Die Hard Reviews

Die Hard review

Posted : 2 weeks, 2 days ago on 3 June 2013 09:47

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Die Hard is often cited as the Greatest Action Movie Ever Made. There are few films to compete for that title, especially when so many disregard finer points like acting and dialogue. These are hallmarks of John McTiernan’s 1988 classic. It was also noted for creating a hero that was fallible, a fresh idea in a genre that gave us cartoonish saviours like John Matrix and John Rambo, who could obliterate entire armies without so much as a skinned knee. This John, with the more likely surname McClane, barely makes it to the end credits alive. By that point, he’s bloodied, bruised and barely conscious. He’s the anti-Schwarzenegger.

It’s safe to say that McTiernan was critiquing the action formula with Die Hard, effectively biting the hand that fed him. His previous film was the testosterone-addled Predator (1987), also considered a masterpiece by some. It’s still a supremely entertaining popcorn flick, but nothing more than that… almost a warm-up. Die Hard is the real thing, and the closest you’re ever going to get to a perfect Hollywood thriller. It’s also one of the funniest R-rated shoot-em-ups in history. If you were to stand outside a cinema screening Die Hard, you’d swear the audience was watching a comedy. For every spent shell, shard of glass or bloody squib, there’s an expletive-ridden retort performed by an actor best known for a sitcom, and a serious British thespian making his silver screen debut.

Amidst the gory gun battles, McTiernan also finds the time to comment on everything from sensational media coverage to the corporate greed of the 80s. On top of that, Die Hard was a Christmas film released in July. This is a pretty strange movie when you get right down to it.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that this middle-finger to the action films of yesteryear began life as one. The script was originally intended as Commando 2, the sequel to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s infantile one-man-army extravaganza. McTiernan would have directed the film, but the Governator withdrew from the idea. The director retooled the project, offering the lead to every Who’s Who in 80s action cinema. All of them turned the script down. The last person anyone ever expected to win the part was the dude trying to get into Cybill Shepherd’s pants on Moonlighting. The man who taught us to respect ourselves.

Bruce Willis was the inspired choice in a sea of uninspired choices. Just imagine the opening scene as if it was Schwarzenegger as McClane. His co-passenger on the flight to Los Angeles imparts a bit of wisdom that suggests there really is something to defeat jet lag. It’s been a while since I’ve taken a long flight, but when I do, I’ll be sure to “make fists with my toes” afterwards. Arnie would have reacted to this golden nugget with a blank expression, and have no doubt delivered a “witty” comeback. Willis, with his blue-collar attitude, takes it in his stride and even gives it a go… a first indication that jet lag and stress is something McClane knows very well. Willis is just more convincing as a supposed Everyman than Schwarzenegger, although it’s fun to imagine the big oaf stepping off the plane and bemoaning, “fucking California.”

It’s therefore expected that this salt-of-the-earth NYPD cop faces a threat that will truly test him, making this is a David and Goliath battle of wits. Whoever had the idea to cast stage actor Alan Rickman as thieving terrorist Hans Gruber deserves a lifetime achievement award. Cast against the all-American Willis, the droll Rickman managed to turn what should have been a run-of-the-mill genre exercise into something damn near operatic. And while this is, on the surface, an opulent game of cat and mouse, the film is also a love story. A love story between a movie studio and a building. Bear with me.

Screenwriters Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart based their script on a novel by Roderick Thorp, who achieved success with best-seller The Detective in 1966. The sequel, Nothing Lasts Forever (1979), was inspired by a dream he had after watching Irwin Allen’s disaster classic The Towering Inferno (1974). He imagined a man being chased through a skyscraper by goons with guns and crafted the idea to fit his Detective character, Joe Leland. A cursory look at the synopsis reveals the novel’s clear ties to Die Hard:

