Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

I saw this movie immediately after I saw the 1st one. Once again, Bruce Willis as John McClane takes on a group of military terrorists, led by a psychotic colonel (William Sadler), who take over Washington D.C.'s Dulles International Airport, to rescue a drug baron South American general (Franco Nero) from ever entering trial. I was surprised that Renny Harlin (Deep Blue Sea, The Long Kiss Good Night) was the man who directed this movie that featured a lot of familiar faces from Dennis Franz (TV’s N.Y.P.D. Blue) who plays the inept airport police chief Lorenzo, Fred Dalton Thompson as Trudeau, John Amos as the stubborn anti-terrorist Major Grant, and Robert Patrick (Terminator 2); John Leguizamo (Ice Age); and Vondie Curtis-Hall (TV’s Chicago Hope) as members of Sadler’s terrorist group. I also liked Tom Bower’s performance as the mild-mannered, WWII veteran, airport janitor Marvin. And like the first one, I hated seeing William Atherton as the scumbag reporter Richard Thornburg. Die Hard 2: Die Harder is a very entertaining sequel with lots of great action sequences from start to finish.

Die Hard With a Vengence (1995)

This was the 1st out of all the Die Hard movies I ever heard. I even remember watching the ending when it was broadcast on HBO when I was seven years old and I never saw it again till I was a teenager. For this installment, McClane (Bruce Willis) and an unwilling store owner name Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson) play a mysterious bomber’s deadly game of Simon Says while they race around New York City trying to stop him. This movie was originally developed as “Simon Says” that would’ve starred Brandon Lee and later considered the premise for Lethal Weapon 4. John McTiernan, the director of the 1st Die Hard, made this one into an action-packed rollercoaster ride with lots of huge action sequences. The scene where McClane is put into serious jeopardy while he is in Harlem was the most horrible sequence out of the whole movie. I loved the performances of Samuel L. Jackson as McClane’s reluctant partner Zeus and the incredible Jeremy Irons as the mad bomber Simon. I loved how this movie takes place in New York City. I mean hey, that’s why we know that John McClane is an N.Y.P.D. cop. DIE HARD WITH A VENGENCE, along with DIE HARD and DIE HARD 2, are the best ones I like and not including the 4th.

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

I went to see this movie with my dad when it came out in theaters, only because I wanted to be one of those people who saw a Die Hard movie on the big screen. I didn't like the humor and its plot that has to do with computer hacking. Although, I thought Timothy Olyphant's performance as the terrorist leader Thomas Gabriel was great, I enjoyed seeing Kevin Smith, and liked some of the action sequences like the part when McClane and Farrell escape from the terrorists at the beginning of the film. I didn't like Justin Long; I think he was a bad choice for the computer hacker character Matthew Farrell. I was surprised to see Cyril Raffaelli, who played one of Olyphant's henchmen. He was in the Jet Li movie Kiss of the Dragon and he is an incredible martial artist. Sorry everybody, I'll stick to the first three Die Hard movies.

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Hollywood has made a string of incredible cop movies such as Bullitt, The French Connection, 48 Hrs., Beverly Hills Cop, and Die Hard. But one of those movies that I’m talking about is Lethal Weapon. Produced by Joel Silver (Predator), Directed by Richard Donner (The Goonies), and Released in 1987, the film is about two unlikely Los Angeles Police Officers: Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), a sensible sergeant veteran and family man. And Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), loose cannon of a cop with a death wish. They get partnered up, hate each other at first but soon work it out as they go after a gang of drug smugglers led by a ruthless retired U.S. Army general (Mitchell Ryan) and his psychotic enforcer Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey) . I really enjoyed this film; however there were some intense sequences like the opening of the film and the torture sequence. I’d prefer watching the director’s cut version because there is a great scene with Gibson’s character dispatching a sniper who’s was shooting little kids at a school. This was Mel Gibson’s second American role since 1984’s The River and his work as the homicidal Martin Riggs is one of his best performances I’ve ever seen. I also liked Danny Glover’s performance. Both Ryan and Busey were both very creepy but fantastic as the film’s villains. This movie made Donner, Silver, Gibson and Glover to go on to do three more hit sequels from 1989 to 1998 and I enjoyed all of them thoroughly. The song of the same name, performed by Honeymoon Suite, is one of the best movie songs I’ve ever heard. Lethal Weapon is an action movie classic that deserves to watch by every movie lover in the world.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

