Die Hard 2: Die Harder (R, 1990)

common sense media says

John McClane spreads vigilante Christmas cheer.


parents & educators say
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say language is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this film features constant violence. Both the good guys and the bad guys put innocent people in harms way. They use strong language and physical violence to get their points across. In addition, as with all of the Die Hard films, the protagonist McClane seeks justice through his own means that are contrary to rules of law.

Positive messages: The film includes extremely violent individuals, both on the sides of good and evil. It presents a very complex image of government, police, and civilians (traitors, incompetents, and vigilantes). All engage in excessive violence, but the film does not really interrogate the type of violence used by the film's hero. His role as savior for the innocent rationalizes his killings in the world of the film.
Violence: Murder of the innocent, lots of gunplay, freak accidents involving machinery, explosions, human stampedes, graphic executions of members of the police force, knife fight and graphic stabbing, throat slitting, dismembering, plane explosion, premeditated airplane crash (and death of all of its passengers
Sex: Brief (non-sexualized) male nudity.
Language: Repeated use of the f-word, frequent swearing out of anger and frustration.
Consumerism: Twinkies.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Die Hard 2: Die Harder

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about issues regarding the media, the legal system, and national security. How does the film comment on the media, through its presentation of Thornburg and Coleman? How does each character represent the responsibilities of members of the media? The movie presents a complicated relationship between the military and the police. Both John and the head commando Colonel Stewart make choices that deviate from their actual job descriptions. What is the difference between the two? What makes one right and one wrong?

What's the story?

What's the story?
After saving LA from the evil Germans, John McClane was hoping to spend a peaceful Christmas with his family in the nation's capitol. Instead, he finds himself in middle of a terrorist plot to blow up the airport. In his attempt to save the day and rescue his wife (who's trapped on one of the circling flights), he must negotiate military-trained commandos (led by William Sadler), inept police, and government forces (led by John Amos).

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
DIE HARD 2 repeated the success of the first film and helped to continue Willis's rise to stardom. Fans of the first installment will enjoy appearances by Reginald Vel Johnson (Family Matters) as John's LAPD buddy and William Atherton (Ghostbusters, Real Genius) as an opportunist news reporter. This installment also features Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) as the head of the airport police. Don't miss the thrilling ejection from the airplane, and though playing with a lighter saves the day, make sure the kids know that isn't a good idea.

Families may also want to consider that the main conflict of this film engages with the topics of terrorism and airports. In a post-9/11 America, kids may be particularly sensitive about any hostile combination of these two topics.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Renny Harlin
Cast: Bonnie Bedelia, Bruce Willis, William Atherton
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 124 minutes
Theatrical release: July 2, 1990
DVD release: March 9, 1999
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: Restricted

This review was written by Kelly Kessler
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14
Based on 6 parent & educator reviews:
  • 33% say violence is an issue
  • 33% say language is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

d-dude174
kid, 13 years old
 
awsome
awsome movie kinda bloody though

jrcalhoun759
teen, 16 years old
 
Pretty good movie. Much like the first one, there is lots of language and gunplay. There is no nudity, dont listen to what CMS says. Basicly if you can watch the first one, you can watch this one.

4Spice
adult
 
all time classic better then first 15 and over
awesome my favorite die hard my all time classic full with action killing shooting and lost of drama dont second thing about watching the movie you'll be amazed truth is lots of violence 15 and over

gfdf
kid, 11 years old
 
Great sequel
john is back and risks his life to save an airport catastraphy. 2 planes blow up one with cervilians in it one with bad guys. the part were the grenades are in the plane may be intence to young vewers lots of swearing mostly coverd by gun shots.the most gory seen is the part were a man is stabed in the eye with an iceicle

michaelc
teen, 14 years old
 
good film
More violent than the first film, but still good.

elreader46
teen, 15 years old
 
perfect mature action flick
This movie is really good. Most of my concerns are that there is a lot of violence. Close up shots of people getting killed. The language is from the famous " Yippie Ki Yay mf" .

DerrickRose1
teen, 16 years old
 
Must See
An amazing movie!!! Funny at parts and also exciting! Lot of F bombs but worth seeing. Traitors cut throat and lot of blood! Just remember: Yippi Ki Yay Mother F#@$ers!

 
Another classic.
John McClane returns in part two of the four part series. In this one, there are 70 uses of f--k and other profane words such as s--t and a--hole. One use of c--ksucker. There is brief male nudity.

homealonefan123
teen, 15 years old
 
great early 1990's classic
awesome airport movie. with lots of cool action

popking565
kid, 11 years old
 
Oh MY GOSH! :( V I O L E N C E!
VIOLENCE BEYOND BELIEF! SADNESS ABOVE THE ABOVE! AND FREQUENT SWEARING AND YOU GIVE THIS A 14 CSM! Look you guys rock but this movie is not a 14. A plane crash kills like every type of person. A child and elderly people and men and women that burn down. That is so sad. My dad hated it. I hate it! Die Hard 1,3, and 4 are sooooooooooooooooo much better! Please! If you have ever seen the Roommate that did terrible and got 14 for age and this got the same something is just wrong!

Mikeybooth
teen, 18 years old
 
Great movie, too much f**k!
Bruce Willis, as usual has a very filthy mouth, spewing out f**k quite often, with one signature "Yippi-ki-yay Motherf**ker", all in all the language is much worse than the first, however the bloody violence is a little more mellow. All in all, great movie, awesome sequel, but watch out for the language!

dr duck
teen, 15 years old
 
More brutal than the first, but still really good, highschoolers.
This film is once again a great film, and is great one for older teens.

masterchief117
kid, 12 years old
 
awesome movie the best die hard
pretty violent and lots of language. a mans butt is seen while he is perfroming fighting moves. a plane crashes on the runway everyone on board is killed. theres a shootout around 15 people are shot and killed theres a fair bit of blood. a man has a popsicle stabbed into his eye blood comes out around his eye and on the popsicle. a man has his trought cut open(very graphic) a man is sucked into a plane engine blood pours out of the engine. a plane explodes. around 40-50 f-words a few s-words and c**ksucker is said once. 14+

 
A Darn Near Perfect Action Movie
Even better than the first one, Die Harder is one of my personal favorite action films. There's plenty of violence to keep audiences entertained, but a great story that holds up. Anyone who likes the "action" genre, I guarantee, will love this movie. Parents should know that this Die Hard's, just like the the first one. Full of bloody shootouts, and lot's of swearing. Other moments of violence that stand out include a plane full of innocent people getting destroyed, a man getting stabbed in the eye with an icicle, a mans throat getting slit, and a man being sucked into a planes propeller. There's a boat of f-words and other profanities and scene with a bare butt.

cheesydude
kid, 12 years old
 
Violence is Bad- but Movie is Good
Good movie but a lot of violence! Like airplanes exploding and stuff going into peoples eyeballs and guns. There is also repeated uses of the f--k. There are no positive messages.

 
Teens and over
there is a lot of violence the F word is used many times

G3
adult
 
not as good as the first (or 4th) but still good

 
Worse than the first.
The first movie is much better, but this one is still pretty good. There's a little bit of male nudity towards the start, but that's it. As for violence: some explosions, a fist fight, and several gun fights. It would probably earn a PG-13 rating overall. There's about 40 f-words, and other ones mixed in. Nothing else, really.

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