MovieChat Forums > Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) Discussion > Alternate ending

Alternate ending

posted 11 years ago by bayesandrew
35 replies | jump to latest

On the special edition of this, an alternate ending is included. In this, Mcclane doesn't figure out about Simons location at the pier, is suspected of working with Gruber, and kicked off the force. He later tracks down Simon on his own. Simon has killed off the rest of his group and taken the money for himself. John shows up at his mansion with a grenade launcher missing its sights. John riddles with Simon, putting the launcher on the table and making Simon turn it to go whichever way he thinks it will fire. The last riddle is "man walks into a bar, the bartender pulls out a grenade launcher. What did the man forget to bring?" Simon guesses wrong, turns the launcher one more time and fires. It kills him. Johns walks away and says "he forgot a flak vest. Yippee-ki-yay."
Which ending do you prefer?

[–] granitodiaz 11 years ago

the alternate is terrible, it doesn't fit the movie or the series at all.
McClane saves the day, he beats the bad guys, instead in that alternate ending would only be darker if they say Zeus killed himself.
McClane was never a person tormented by revenge.

[–] Filthy_Giuseppe 11 years ago

In Sicily, Woman Are More Dangerous Than Shotguns

[–] GreenGoblinsOckVenom86 11 years ago

I'm one of the few that actually is okay with the original ending. I liked it before John killed Simon he said, "Say Hello to your brother."
"You want me to roll 6,000 of these!? What? Should I quit my job!?" George Seinfeld

[–] drjackshepard 11 years ago

If it wasn't Die Hard, but just another generic action/heist movie - the alternate ending would rock.

But, as it is Die Hard and we know that McClane isn't evil like the people he dispatches, it is terrible.

Much in the same way that A Good Day to Die Hard isn't a Die Hard movie. Just another generic father-goes-to-save-wayward-son movie. It was basically extended version of the alternate ending of Vengeance. There was no McClane

"My wife already left me once, she wouldn't do it again just for kicks" - Danny Ocean

[–] BakedEel 11 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-GqY-M5fE4 That ending is awesome.

[–] granitodiaz 11 years ago

[–] BakedEel 11 years ago

It's a great scene, and much better than the corny ending we got, which is like a Steven Segal film. It did fit, the series was already very dark and black humoured: in the first movie they're going to kill more than a dozen people as part of the plan, while in the second they (obnoxiously in the script) murder hundreds of random British people with stupid stereotypical dialogue as a mere demonstration of their intent (John does save all the Americans in their planes, tho, so we can still call it a happy ending). In this scene, McClane finally gets pissed off enough with the system that he takes matters into his own hands, while we see how clever Gruber was: he won.
I don't know if it lacked music because they hadn't edited it in with the rest of the movie, but it seems likely, and that's why it's slow paced. The music would add suspense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HDvwUlBbro

[–] SillyGayBoy 10 years ago

Love that alternate ending fun stuff thanks.

[–] smoko 11 years ago

@bayesandrew IMO the alternate ending is terrible. The Die Hard movies take place during one day - having the ending occur some time later kills the momentum, so it pretty much fücks it up from the get-go. Having McClane seek revenge seems out-of-character too.

[–] granitodiaz 11 years ago

also, that ending would only be darker if he says Zeus killed himself.

[–] Littlebitsofgaming 11 years ago

The ending we do have is so damn weak and leaves little impact.
There is no "real" final confrontation.

The alternate ending was FAR superior and added so many layers, not only from a plot perspective, but also from a character one too.

It's a shame it was never fully finished so all we got was the rough cut. It needed music, etc.
Plus if they wanted to end the series and have it end like that. Would have been a great sign-off and showed some real balls.

And so, God came forth and proclaimed widescreen is the best.
Sony 16:9

[–] granitodiaz 11 years ago

wow, you´re an idiot.

[–] Kamikaze_Pilot 11 years ago

Why are you butthurt?

[–] clark_gillies 11 years ago

I do not particularly like either endings, but the one in the movie is slightly better (if a little rushed!) as the other one just does not fit in with the rest of the movie.

[–] SloppyJ30 11 years ago

I just saw the ending for the first time. No way it's a better ending for this movie. I agree with some other posters that in another movie it might work, but not a Die Hard movie. I don't want John McClane to become a bitter, unemployed bum driven by only revenge.

It doesn't make sense to me that he would be fired for being in league with the bad guys. Wouldn't that be pretty hard to prove, or even to believe? That stretches credulity more than any of the crazy stunts in all four Die Hard movies (I refuse to acknowledge the existence of a fifth ).

-------------------------

I have meddled with the primal forces of nature and I will atone.

[–] gwnightscream 11 years ago

The alternate aka "McClane Says" ending is interesting to see,
but I would have to agree that it was rightfully cut out.

[–] I_Guard_Tanelorn 11 years ago

The whole last act of the movie isn't that great. But the alternate ending is like from another movie all together.

"I said no camels, that's five camels, can't you count?"