Leland is visiting the Klaxon Oil Corporation’s headquarters in LA, where his daughter, Steffie Leland Gennaro works. After he arrives, a German terrorist team led by Anton “Tony” Gruber takes over the building. Leland remains undetected and fights off the terrorists one by one, aided outside by LAPD Sergeant Al Powell (played in the film by a rotund Reginald VelJohnson). The similarities to Die Hard are obvious, with only superficial changes: Tony became Hans, the daughter became a wife, Holly McClane (Bonnie Bedelia), and the oil corporation was ousted by Japanese conglomerate Nakatomi (in reality, the newly completed Fox Plaza). The director sets up the location well, introducing it via a colourful limousine ride with Argyle (De’voreaux White) that tells us everything we need to know about McClane. He’s clearly having problems with the missus, he’s got a “backlog of scumbags” to deal with in New York, and trying to get along with people frustrates him. This is a man who attracts trouble on a daily basis.

His arrival at Nakatomi continues the macho characterisation with McClane butting heads with Hart Bochner’s coked-up yuppie Ellis (a reference to Bret Easton Ellis?), as McTiernan dutifully lays out the geography. It’s always important to know your surroundings in an action movie. Set pieces tend to become incoherent when the battle ground isn’t clearly defined, so a good portion of the opening is devoted to establishing this monument of glass and steel, which suit Mr. Takagi (James Shigeta) informs us still has “several floors under construction.” A company in the midst of setting up shop is certainly more vulnerable than one long-in-the-tooth with tightened security. It’s therefore no surprise that Gruber assumes control of the building with ease… the logic of this movie is air-tight. McTiernan cuts between McClane having a domestic spat with his wife and Gruber’s team, who unbeknownst to the party-goers upstairs, are slowly severing the building’s connection to the outside world. It sets in motion a feeling of anxiety that doesn’t let up for the proceeding 90 minutes.

This isolation is also the key to why the original Die Hard works as well as it does: McClane doesn’t want to be the hero, at least not to this extent, and he is forced to save the day (and his wife) because he has no means of escape. It is only when his attempts at calling the cavalry fall flat that he decides to take on these “terrorists” single-handed. The subsequent sequels have lost sight of this important character trait. This iteration of McClane would have bailed during Live Free or Die Hard and let the professionals do their job. He’s a good cop with a strong moral code, but the last thing he wants to do is kill a load of people… even if he is sharply efficient at it. What makes this characterisation even better is the fact that he takes on his mission sporting a vest and no shoes, giving him a sizeable disadvantage. The screenwriters throw all manner of obstacles in McClane’s path, never venturing too far outside the realms of plausibility (well, except for that climactic leap off the roof perhaps). These close calls are often timed beautifully, such as McClane’s nail-biting tumble down a ventilation shaft, or his encounter with an oversized fan. He’s one hell of an underdog, which is precisely why he resonates with viewers and why we follow him to the bloody end. His atypical vulnerability only ratchets up the suspense. Which isn’t to say he doesn’t deliver the odd wisecrack to lighten the mood.

Having set-up their hero’s imperfections, McTiernan and the screenwriters proceed to make those outside look stupid in comparison. Headed by the ridiculous Deputy Chief Dwayne T. Robinson (The Breakfast Club‘s Paul Gleason), the police response allows the director to inject some much-needed levity into the film when things get nasty. And Die Hard is definitely nasty. After more than a decade of watered-down PG-13 rubbish, it’s sort of bracing when you see bullet hits in a movie that look realistic, and deaths that might be considered overkill now (my favourite being the moment when a henchman’s legs are blown out from under him, sending his head through a sheet of glass). The violence is so convincing that the humour is needed to stop it from becoming dour, and while LA’s finest (and later, the FBI) are depicted as unrealistic fools, the writers do allow McClane one positive connection to the outside world – Al Powell. He’s sort of McClane’s opposite: a good man at heart with a chequered past, who was also in the wrong place at the wrong time. What’s clever, is that this friendship is developed over walkie-talkies, leading to several sequences that bring unexpected warmth to a cold film, such as Powell’s heart-felt “confessional” to McClane about a dark moment from his past. Their situation and contrasted struggles almost make the experience a cathartic one for the characters.

