John McTiernan makes action films in which bad temper can be as entertaining as danger. We rate his instinct for actors under pressure, though his lively partnerships cannot always compensate for untidy plotting.
Fi1m perspective
In Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson have little patience for one another, even with danger to attend to. McTiernan gives their friction enough space to make their company worth the chase. We laughed at their impatience because he lets an awkward partnership compete with the immediate threat. We recommend the film for those two men, with a warning that the last act is less satisfying.
After his feature debut, Nomads (1986), the breakthroughs came with Predator (1987) and Die Hard (1988). Predator combines military suspense with science-fiction horror; Die Hard confines an everyman hero to Nakatomi Plaza. With collaborators including cinematographer Jan de Bont, McTiernan favours tracking shots, cranes and Steadicam to keep the action fluid. He breaks up the intense sequences with quieter suspense, giving us time to wonder what might happen next rather than demanding the same response throughout.
The 1990s widened the brief: The Hunt for Red October (1990) is a submarine thriller, while Last Action Hero (1993) examines action-film conventions. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) turns to heist plotting and sexual attraction. There is more to that selection than an appetite for action, though With a Vengeance gives us the clearest reason to value his work with actors.
Willis and Jackson keep With a Vengeance lively between explosions because neither seems prepared to make the other's day easier. McTiernan gives their irritation enough attention for the exchanges to count as entertainment in themselves. But the sprawling plot grows untidy, and the last act tires. We remain interested in the two men longer than we remain interested in the complications being put in their way. That limits our enthusiasm for McTiernan: getting the partnership right does not excuse letting the plotting become a chore.
The later Rollerball (2002) and Basic (2003) were troubled by script or production problems. We would choose by title rather than trust the director's name alone. Try With a Vengeance for Willis and Jackson, with some patience reserved for the final act.
Biography
John Campbell McTiernan Jr. is an American film director, producer and writer. He was born on 8 January 1951 in Albany, New York.
McTiernan directed Predator (1987), Die Hard (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Last Action Hero (1993), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), The 13th Warrior (1999) and Basic (2003). He also produced several of these films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance.
In 2006 he pleaded guilty to charges of perjury and making false statements to the FBI in connection with the hiring of a private investigator to conduct illegal wiretaps. He served a prison sentence from 2013 to 2014.
