Question: I always wondered about this. As a cop, McClane knew about weapons. While handing over the machine gun to Zeus, he explained how it worked. But he did not tell Zeus to switch the safety catch off. How on earth could McClane forget to tell something crucial like that? Zeus isn't even pissed about it later on, while it could have cost him his life.
Chosen answer: A simple omission, in the heat of the moment he forgot to mention it. He may have thought, since he just took the gun off an enemy, that the safety was already off.
McClane probably did that intentionally as Zeus didn't know much about guns. In fact, you hear McClane say "Don't be a hero, you find him, you come get me."
Of all the possible answers, this is definitely not the one. There's no way he handed him the gun and then purposely did not tell him that the safety was engaged. There would be no point in that.
Question: What is that gun thing that is pushed into the guy's neck after he says "I thought this was a currency exchange?" Is the guy dead or just knocked out?
Answer: Knocked out. It was a hand held tranquilizer gun like most vets use on animals to put them to sleep.
Answer: I've always wondered this and I don't think you're going to find a good answer. I know everyone is saying it was a tranquilizer. But tranquilizers wear off and if one of those people they gave an injection to regained consciousness it could be a big problem for them. eg. The cops in the subway. That's why I think it was probably a fatal injection of something.
It's not a fatal injection. Remember, Simon says, "I'm a soldier, not a monster." And earlier, one of the henchmen yelled at Otto, "No shooting." Simon doesn't intend to kill anyone (though later he changes his mind when he's ready to blow up the ship). The only people who killed anyone were Otto, Katya, and McClane.
I'm pretty sure the bombing at the beginning of the movie killed people. Plus, the bomb in the subway would have killed a whole bunch of people. Saying Simon doesn't intend to kill anyone is quite naive.
My opinion is it was not a fatal injection. They seem to be strangling and killing the guards in that scene; they could have easily done the same to the manager as well. My thinking is Simon deemed there was no need to kill the manager, so he simply knocked him out and likely tied him up.
Question: In the bank, inside the lift, when John McClane is with the fake Detective Otto, what does he see in Detective Otto's badge that convinces him he is fake?
Chosen answer: He sees the reflection of his friend's badge number that he remembered from their conversation about the lottery earlier, so knows the badge was taken from his dead friend.
Question: In the scene where Simon and his men overpower Felix Little of the Federal Reserve and continue to the elevator, what are the German lines being spoken by Simon Gruber? It sounds like "Danke well" when he pushes the drugged Mr. Little to the floor, and when he is in the elevator removing his tie his line sounds like "Ich biete". If someone knows the German words being spoken in these lines, your input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Answer: Danke well means "Well, thank you." Ich biete means "I offer."
Answer: The first one is Dutch: "dank you wel" - "Thank you very much". The second one "ich bin fertig" is German and means "I'm done".
No, Dutch is "Dank je wel" or "Dank you wel" and he didn't say that. He says "Danke Well" which is supposed to be "Danke woll" With means thank you in German, as said. In the elevator he says "Ich bitte" which means "I ask", which is kinda weird, just like "Ich biete." Maybe he meant "bitte", as in "you're welcome." to one of the others.
Oh I see, the letter is corrected to "you" automatically. Funny. "Dank uw wel" then.
Question: How in the world did McClane manage to track Simon Gruber through an aspirin bottle? I know the North of the Border name was on it, but how would anyone know that was Gruber's CORRECT future meeting place?
Chosen answer: Simon and his crew had to get in/out the country somehow. He knew about the FBI was watching out for him. Flying was out of the question. The bottle from the pharmacy there gave him a clue on how they came in. THEN he needed to move a load of 13 (McClane drowned one) great big dump-trucks. He knows there is a large port there. John put 2 and 2 together. If they came in that way, probably was a good bet that they'd leave that way.
Question: Why does the helicopter explode at the end? Did the high-tension electrical wire set it off? I never see it hit the chopper, no matter how many times I see the scene. Or does he fact that the helicopter blades hit the pole have something to do with it?
Answer: Willis' character shot the power lines, which fell from the pole and got tangled up in the helicopter blades. Since the blades couldn't spin, the helicopter fell from the air and exploded as it hit the ground.
That's not what happened. John shot the power lines and in an effort to avoid them the helicopter pilot clipped a pole which took them down.
Answer: The sparks seen above the helicopter is meant to be the live wire wrapping around the blades. The helicopter does try to avoid the wire, but it's too late. If you look closely, it doesn't seem like the helicopter hit the pylon, maybe the blades knick it. But the helicopter explodes while in the air before it hit the ground.
Question: Why did Zeus go to the empty baseball stadium? This scene didn't really move the plot along, have I missed something?
Chosen answer: He was directed there as part of Simon's plan. The original idea was that both Zeus and McClane were supposed to show up there, where Simon's men would take them out. As McClane disobeyed orders, leaving just Zeus to go there, Simon told his men not to shoot, as eliminating Zeus alone would simply tip McClane off that something wasn't right.
Plus also without that scene we wouldn't have the car chase and McClane discovering the quarters.
Question: Why did Simon send John to walk the streets with THAT sign on him? The whole point was to use him to cover up his Federal Reserve heist. If John had've died in the very first "Simon says", he wouldn't have been able to play the second "Simon says" causing the subway under the Federal Reserve to blow up, nor use the "a bomb in a school will blow up unless John does this" because John would be dead... So why have him do something he knew could get him killed?