Compounding matters is the fact that the good guys face a threat that is smarter than all of them (“benefits of a classical education”). Hans Gruber has more or less become the definitive Euro villain because his vast intelligence is matched by his ruthlessness. He’s ahead of the game at every turn, and quick to eradicate anyone who gets in his way. Gruber goes about his scheme with supreme confidence, so much so that it’s hard not to secretly root for him. I defy you not to smile when he finally breaks into Nakatomi’s vault… he’d have pulled it off if it wasn’t for that pesky detective. Rickman was born to play Gruber and walks away with the film, such as the famed sequence when he finally comes face-to-face with his prey. Caught red-handed by McClane, the crafty bastard pretends to be a hostage and feigns a Californian accent. This is a man who literally rolls with the punches – when Gruber notices that his nemesis is barefoot, he orders his cronies to “shoot the glass,” which leads to Willis’ best scene in the picture. McClane, his feet shredded and his outlook bleak, tells Al to find his wife if he dies. For a brief moment, the bravado is dropped and Willis reveals that he was once a fine dramatic actor. I, for one, miss this more human approach to the character.

The cast is so good that you frequently forget that you’re watching a far-fetched genre film, even when the archetypes are obvious. The bodies pile up frequently, and it all builds to an explosive conclusion that directly references the film’s debt to The Towering Inferno. Die Hard gives us exactly what we want without ever insulting our intelligence. From top-to-bottom, this is a tightly conceived blast of escapism that is as laudable for its technical credits as it is for its sheer entertainment value. And I haven’t even mentioned the film’s other fine attributes, such as Jan de Bont’s claustrophobic cinematography, or Michael Kamen’s instantly recognisable score. You know a film is a masterpiece when you never run out of complimentary things to say about it.

I’ve seen Die Hard so many times that it’s kind of impossible to view it objectively. No screening over the years has revealed a significant flaw, however, making this the rare action movie that truly deserves its reverential following. Die Hard is as good now as it ever was, standing tall as that wondrous example of what can be done with uninspired material and actors better than the genre deserves. Sometimes, all the right pieces just fall into place…



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A classic

Posted : 8 months, 3 weeks ago on 1 October 2012 03:14

When I was a kid, I used to watch it with my dad and I thought it was totally awesome. Later on, I used to underestimate this flick, thinking it was just a decent action movie but not much more than that. Yesterday, I watched it again with Nick, my step-son, and I finally understood why I loved it so much back then and why it is considered as one of the best action movies ever made. Of course, the whole thing is full of clichés and stereotypes but those are so perfectly executed, as a result, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole duration. There are loads of awesome and impressive action scenes but this movie has so much more to offer and it is the reason why it is still so enjoyable even 25 years later. In my opinion, the best thing about this movie is actually John McClane. Usually, action movie heroes are always some kind of super guy and I always find it rather tedious to watch. McClane is different though : he sweats, bleeds, laughs, cries, and you really have the feeling that he is going to die every 2 minutes and even though he manages to survive, he sure would rather be somewhere else. All this makes the whole thing just really compelling to watch. For Bruce Willis, it was a star making performance and he became a huge superstar. Of course, we shouldn’t forget to credit Alan Rickman who, in his acting debut, managed to create one of the most badass bad guy ever. To conclude, I really loved this flick, it is one of the best action movies ever made, it completely deserves its reputation and it is absolutely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

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Die Hard review

Posted : 1 year, 6 months ago on 29 November 2011 05:30

This is the first action film ever made. Die Hard is not your typical popcorn thriller that gets released in the summer. Let's face it, this is the film that started a whole new genre. After the success of this film, future releases were pitched with the film's title included.

Die Hard on a Bus = Speed
Die Hard on Alcatraz = The Rock
Die Hard on an Aircraft Carrier = Under Siege (which was actually a Die Hard on a Cruise Ship based film with McClane and his daughter battling terrorists that never saw the light of day)

Willis owns John McClane from the first frame and Alan Rickman defined how a villain should be portrayed. Rickman is brilliant and elegant with his Hans Gruber especially when it comes to the plan that he and his co-horts devise. He creates a character so original and sharp its almost an insult that Die Hard with a Vengeance was made.

