10) Die Hard With A Vengeance
Not everyone loves the fact that John McTiernan completely changed up the formula with Die Hard With a Vengeance. McTiernan’s own Die Hard (still the best of the series, unquestionably) and Renny Harlin’s Die Hard 2 pitted ordinary tough guy John McClane against a supervillain in a confined space (a building in the original, an airport in the sequel). But by the second film, the concept already appeared old hat.
Die Hard With a Vengeance takes John McClane, gives him a partner in Samuel L Jackson (always an asset in any film) and sends them on a treasure hunt around an entire city, searching for Jeremy Irons’ icy villain Simon Gruber across New York. The film takes a less gritty, more unashamedly funhouse approach than Die Hards 1 and 2. So, it’s different to its brethren, but no less enjoyable.