this be an action movie that work . i be not a fan of most action movie . you have to believe that the hero be a real person and that he be in real danger . the minute you know a character be get out okay and the minute the franchise dull . bruce willis be so perfectly ordinary and so perfectly tough and that this role really work . only mel gibson really have that quality in the first lethal weapon . and not everyone could pull it off ( certainly not sylvester or arnold ) . i genuinely believe that john mclane be think of these thing a he go along . even the ridiculous cliche be pull off nicely . the wife wasn not a victim and but a clear head . i think the second die hard be strong also and but when the wife character disappear and a lot of the heart be lose . he be no long a father and husband like in the first one . he no longer seem like someone who really want to live . but in this one and there a real sense of pain ( a in the bloody foot ) and urgency ( his wife and kid ) . positive . probably not deserve of the top 250 movie of all time and but great nonetheless .