John McTiernan (sans a few stinkers) knows how to bring an action movie to film status and where to steer the thrills and chills. An exceptional cast with real emotion, not cardboard cookie cut outs later portrayed in other films, not to mention the far less superior sequels to Die Hard.

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Yippie-kay-yay!

Posted : 4 years, 7 months ago on 16 November 2008 10:56

''Yippie-kay-yay, motherfucker!''

New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building.

Bruce Willis: Officer John McClane

Without a doubt one of the best known action movies ever made, Die Hard, did receive negative attention from critics upon its 1988 summer release, but the audiences unsurprisingly loved this diamond in the rough, charismatic John Macleane brought to life by Bruce Willis.
Overall action movies are always very similar and predictable, and this movie is too predictable, perhaps that is the only big weakness of this movie, because who can deny there is something special with Die Hard. Die Hard is simply a very progressive, accelerated and perfectly paced action movie, not only does it tell a good story, and even comes with a few complexes, it also brings some of the best and most solid action ever to be seen.

John McTiernan has proven to be a solid action director over the years, after the breakthrough with Predator he made this classic action flick, that never seems to be getting old, even now. 17 years later, it still works as well as it did 17 years ago, brilliant.

''You throw quite a party. I didn't realize they celebrated Christmas in Japan.''

''Hey, we're flexible. Pearl Harbor didn't work out so we got you with tape decks.''

This is just what I suppose we can call a perfect popcorn movie, the kind of movie where you lean back and just let the thrill ride begin, you know things will end happily, but still it entertains for the 2 hours it lasts, and it entertains at a very high level. Perhaps one of the weaknesses of the movie is the happy ending, I would have loved a darker ending, leaving something to think about, especially since there obviously is the problematic climax involved in the movie, there are some good side stories, especially the dramatic with John and Holly's marriage. Strangely that works out perfectly and we get to know everything about it, even though the movie actually doesn't spend much time explaining, it's just done so well and perfectly direct that we basically know everything about these two when the movie ends.

I am not sure if this was a final breakthrough for Bruce Willis, but he definitely shows in this movie what great actor he is, we see a lot of different sides of him, the tough guy, the soft guy, and even better, the funny guy. I like to have a laugh time to time in movies, and I hate movies taking themselves too seriously at times but the jokes in this movie are spot on, especially the one signed by Bruce Willis, I loved his attitude, a grand performance!
Die Hard was most often praised for the production at the time of release, with the brand new shiny Fox Plaza office tower serving as the fictional Nakatomi building. DH also attracted attention for the energetic and skillful direction of John McTiernan, whose most notable credit was the action-sci-fi thriller scorcher Predator, which was released the year before with amazing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

'' "And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." Benefits of a classical education.''

Bruce Willis was the perfect actor for this performance in Die Hard, since he brings the wit and vulnerability to a role which has become iconic. If Stallone or Schwarzenegger were in this movie, I'm sure the effect would have been a lot different, in their own personified style.

On a personal level I think Die Hard is one of the greatest action movies ever, up there close to my fave Last Crusade.
Like Indiana Jones, Die Hard had an Everyman that we could relate to, or see ourselves as, was cast in the role of Macleane. He isn't a larger-than-life musclebound typical monster, he was a real guy that you cared for, who got hurt, and had real feelings like any of us do.

''Who's driving this car, Stevie Wonder?''

Another mention goes to Alan Rickman who shines as the Villain, Hans Gruber. The old cliche of an English bad guy playing the role of a German terrorist. Let's face it, us English play some of the classiest, evilest, crazy yet darkly amusing, bad asses around providing an ultimate villain to any American hero.
It is Rickman that dominates the film hands down, like in Prince Of Thieves, he is a delightful sneering bad guy who has great lines, great presence and gives his character believability mixed with memorable resonance.
Alan Rickman commented that he didn't view Hans as "the villain", but more as a guy who "has made certain choices in life, wants certain things in life and goes after them." All the same, Alan is the perfect villain for Bruce's wise cracking McClane, who is neither weak nor super human. Bruce worked very hard on this film and allegedly did a lot of his own stunts and really brought a lot of life and warmth to a character who could very easily have been just another grim loner. It's a shame that he's had to spend the majority of his career trying to get away from this character (kind of like Sean Connery trying to live down his glory days as James Bond). And to think that Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds and Richard Gere all turned this part down (probably better that they did).