Answer: Because he wanted John dead. Simon didn't "need" anyone to play a game to blow up the subway, and the point of threatening the schools was to occupy the police. John still being alive just gave Simon more opportunities to run him around and mess with him, hopefully with him dying in the process.
Answer: He wanted John humiliated and hurt to show the police he has complete power over them, privately to see him suffer for killing his brother, Hans. The rest was like you said to have the police and Feds running in circles, occupying them from the Gold heist.
Question: I always partially catch this movie on TV. There's one thing I've never figured out. Near the end of the movie, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are trapped on top of the bomb on the ship, and Willis gets free but Jackson drops the lock pick. Exactly how does he break Jackson out of the handcuffs? It always seems as if there's some sort of electrical jolt involved, but I just can't figure out how that's supposed to open the cuffs.
Answer: Bruce Willis use a couple of drops of the explosive residue and blows the handcuffs apart. Watch it again and see how he stabs the container.
Question: Katya has scars on her throat which would explain why she can't speak, but when John arrives while she's having sex with Simon, how is she able to scream?
Answer: It was never implied she couldn't speak, but merely she choose not to, or had difficulty speaking. Making sounds is easier then making vocal words.
Question: On the extended DVD, where are the hidden 'easter eggs'?
Answer: Yes, there is one. On the second disk, go to "Interview and Profile" option on the main menu. On Bruce Willis' interview, press LEFT to move to the upper left of the screen and highlight the exit sign near the subway tunnel entrance. Press ENTER or OK to view outtakes from the movie.
Question: Regarding the subway bomb, if McClain and Zeus had actually made it to the payphone in time, then what would Simon have done to make sure the bomb went off?
Answer: The bomb was going to get off anyway, it didn't depend on them not making it in time. I don't think Simon cared much if they had made it or not. If they did, the bomb would have blown up anyway, and the game he was playing with him would simply be over. He'd probably have McClane killed right after that, before he might figure out the hows and whys.
Question: Why did Zeus and John steal a Yugo to chase the dump trucks? Zeus abandoned the taxi outside the Federal Reserve (in fact you actually see the Yugo about 100 yards back from the taxi when the bomb explodes) wouldn't it have made sense to use that again considering it'd be faster?
Answer: If you look as they drive off in the Yugo, the cab had actually gone. It could've been moved as part of the cleanup operation or given that Zeus probably left it running in his hurry to get to the phone, stolen by someone.
Question: In the end scene when Simon Gruber has the automatic gun pointed at McClane, right before McClane shoots the gun off at the wire, why does he hesitate? He just has it pointed at McClane, but he doesn't start shooting until right before the helicopter crashes. Why does Gruber hesitate?
Answer: This looks more of a filmmakers decision rather than hesitation on the characters part. Its supposed to be that we see from McClane's point of view and that in a split second he sees Gruber and then the wire. While the shot is perhaps a little slow, it helps show the viewer what McClane is thinking, rather than it being Gruber just holding the gun.
Question: Why did Simon set up so many riddles for McClane? Wouldn't he expect McClane to be killed in Harlem? Simon later says to Zeus on the phone: "My only problem is that I went to some trouble preparing that game for McClane. You interfered with a well-laid plan." What exactly was the plan, if he didn't expect anyone (Zeus) to help, or any gangs, etc. to take offense and kill McClane?
Chosen answer: Simon Gruber was deliberately seeking prolonged, torturous revenge against John McClane for killing Hans Gruber (Simon's brother) in the first movie. Gruber expected McClane to suffer through the Harlem humiliation and suffer through subsequent, carefully-orchestrated obstacles that McClane may or may not have survived. Gruber deviously intertwined his revenge plan with several spectacular bomb diversions across the city (drawing attention away from Gruber's gigantic gold heist). However, in the end, Gruber misjudged the full extent of McClane's tenacity and resourcefulness, just as his brother did.
Question: When Zeus is on the phone with Simon in the subway, Zeus says that McClane was on his way. Simon responds that they weren't playing by the rules, hangs up and a few moments later the bomb goes off. McClane states that Simon wanted the subway bomb to go off. Why would McClane think it was Simon's intention to have the bomb go off whether they both show up or not?
Answer: Because Simon basically gave them an impossible task. Given NYC traffic, getting 90 blocks in 30 minutes is a Sisyphean task.
Question: When McClane and his boss are in the van with the FBI agents and Gruber guesses who of the FBI is in the van there is a man sitting in the back. Who is he and why doesn't Gruber guess he is in the car as well?
Answer: He is actor Richard Russell Ramos and he's credited as FBI Chief. Simon does allude he's there because he uses the plural "FBI agents" and Jarvis is not from the FBI. However, it seems Simon's point is made that he knows who is in the van because he's watching them. There was just no need to identify everyone in the van.
Question: When McClane gets out of the dump truck to try to lift the ramp up, he closes the door and then gives the door a push and stares at it briefly before running to the ramp. Does he recognise the logo on the door or something?
Answer: If you listen closely, just as he closes the door there is a slight "boom" sound which is more than likely Simon blowing the dam up with the bomb. He more than likely heard that noise and thought it was the trucks door when he closed it.
Answer: And Zeus mentions about brothers knowing how to shoot guns.
He said it was racist to assume that brothers know how to shoot guns. He admitted he didn't know how to use that model.