Die Hard 2 – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Die Hard 2

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1990

54%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

McClane is the human equivalent of a 'Check Engine' light that won't go off, this time in a snowy airport full of 90s tech and creative kills.

68%

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Die Hard 2

movie

R, 1990

54%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

McClane is the human equivalent of a 'Check Engine' light that won't go off, this time in a snowy airport full of 90s tech and creative kills.

68%

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68%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, it’s not the masterpiece the original was, but it’s a solid piece of 90s action history that still holds up if you like practical explosions.

It’s loud, it’s bloody, and it’s full of tech that belongs in a museum. It’s a 'B-movie' with an 'A-movie' budget.

If you can get past the massive logic gaps and the fact that a whole plane of people dies just to raise the stakes, it's a fun ride for older teens and parents who want to show their kids what action looked like before the MCU took over. Just be ready to explain what a pager is.

Age Fit

Best for 15 and up. It’s a hard R for a reason—lots of blood and creative ways to die. If your teen has seen the first Die Hard, they know the drill, but this one actually feels a bit meaner.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

John McClane is a dedicated husband fighting to save his wife, but the 'family values' are buried under a mountain of bodies and 90s cynicism.

Imaginative

The 'puzzle-box' nature of the airport takeover is clever, even if it's just a bigger, snowier version of the first movie's formula.

Safe

Hard R-rated violence including an icicle to the eye, a person sucked into a jet engine, and a massive plane crash that kills hundreds of innocents.

Enriching

It's a textbook example of the 90s action hero trope, but don't expect any deep moral or intellectual growth here.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

It features some of the best practical stunts of the era, like the iconic ejector seat sequence.
McClane remains the ultimate 'everyman' hero who actually bleeds and gets tired, unlike modern invincible superheroes.
The snowy, high-stakes Christmas Eve setting creates a great sense of urgency and atmosphere.
It’s a fun time capsule for seeing how people functioned before smartphones and ubiquitous Wi-Fi.

⚠

What to Watch For

There is a genuinely gruesome scene involving an icicle and an eye socket that might be too much for sensitive viewers.
Unlike many action movies where only the 'bad guys' die, a plane full of innocent passengers actually crashes and explodes here.
The language is heavy—expect a constant stream of F-bombs throughout the entire runtime.

Conversation Starters

"How would this movie end in five minutes if John McClane and his wife both had iPhones?"
"Why do you think the movie portrays the airport police as inept compared to the 'cowboy' cop hero?"
"Is it okay for a hero to break the rules if it's for the 'greater good' or to save their family?"

Deep Dive

The "More is More" Sequel

If the first movie was a masterclass in tight, claustrophobic tension, this sequel is about seeing how many things can explode in the snow. It’s the quintessential 1990 blockbuster—bigger, louder, and significantly more cynical. While the first film felt like a fluke survival story, this one leans into John McClane as a magnet for disaster. Critics and fans are mostly aligned here, with scores in the high 60s and low 70s, reflecting a movie that is competent but lacks the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of the original.

For a modern teen, the most fascinating part of this movie isn't the gunfights; it's the logistics. The entire plot hinges on a lack of cell phones and the limitations of 90s air traffic control. Watching McClane sprint to find a payphone or deal with a pager is a trip. If you’re planning a family movie night, check out our parent’s guide to Die Hard 2 to see exactly how these dated tech hurdles drive the R-rated chaos.

The Mean Streak

There is a specific tonal shift in this sequel that catches people off guard. In most action movies, the hero saves the day and the "innocents" are just background noise. Here, the stakes are punctuated by a massive, tragic failure involving a passenger plane. It’s a bleak moment that moves the film away from "fun holiday romp" into something much grittier.

This isn't the sanitized violence of a PG-13 superhero movie where buildings fall and everyone is assumed to have evacuated. When things go wrong in this airport, people die, and the movie doesn't look away. It makes the eventual payoff feel earned, but it also makes the "Safe" score of 32 feel very honest. If your kid is used to the bloodless stakes of the MCU, this will be a wake-up call.

Practical Magic

If your teen is an aspiring filmmaker or just a fan of how things are made, this movie is a goldmine. We are looking at the sunset of the pre-CGI era. The explosions are real, the stunts are dangerous, and the sets are massive. The ejector seat sequence and the snowmobile chase might look "old" to a kid raised on Pixar, but there is a weight to the action that digital effects still struggle to replicate.

It’s worth pointing out the "cowboy" vs. "bureaucracy" theme that defines this era of cinema. The movie goes out of its way to make the official authorities look like bumbling idiots so that McClane can be the only one who knows the truth. It’s a classic trope, but it’s a great jumping-off point to talk about why we love "rogue" heroes and whether that logic actually holds up in the real world. This is a solid pick for a Friday night if you want something that moves fast and doesn't require a homework assignment to understand the plot.

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