''I promise I will never even THINK about going up in a tall building again. Oh, God. Please don't let me die.''

Also should be mentioned that Die Hard is based on the counterpart novel by Roderick Thorpe. Bonnie Bedelia is Bruce's wife, and the late Alexander Godunov is Karl, who's vendetta with Bruce turns personal. Bonnie does well as the sympathetic wife with a bad haircut and Godunov, in a role very different from his debut part as an Amish farmer in Witness, is surprisingly menacing in spite of his pretty boy looks. Of course, it helps that his career as a ballet dancer gave him more dexterity than the usual hulking henchman. His knock-down-drag-out brawl with Willis is one of the best.
Die Hard overall manages to equal heart pounding and nerve shredding action, every single time viewed. If you are one of those many uneducated action-movie wise individuals who haven't experienced it yet, then now is definitely the time to rediscover a thrill ride classic and action masterpiece.

It's non-stop action, non-stop cliches, non-stop formulaic plots and villainous men with German accents, you've got to love it. Bruce Willis is at highest form in a role which needs nothing but highly toned abs and occasional smart alec NYC one-liners. Alan Rickman is the really lovable part of this film.

John McClane: You'd have made a pretty good cowboy yourself, Hans.
Hans Gruber: Oh, yes. What was it you said to me before? "Yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker."

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*The* seminal '80s action film!

Posted : 4 years, 7 months ago on 8 November 2008 10:28

"Welcome to the party, pal."

Die Hard is considered to be the seminal action movie of the 1980s. Produced in 1988, this is the archetypal blueprint for the contemporary action thriller. It has been decades since this crackling action flick first hit cinemas in summer 1988, yet in the 21st century its influence on the action genre is still overwhelming. Die Hard is the smart-mouthed, high-rise thriller which launched Bruce Willis as an action icon. To this day, the world's greatest action hero (in my opinion) is Willis' John McClane. Willis portraying the New York Cop was a career-defining turn: he mixed comical repartee, action heroics and a grubby white vest to astonishing effect. Die Hard also vastly reinvented the action film formula. It introduced a hero that bleeds when shot, panics when people he's trying to protect are endangered, and conveys uncertainties about his ability to survive. McClane is a vulnerable Everyman as opposed to an unstoppable machine. Instead of dispersing bullets non-stop and regularly raising the body count, this hero prefers to employ his brain more frequently as an alternative. McClane was the lone Western hero transposed to a setting subjugated by skyscrapers rather than rock formations.

On top of this, Die Hard proved that action films could be genuinely original and break new boundaries whilst still awarding a mainstream audience the entertaining action they desired. By contemporary standards, the action in the film superficially emerges as fairly tame. Most films of late, such as The Matrix, depict over-the-top martial arts in irritating slow motion. The fight scenes in Die Hard are far more cramped and sweaty; saturated with a higher level of realism and brutality. These fights depict the way real men would do battle: with hard-hitting punches, struggles and a constant inkling of vulnerability.

The plot is as simple as it is involving. As the film opens, it's Christmas Eve and we are introduced to Officer John McClane (Willis): he's a New York City cop disembarking from a plane to Los Angeles. McClane's business in LA is to visit his estranged wife Holly (Bedelia) who had moved there several months beforehand with their children. Holly is in attendance at a Christmas function hosted in a high-rise LA skyscraper owned by the successful Nakatomi Corporation. Unfortunately for John McClane, the Christmas party is abruptly interrupted when a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Rickman) seize control of the building and hold the guests hostage. McClane is, however, fortunate enough to be in a separate room when the terrorists make their presence known, therefore able to slip away. This consequently inaugurates an excruciating few hours as McClane works to evade the terrorists while also working to conquer them from the inside.

