Renny Harlin reassessment

[Kevin Roegele]

I was previously not even remotely fond of the output of this Finnish action director. I always found his films basic, and mean spirited, taking basic action movie formulas and adding nothing except viciousness. Cliffhanger is just a stale action movie with the violence as nasty as possible. I used to think.

However, I have just re-watched Die Hard 2 and I have to say, yeah, that's a good action movie. Doesn't really have the 'Die Hard feel' like the first and third movies do, but far better than the fourth.

Also The Long Kiss Goodnight, a very similar movie, is a lot of fun and one of the best movies featuring a female action hero. And one of Samuel Jackson's funniest roles. Apparently he wants to get a sequel underway.

Harlin also gave us Deep Blue Sea, which while guilty of the 90's CGI excess and a lack of real disaster/adventure movie scope, is probably the best non-Jaws shark attack movie.

So....what do you chaps think?

 

[KenK]

I ALWAYS thought The Long Kiss Goodnight was a kick-ass action movie, and I can't understand why it got so much flack. And Shane Black was the screenwriter on that one! The dialogue in that movie was damn-near flawless, and even though some of the action scenes were beyond ridiculous, I still thought most of it was very well-done. And most importantly. . . .Geena Davis was the s**t!!!

Goon: Hey, baby. You lookin' for a good time?
Charlie: Sorry, I'm saving myself to get raped.

Charlie: Jesus, were you born this stupid, or did you take lessons?
Hennessey: I took lessons!!

Priceless!

 

[Hunter Rider]

Long Kiss Goodnight is fun with some of his best action and I love Cliffhanger. Deep Blue Sea is great B-movie fun on a budget. I hate most everything but Willis in Die Hard 2, it gets worse every time I see it.

 

[블라스]

Dh4 > Dh2.

 

[JackBauer]

Yeah, I didn't really get the hate on TLKG. It could've been better, but it was still good.

Dh4 > Dh2.

In Gammyland, maybe, but not in the real world. Both aren't great, but at least DH2 doesn't have McClane surfing a jet.

Wait... That's why you like it better isn't it?

 

[Hunter Rider]

Dh4 > Dh2.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Dh4 > Dh2.

DHwaV>DH4

 

[Hunter Rider]

Ugh.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Die Hard with a Vengeance is great.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I don't think so.

 

[JackBauer]

Die Hard with a Vengeance is great.

And on the same note:

Samuel L. Jackson >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Justin Long

 

[JackBauer]

I don't think so.

Why?

And, more on topic, am I the only one who thinks Driven fits the "so bad it's good" criteria? I mean, that Indy car chase in the middle of the city... Hilarious!!

 

[Hunter Rider]

Why?

I think the movie is hung on the banter between Willis and Jackson with little else of note, The last 25 minutes are just completely dull and devoid of any excitement or intensity as well IMO.

 

[Dark Donnie]

I think the movie is hung on the banter between Willis and Jackson with little else of note, The last 25 minutes are just completely dull and devoid of any excitement or intensity as well IMO.

This surprises me

 

[Dr. Evil]

He has a new movie coming out in 2009, which stars WWE Pro Wrestler John Cena.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

I think the movie is hung on the banter between Willis and Jackson with little else of note, The last 25 minutes are just completely dull and devoid of any excitement or intensity as well IMO.

It hangs on the whole 'Simon Says' cat-and-mouse premise, and then the revelation about who Simon is, and then the twist as to what he is really up to. It's all great stuff. It would be great without the Willis/Jackson interplay, but it is only better for that. I would watch it again now, but I'm going to watch Octopussy.

 

[Kable24]

Renny's best movie ever -

 

[Hunter Rider]

It hangs on the whole 'Simon Says' cat-and-mouse premise, and then the revelation about who Simon is, and then the twist as to what he is really up to. It's all great stuff. It would be great without the Willis/Jackson interplay, but it is only better for that. I would watch it again now, but I'm going to watch Octopussy.

That's the plot not what the movie hangs on, the movie hangs hitting/missing on the Jackson/Willis banter, b/c the action isn't that great and the film peters out long before the credits.

 

[The Navigator]

That's the plot not what the movie hangs on, the movie hangs hitting/missing on the Jackson/Willis banter, b/c the action isn't that great and the film peters out long before the credits.

And yet it's better than Die Hard 2.

 

[Hunter Rider]

And yet it's better than Die Hard 2.

Most decently budgeted (and a few low budgeted from Asia) action flicks are, and I'm not saying DHWAV is bad, I just don't rate it nearly as highly as some here seem to.

 

[The Navigator]

Most decently budgeted (and a few low budgeted from Asia) action flicks are, and I'm not saying DHWAV is bad, I just don't rate it nearly as highly as some here seem to.

It's not Die Hard 1, we can all agree on that.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Never seen Die Hard 2. Or 4. I've just caught 1 and 3 on tv. And I really liked them both.

 

[Rac]

Born American (1986) - Great.
Prison (1988) - Haven't seen.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) - Don't really remember anything of this. Guess it was okay.
Die Hard 2 (1990) - Good.
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) - Good.
Cliffhanger (1993) - Great.
Cutthroat Island (1995) - 'Twas okay. Wasn't THAT bad.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) - I saw this back in 1999. Don't remember anything of it.
Deep Blue Sea (1999) - It was fun, but it wasn't really a good nor bad flick.
Driven (2001) - Sucked.
Mindhunters (2004) - Watched like 20 minutes. Sucked.
Exorcist: The Beginning (2004) - Haven't seen.
The Covenant (2006) - Haven't seen and don't wanna see.
Cleaner (2007) - Haven't seen.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Die Hard 2 was a forced sequel. It was too much of the same. It had a self-realization that this shouldnt be happening. I think the other storylines (at least how McLane got involved) was better than wrong guy in the wrong place........AGAIN.

Long Kiss Goodnight was written by one of the hottest screenwriters in the business at the time. I dont think anyway saw that one coming.

These two short comings have seem t set the tone for the rest of his career.

Mindhunters was ok for a simple thriller but with the exception of Exorcist: The Beginning which has a number of problems due to producer mandate that screw the entire production its been one stinker after another. Which is too bad because I think the tone and atmosphere of his movies are usually quite good, but the effects are always cheap and the storylines are always so dull.