Die Hart 2: Die Harter is a Kevin Hart action comedy film which is a type of an "unscripted" movie, not every day that I hear about this but there is always a first time for everything, the main goal of this sequel is to place Hart on the pedestal of the greatest action star in the history of movie making through filming of actions scenes that are unique, random and unpredictable. The movie’s motifs are sincerity and expressing the desire to change the action movie genre its already difficult to watch him becoming essentially an action figure. The movie has been directed by Eric Appel, and stars Nathalie Emmanuel, Ben Schwartz, Paula Pell, this one was also a product of the hot seat and much improvisation was done while shooting, which gives the movie a very realistic look through the fighting scenes that look very well choreographed, with this combination makes fans to have a good laugh while having an exciting experience by watching the amazing and energetic performances, this time around we will see Hart in blending comedy, drama, and action.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32094375/ - Platform: Streaming - Release: May 30, 2024
The Plot
The story line of the movie is set on Kevin Hart’s dream to have an action film that has some scenes performed without any script, as the movie goes on Hart is faced with his past when a man he once wronged returns with a mission of getting revenge. This plot of revenge builds suspense to the movie and as Hart finds himself in hostile territory, the movie also showcases Hart’s physical ability and comic talents, especially in the scenes of action, not every day you see him doing all kind of stunts. From the trailer it look really cool but what is intriguing and constant is that they mention every action sequence is written in a way to look as fresh as possible, unscripted, which only makes things more tense and thrilling. Kevin Hart as a fictionalized version of himself now the world's biggest action star, aims to cement his legacy by creating an innovative action film filled with unscripted and unexpected scenes. However, his ambitious plans are derailed when he becomes the target of a vengeful plot orchestrated by an enemy from his past. To survive, Hart must enlist the help of his favorite co-star, Jordan King (Nathalie Emmanuel), his over-eager assistant, Andre (Ben Schwartz) and legendary Hollywood stuntman, Mr. 206 (John Cena).
The Making of the Film
The production of "Die Hart 2: Die Harter was intended to deviate from the stereotypical genre of scripted sequences by bring to live the actual events and not leave it just for fiction, this approach meant that the actors had to rely heavily on the script and improvise frequently. Eric Appel the director of the movie along with Tripper Clancy and Derek Kolstad, who wrote the screenplay, was involved in the realization of this concept. This was created using handheld cameras and natural light so as to enhance the feel of the movie, scenes most likely will be open spaces so that mobile or small portable cameras could capture well enough the scene, under such circumstances one can only ask how much AI and correction would be done? although such environment also allowed the actors on the stage perform various movements as per any unpredictable change in the script but at the same time this also created some difficulties for the crew as it was sometimes challenging to switch between the scripted and the non scripted scenes, the director had his hand full trying to get the right balance and not having to keep re shooting scenes.
The Director: Eric Appel
Eric Appel the director of Die Hart 2: Die Harter, is a successful actor and filmmaker, Appel was born on August 13, 1980 in Endicott, New York; He joined University of California, Los Angeles, where his interest in film making coming from a blend between animations and sketch comedy. Born and raised in California, he attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh majoring in computer animation but quickly shifted interest to video production and improv comedy. Some of the shows that Appel worked at at the beginning of his career include “The Andy Milonakis Show” and “Crank Yankers. ” He later went to direct comedy skits for the website Funny or Die, which assisted him in the physical/directorial style hands on skills as well as helped him reaffirm his decision to become a director. Appel's notable works include "Weird: The movie that was made for television titled “The Al Yankovic Story” and has won the Critics Choice Award for Best Made for Television Movie. In "Die Hart 2: Die Harter,” Appel succeeds in producing the film with the comic aspect and action all in one.
The Main Cast
The main cast of "Die Hart: Die Harter” is cast with several actors and comedians, some of them being relatively experienced. The film features Kevin Hart in the leading role as a fictional version of the comedian and the movie is a combination of comedies and action films. Nathalie Emmanuel, who is best known for her roles in the ‘Fast & Furious’ series and the ‘Game of Thrones,’ plays a major character in the movie, and Ben Schwartz, known for his role in ‘Parks and Recreation,’ plays the role of Hart’s silly and lighthearted assistant name Andre. The writer and actress Paula Pell contributes comedy to the movie plus one other famous personality that now days has become well recognize from the big screen is John Cena, an American actor and a wrestler too but the last is probably part of the past for him.
Additional Insights
The production of the film also featured different stunts which was a new twist from what was expected from Hart, playing comedic roles. Most of the scenes Hart portrayed in the movie were done under training primarily to do most of the stunts to make the movie look as real as possible, the scenes that involved physical combat were choreographed so as to stay as realistic as possible, especially when it comes to the number of takes and shots. This was achieved by casting stuntmen to perform along side actors which made safety and realism in the stunts achievable. The blend of comedy and action, which is characteristic of the film, was not an easy thing to balance and it was especially important to make determinations regarding scenes which starred both Hart and Cena. The fact that the cast was able to improvise made the film even more enjoyable and creative; Schwartz and Pell, as well as Cena, all had their own style, and their creativity showed through at all times.
Die Hart 2: Die Harter as a sequel seem raw and improvised, it is far from boring I remember watching the first part, I believe the internet was a bit harsh or has been a bit harsh with online rating for the first movie and also Kevin Hart last movie Lift, people might be misguided by publicity expecting something different but I think no matter the movie he will never do something different than comedy. The film has a great cast that consists of Kevin Hart, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ben Schwartz, Paula Pell, and John Cena with Eric Appel as director who has done a great job integrating funny elements and fight scenes to make the audience both laugh and think. The movie explores the fear and weakness of Hart as this is not his every day type of movie, trying to be a action star, this might look like a character transformation that proof of Hart acting skills, humor, drama, and action all encapsulated in one performance. The most I could say as a conclusion is do not let online ratings denied you from having fun while laughing with Kevin on this or any of his movies, yes there are others where he is more complemented with say higher tier actors but none the less all of them are funny enough for a good laugh and a one time watch.
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