The film embodies all the customary action movie stereotypes: the hero, the nefarious bad guys, the trademark black guy (VelJohnson), the self-absorbed yet incredibly stupid police chief (Gleason), the despondently brainless federal agents (Bush and Davi) and the ex-wife who's still in love with the hero. However, all is fine as Die Hard spawned the majority of these clichés.

For an action movie made in 1988, the special effects (which secured an Oscar nomination) are still utterly mind-blowing. These special effects are still as effective today as their digital equivalent. The high level of practicality in these special effects is extraordinary, and they supply a valuable reminder about the dying art that's being rapidly replaced by CGI technology.
Prior to John McTiernan helming this 1988 masterpiece, he was only recognised for Predator and Nomads. I immensely adore Predator, however McTiernan's supreme cinematic creation will forever be the classic action romp known as Die Hard. The sense of claustrophobia is overwhelming, and we feel more riveted as the tension steadily increases with each passing second. His demolition-heavy vision - astoundingly captured with cinematographer Jan de Bont's lens - guarantees that the film is pure awesome mayhem...ensuring that it's fun no matter how many times one has watched it.

Die Hard also never conforms to the mediocre quality of a pure action fest. That said, there's still a decent dosage of gun battles, explosions and violent shootings. Decades on, and the gunshot wounds are still hard-hitting. Kneecaps being shredded by bullets, glass jammed into bare feet, bloody executions and fierce close combat are among the highlights. Like I said before, the violence probably appears quite tame when compared to contemporary action films, but it's stylish and used realistically. Despite all this action and violence, much of the 130-minute running time is dedicated to establishing the story and developing the fantastic characters. The script is impeccable. There's a great assortment of enjoyable scenarios punctuated with smart and fascinating dialogue. Die Hard also has the advantage of being largely unpredictable. We expect the hero to prevail, but there's a lack of sentimentality towards the characters, hence lending a hint of uncertainty.

The sound effects (which also earned an Oscar nomination) are ear-shattering and realistic. There are booming gunshots, brutal punches and deafening explosions. It'd be difficult to top even by today's standards. The film editing cannot be faulted either. The work of editors John F. Link and Frank J. Urioste holds up under close scrutiny. The directing/editing collaboration is terrific, resulting in minimal continuity issues. The remarkable definitive touch was eventually applied during the post-production period: Michael Kamen's score. There is no distinct Die Hard theme, yet there are countless segments of exciting, pulse-pounding music exclusive to the series. Kamen's musical composition for the film is perfect by action film standards. The intensity gradually elevates thanks to the amazing music. The film's key action sequences are even better with the inclusion of Kamen's efforts. The work behind the scenes is simply terrific!

Director McTiernan also ensured that no faulty performances would slip under the radar. As a result, the entire cast is amazing. Bruce Willis as John McClane cannot be faulted. The smart screenwriting provides Willis with a host of wisecracks and one-liners that are legendary, memorable and quotable. Willis also displays great versatility as an emotional side is expressed towards the climax. As he doubts he will survive the situation, McClane breaks down and lends a hint of vulnerability. The same cannot be said for Stallone, Van Damme, Chuck Norris or any other 80s action genre luminary. Prior to Die Hard, Bruce Willis was primarily known only for starring in the television show Moonlighting and the Blake Edwards comedy Blind Date. For the initial theatrical Die Hard posters, Bruce Willis' unfamiliar likeness wasn't featured because it was feared that this could be a major turn-off for cinemagoers. In hindsight, naturally, there is no doubt that the perennially smirking Willis contributed mightily to the film's enormous success as he traded blows and quips with equal assurance.
John McClane is essentially a Western hero like John Wayne or Roy Rogers. This similarity is referenced on several occasions. When McClane provides an alias, he asks to be called Roy. Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber even talks to McClane at one stage, and asks: "Who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne? Rambo? Marshal Dillon?" To which McClane retorts with "I was always kinda partial to Roy Rogers actually". At the climax Gruber then says "Still the cowboy, Mr. McClane? Americans, all alike. Well this time John Wayne does not walk off into the sunset with Grace Kelly". "That's Gary Cooper, asshole" is McClane's response.