After the success of the 1st Lethal, Director Richard Donner and Producer Joel Silver reteamed Mel Gibson and Danny Glover for the action-packed Lethal Weapon 2. Released in 1989, Riggs (Gibson) and Murtaugh (Glover) are assigned to protect an irritating federal witness name Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), where in his words “Whatever you need, Leo Getz!”, while they go after South African diplomats, led by Arjen Rudd, a ruthless diplomatic affairs minister (Joss Ackland) and his quiet but deadly enforcer Pieter Vorstedt (Derrick O’Connor), who are hiding behind diplomatic immunity to engage in criminal activities. Pesci got the idea of creating Leo after the employees at Disneyland’s Fantasyland and with his addition to the cast; Donner said it was like adding a third stooge to Gibson and Glover’s characters. This movie was both funny and explosive. The action is awesome. My favorite scene out of the whole movie is when Riggs tries to make a deal with Rudd and his men to leave the U.S. but it ends with a bang. I also loved the fact that Mel Gibson is a real life Three Stooges fan and there’s a scene where he is in his trailer watching a Three Stooges short called “Three Missing Links”. Why, because I too am a Three Stooges fan. One of the songs on the film’s soundtrack “Cheer Down”, performed the late great George Harrison, is great and it is one of my favorite songs. Lethal Weapon 2 is one of the greatest sequels I’ve ever seen.

Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

Three years after the 2nd one, the boys are back at it again for a third Lethal Weapon. In this edition to the trilogy, Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) go after an intelligent but ruthless former cop of their own, Lt. Jack Edward Travis (Stuart Wilson), who’s been stealing weapons and ammo from their Police Department depot. Helping them is always the irritating Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) and a beautiful but aggressive Internal Affairs Sgt. Lorna Cole (Rene Russo), who Riggs believes he’s finally met his match. I consider this one my favorite out of all of them because I liked both the story and the action and it was very dramatic in some points where it involved a teenager getting killed. Stuart Wilson, who I’ve seen in such movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Enemy of the State, and The Mask of Zorro, was fantastic as the film’s bad guy. My favorite scene would have to be the film’s climax at the Mesa Verde housing development. Like in Lethal 2, there’s a scene which is only on the Director’s Cut that features Riggs watching a Three Stooges short “Calling All Curs” with his dogs and features a cameo appearance of Jack McGee as Mickey the contractor, who worked on Murtaugh’s Hobby Room in Lethal 2. One of the songs on the film’s soundtrack “Runaway Train”, performed by Elton John and Eric Clapton, is fantastic and like in the 2nd one, it is one of my favorite songs. Great Entertaining three-quell and when you watch this movie, be sure to watch the end credits for one more surprise!

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

For L.A.P.D. police officers Sgt. Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Sgt. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), they stopped U.S. Army drug smugglers in 1987, corrupt South African Diplomats in 1989, and a ruthless L.A.P.D. officer in 1992. In 1998, they go after Chinese triads, led by a deadly high ranking negotiator name Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li), while dealing with personal problems in the fourth and final installment to the Lethal Weapon trilogy. With them again is the always irritating Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), who is now a private investigator. Sgt. Lorna Cole (Rene Russo), who is pregnant with Riggs’ first child. And a newcomer: the serious but loudmouth L.A.P.D. Sgt. Lee Butters (Chris Rock). This was the 1st Lethal movie I ever heard. I was nine years old when it came out that summer; my parents went to see it while my brother and I went to see SMALL SOLDIERS. There were some great moments like when Riggs chasing one of the thugs through Chinatown, the freeway chase, and the infamous dentist scene. The most intense sequence would have to be the climax between the boys and Li. Speaking of Jet Li, who’s one of Hong Kong’s biggest stars at that time; this was his first American movie was kind of creepy in his performance. In an interview he did while filming, he said He’s big fan of the Lethal Weapon films and was happy to be a part of it. I would have to say that LETHAL WEAPON 4 is the most intense and most entertaining one I’ve ever seen. THE LETHAL WEAPON movies ARE ACTION MOVIE CLASSICS AND YOU WILL LOVE THEM!