to make the spectacle satisfying. Jackson is a particular asset, earning approval even from critics who find the surrounding formula tired. The main divide is over whether the larger, city-wide adventure refreshes the series or sacrifices its tension and coherence. Collider sees a revitalised sequel that preserves the original’s desperation and humour; Time Out finds familiar chases and explosions with little originality. Reservations recur around the scattered plotting and loss of momentum towards the finish, with even Collider calling the ending rushed and anticlimactic. Jeremy Irons’s villain also divides opinion: some enjoy his presence, while others find him wanting beside the original’s antagonist. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 4/5. Positive take on the third Die Hard as cracking entertainment. Singles out Jeremy Irons as a strong villain and the testy Willis-Jackson pairing for their quips and action chemistry. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-dqzr8y/die-hard-with-a-vengeance/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 1995. The film is a cleverly made wind-up action toy delivered with high energy that delivers just what it advertises. It stands out for its sensational stunt sequences and set pieces around Manhattan. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-1995) ## The New Yorker — Terrence Rafferty Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 1995. It is passable fun and pretty good value for fans of dumb action-movie hedonism, though sloppier than the original. It stands out for nifty sequences like the reckless cab drive and tense elevator shoot-out. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/05/29/the-avengers) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The film is a buddy-buddy romp better than Die Hard 2 but not as good as the original, with breathless fun that runs out of steam in the last act and a villain inferior to Alan Rickman's. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/die-hard-vengeance-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Peter Rainer Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 1995. The installment is a grand-scale demolition derby on steroids that relentlessly zeros in on sensation. It stands out for its non-stop explosions and beat-the-clock escapades all over New York. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-19-ca-3387-story.html) ## Time Out — DW Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Finds the formula wearing thin by the third film, with Willis as a standard action hero and little originality beyond familiar chases and bangs. Singles out Samuel L. Jackson for providing the best moments as the sidekick. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/die-hard-with-a-vengeance) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 1995. An overinflated mishmash that is the least accomplished of the three movies with a scattered and indecipherable plotline. It stands out for spectacular stunt-work and sound effects that provide much of the visceral appeal. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-1200441643/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 1995. The script self-destructs and the series runs out of steam, with an episodic plot across New York that lacks the claustrophobia of prior entries and a pale villain compared to the first film's. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-critics-flash-bangs-go-up-in-smoke-1597083.html) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A-. 13 February 2013. The critic considers it the true sequel to the original, bigger and bolder while retaining desperation, humor, and intensity, with strong praise for the buddy pairing of Willis and Jackson and the revitalized formula. The ending is called anticlimactic and rushed. [Read the review](https://collider.com/die-hard-with-a-vengeance-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/die-hard-with-a-vengeance.md