Alan Rickman surpasses perfection as the terrorist leader Hans Gruber. Die Hard already had the pleasure of featuring the greatest action hero of all time, but the film also boasts Rickman as the greatest action villain in cinematic history. Rickman's Hans Gruber is polite, witty and sinister. His character is well-written, and Rickman was the perfect man for the job.
But the screenwriter also develops a surplus of other characters as warm as toast. Reginald VelJohnson is highly likeable as the policeman inadvertently pulled into the situation. VelJohnson magnificently bounces off Willis' terrific dialogue. Although VelJohnson and Willis predominantly exchange dialogue via radio, their chemistry is solid.
Then there's Bonnie Bedelia as McClane's estranged wife. Bedelia develops a feisty character not afraid to make snappy remarks - even if a gun is pointed at her.
De'voreaux White contributes yet another terrific character. He provides comic relief and an easily likeable screen persona. I could keep going, but needless to say the supporting cast are devoid of flaws.

At the time of writing this review, Die Hard is two decades old. Even after those 20 years the film is a phenomenal action thrill ride of extraordinary proportions. It offers believable characters, staggering special effects, satisfyingly brutal action, as well as non-stop adventure and tension. Its success at the box office prompted studios to begin green-lighting a slew of knock-offs featuring other 80s action heroes: Die Hard on a ship (Under Siege with Steven Seagal), Die Hard in a sports stadium (Sudden Death with Jean-Claude Van Damme), Die Hard on a train (Under Siege II: Dark Territory with Seagal) and even Die Hard on a bloody big snowy mountain (Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone). All these younger siblings of this classic action film follow the same formula of the protagonist finding themself inadvertently entangled in a dangerous situation, and their daring-do is required. This is a testament to how brilliant, engrossing and influential this action masterpiece truly is. Furthermore, I've seen the film at least 60 times in the last few years (including a customary viewing on every Christmas Eve)...and I already want to watch it again. Films like these are simply too few and far between these days.

If you're a self-respecting action fan, Die Hard cannot be missed. If you enjoy watching smart, competent thrillers then this is an essential purchase. Or if you just like being entertained...Die Hard cannot be passed up. I'll be perfectly frank: Die Hard is damn close to being the zenith of filmic perfection. Even a five-star rating isn't sufficient. If this isn't the greatest action film of all time, then it's too close for words. This masterpiece ushered in a new era of action movies, bringing a human quality to the plethora of unbelievable situations in preceding incarnations whereby one man would take on an army himself.

"Yippee-ki-yay Motherfucker!"

Followed by three sequels, beginning with Die Hard 2: Die Harder.

"I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative. Not a lot to ask. Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way... so he won't be joining us for the rest of his life. We can go any way you want it. You can walk out of here or be carried out. But have no illusions. We are in charge. So, decide now, each of you. And please remember: we have left nothing to chance."

10/10

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Die Hard review

Posted : 5 years, 6 months ago on 23 December 2007 03:21

In 1988 a hero was born. John McClane is the kind of guy that men everywhere want to be, the anti-hero. He's smart, daring and an all round legend. This film is smarter than the average action film by a country mile, and it catapaulted Bruce Willis into the limelight.

The plot involves a reluctant McClane jetting out to his wife's christmas party. A few classic character introductions and smooth one liners later and Bruce is the only man in the building who hasn't been captured as a hostage by a thieving band of German terrorists, led by Alan Rickman. The action scenes are some of the most memorable I can think of and McClanes one-liners are the stuff of legend.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without watching this film at least once!

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Awesome Action

Posted : 5 years, 9 months ago on 15 September 2007 07:59

Well OFCOURSE i love it!! Bruce Willis showed the world what an amazing action movie star he is... and a great one too! It is DEFINETLY my favourite Die Hard (Im yet to see the fourth..) Probably because of Alan Rickman aswell =)

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