I guess you're right.
Now, on more pressing topics, I always preferred the original Die Hard. In the later ones, he was an established hero, an icon, like Bat Man. He was the guy. In the first, however, he was just a guy. He was some random guy, who happens to be a cop, who got caught up in this situation, just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right place at the right time, if you're like me). This element of anonymity, that he wasn't some "Flash Gordon to the rescue", a dashing crusader; rather just a nobody who has to work to survive and kill the bad guy, is what attracted me to it. Nobody expects him to be the hero; that's why people loved Air Force One.
You have a good point, why spend so much money on a movie if you don't know if anyone will go to see it? I think that's one of the reasons that The Shadow (1994, Alec Baldwin, look it up on imdb) bombed, they spent $60 mil, and nobody knew what The Shadow was.
Yes, the expensive CGI is pretty much the only stumbling block to an awesome action movie.
EDIT: Sorry about the long post...