Samuel L. Jackson’s Die Hard With a Vengeance was Investigated FBI

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Samuel L. Jackson is a Hollywood icon, known for his work in the Avengers films and many other successful projects. He has a talent for choosing compelling roles and has collaborated with some of the most respected directors of his time. Interestingly, one of his roles in a popular 1990s heist movie was so convincing, it actually prompted an FBI investigation into the film’s script.

As a huge film buff, I’ve always been amazed by Samuel L. Jackson’s career trajectory. He really exploded onto the scene in the 90s, going from a relatively unknown actor to a total Hollywood icon in what felt like a blink. It all started with Pulp Fiction, of course – that role as Jules Winnfield gave him an incredibly devoted following that he still has today. And the good roles just kept coming! A year later, he was in one of the decade’s most exciting heist films, a movie so good it even got the attention of the feds!

Heat Wasn’t the Only Heist Movie of 1995

When people think of 1990s heist movies, Michael Mann’s Heat often comes to mind first. It’s a classic of the decade, and many consider it the greatest heist film ever made. However, it wasn’t the only big action movie at the time; it competed with John McTiernan’s Die Hard With a Vengeance. The film begins with a bomb exploding in New York City. A man named Simon takes credit and specifically targets John McClane, humiliating him by forcing him to wear a racist sign in Harlem. Fortunately, a shop owner named Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson) helps McClane, but Simon then forces Carver to participate in a twisted game of “Simon Says” as part of his larger scheme.

New York City is facing a bomb threat, forcing the police to deploy all available emergency personnel. During the resulting confusion, McClane and Zeus are sent on a pointless diversion, keeping them occupied while Simon carries out his scheme. After bombing a section of the subway near the Federal Reserve, Simon and his crew take advantage of the reduced police presence to attack the nearly unguarded building. They kill the few remaining officers and begin stealing gold. Realizing the city has virtually no protection, McClane and Carver race to stop the criminals.

The film shocked viewers with the unexpected reason Simon targeted McClane. It turned out Simon, whose real name is Simon Krieg, was the brother of a character from the first movie, Peter Krieg. He used the robbery as a way to get revenge on McClane for what happened to his brother. Despite not liking Peter, Simon felt compelled to avenge his family, creating a strong connection between the first and third films. In fact, these two movies would have worked well as a two-part story, almost making the second film unnecessary.

The film gained the attention of the FBI during a scene depicting a heist. They were surprised by the accuracy of the details shown and reached out to the screenwriter, Jonathan Hensleigh, to ask for clarification and understand his reasons for including them.

Die Hard With a Vengeance Was Investigated By the FBI

In Die Hard With a Vengeance, the main plot revolves around Simon Gruber’s elaborate plan to rob the Federal Reserve, and the filmmakers went to great lengths to make the city layout realistic. While the film feels like a fictional thriller, the heist plan was surprisingly accurate. Writer Jonathan Hensleigh crafted it so well that, after sharing the script with New York City officials, he actually received a call from the FBI – they weren’t interested in the broader story, but wanted to know how he’d managed to create such a detailed and believable depiction of the vault.

Hensleigh’s plan was remarkably detailed and, as far as anyone could tell, completely feasible – from the building’s structure to its location near the subway and even an emergency escape route. This made Simon’s robbery attempt worryingly realistic, which immediately raised the FBI’s suspicions. What particularly concerned them was how accurately the story depicted the inside of the Federal Reserve, a place the writer had somehow managed to thoroughly research. Everything in the story was based on publicly available information – building plans or, in the case of the vault, a difficult-to-obtain tour. He hadn’t broken any laws; he’d just done his homework and created a story that felt incredibly true to life, and that’s what made it so noticeable.

Many heist movies are admired for how realistically they portray the crimes themselves, focusing on the thieves’ actions and the mental aspects of the robbery. However, the script for Die Hard was unique because it caught the attention of federal authorities. Unlike other films, Die Hard stood out for its accurate depiction of the logistical details – how such a daring and unbelievable crime could actually be carried out.

A positive outcome of the investigation was that the building’s security measures were improved. The film essentially provided authorities with a realistic worst-case scenario, highlighting previously unnoticed vulnerabilities. It’s a testament to Hensleigh’s thorough research that it prompted such significant changes.

John McTiernan’s Sequel Rivals the Original Film

Many fans consider the original Die Hard to be a landmark action movie, making most subsequent films seem pale in comparison. It was remarkably streamlined for its time, skipping the lengthy investigations common in other action movies and delivering a fast-paced, direct confrontation. The 1995 sequel, like the first film, cleverly reflects the culture of its decade, using issues of race to create a tense yet humorous relationship between McClane and Carver. Widely considered the funniest installment in the series, it revitalized fans’ affection for McClane and provided Samuel L. Jackson with one of his strongest roles.

Ignoring everything else, Die Hard With a Vengeance was different from previous action movies because it didn’t simply repeat what had come before – something even the second Die Hard film did. Many action films like Dirty Harry and Lethal Weapon mostly retold the same story as the first movie, but Die Hard With a Vengeance broke that pattern. It’s not just about John McClane being a lone hero; it’s a clever heist story and a funny buddy comedy that also shows the villain’s motivations. This makes it a truly exceptional action film, with very few that compare. Remarkably, the movie also managed to separate John and Holly’s relationship without upsetting fans, because the story was compelling enough that viewers didn’t even really notice.

Compared to Heat, which came out later that year, the heist in this movie isn’t about building nail-biting tension – it’s all about looking cool. I remember Simon just casually walking into the vault with his crew, backed by a really slick rendition of Johnny Comes Marching Home. Like the first film, you actually find yourself rooting for the bad guys as they steal all the gold, and honestly, the villain kind of outshines his brother! Whenever I thought something might not work, the director and writer always managed to pull it off, making it a truly memorable ’90s action flick.

Jeremy Irons and Samuel L. Jackson Both Overshadow Bruce Willis

By the third Die Hard movie, audiences knew and loved Bruce Willis as John McClane. However, Die Hard With a Vengeance didn’t build on that established character; it essentially reset him to the beginning. This allowed other characters to shine, particularly Jeremy Irons as the villain, Simon. While one character became McClane’s best partner throughout the five films – a worthy match for his skills – Simon proved to be a villain as memorable as the original, Hans Gruber. He had the most convincing reason for his actions in the entire series, and Jeremy Irons’ performance made him surprisingly likable.

It’s always tough for writers to introduce a new character into a well-known series, but Hensleigh really succeeded with the sequel. The film was already a potential classic with stars Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis, but the fact that it was so realistic the FBI actually investigated it—inspired by the events in Die Hard—cemented its status as an all-time great.

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2026-02-10 01:38