FAQ for
Die Hard (1988) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Die Hard can be found here.

NYC cop John McClane (Bruce Willis), newly arrived in Los Angeles on Christmas vacation, stops to visit with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at the Nakatomi Plaza where she works. While the Nakatomi employees are reveling on the 30th floor at their company's Christmas party and John is in the bathroom freshening up, a group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), stage a siege, taking all of the employees, including Holly, as hostages, leaving John to launch a one-man war in an attempt to stop the terrorists and save the hostages.

Yes. Die Hard is loosely based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever (1979) by American writer Roderick Thorp. The novel was adapted for the movie by American screenwriters Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart.

The novel is actually very different. It involves a much older hero, Joe Leland (John McClane in film) who is desperately trying to save his daughter and two grandchildren, rather than his wife. One disappointing difference is the absence of Hans Gruber. The colorful mastermind from the movie is no where to be seen in this book. In fact, there is no snappy banter to be found, because the terrorists don't speak English. The realism factor is higher in the book, not that Die Hard wasn't believable, but when you puke after realizing you've killed someone, you're talking real life.

So far, there are four movies in the Die Hard series. Die Hard was followed by Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), and Live Free or Die Hard (2007).

There are 13 terrorists, led by the former German terrorist Hans Gruber. Hans' second-in-command is compatriot Karl (Alexander Godunov), whose brother Tony (Andreas Wisniewski) is also involved. There are two Americans: Eddie (Dennis Hayden), who impersonates a security guard in the lobby, and Theo (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), the computer whiz kid. Theo is assisted in cracking the vault by Kristoffe (Gérard Bonn), who appears to be French. The missile team is made up of marksman Alexander (Joey Plewa) and loader James (Wilhelm von Homburg). Heinrich (Gary Roberts) is tasked with rigging the explosives on the roof, a job he undertakes with Uli (Al Leong) and Marco (Lorenzo Caccialanza). Finally there is Fritz (Hans Buhringer) and Franco (Bruno Doyon), who each carry out a wide range of jobs during the heist.

They want the bonds worth $640 million that are locked in the Nakatomi vault.

Holly told Hans that she wasn't married. From the way she was looking at the screen, however, Hans apparently deduced that they were her kids. Then, he lifted the face-down picture and saw Holly and John side-by-side.

Yes, Karl is German. He just wonders why Hans would give him an order like that. That's why Hans repeats the order aloud after Karl hesitates, and he does so in English so the audience could understand

When Hans asks John if he was a child who thought of himself as John Wayne, Rambo, or Marshall Dillon, John replies, "I was always partial to Roy Rogers actually". Hans then says, "Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr Cowboy?" to which John responds with "Yippee ki-yay!" The reference is to a song on Roy Rogers' TV show about being a cowboy. The chorus went something like, "Yippee-ki-yay..ki-yay, yippee ki-yo, he's the toughest critter west of the Alamo.'

This isn't made explicit in the film. If you watch the scene, when John and Hans are sitting there laughing; John clearly glances at the board with the names on it and sees the name "Clay". When John checks into the building, the receptionist tells him that the people on the 30th floor (at the holiday party) are the only people left in the building at the time. When John meets Hans and Hans tells John that his name is Bill Clay, it's shown on the directory that Mr. Clay works on the 29th, and not 30th, floor. Perhaps John noticed this and that really sealed the deal as far as his knowing that the man in front of him was Hans. It's also possible John may have been watching Hans checking on the explosives for a minute or two before John decided to approach him, figuring out what he was doing. John and Hans had talked over the radio quite a bit leading up to that scene, so his voice alone could have been enough to tip John off hence, "Pretty tricky with that accent, Hans. You ought to be on fucking TV with that accent." McClane might have gotten a good enough look at Gruber earlier, either when Takagi was executed or in the elevator, to recognize him despite the accent. Finally, it may be that McClane was simply suspicious, and the empty gun was a test to see if Gruber would turn it on him.

When the helicopters arrive, Gruber ushers all of the hostages up to the roof, which the terrorists have rigged with explosives. Taking Holly with him, Gruber then goes down to the vault to get the bonds. McClane climbs up to the roof and warns the hostages that they're going to be killed if they stay there, so everyone starts going downstairs. Unfortunately, the FBI helicopter mistakes McClane for one of the terrorists and starts shooting at him. Suddenly the roof explodes in flames, taking out the helicopter as well. McClane gets off the roof by tying himself to a firehose and jumping off the building. He then breaks the glass in a window and swings himself inside. He meets up with Gruber who is holding a gun to Holly's head. Gruber orders McClane to put down his gun, which he does, but when Gruber thinks that he's in control of the situation, McClane whips out a gun that he had taped to his back, shoots one of the remaining terrorists and wounding Gruber. Gruber falls backwards and out of a window, almost taking Holly with him. McClane releases Holly's wristwatch (to which Gruber was clinging), and Gruber falls to his death. Meanwhile, Argyle (De'voreaux White) crashes a car into Theo's van, preventing him from getting away with the bonds. McClane and Holly leave the building together, and McClane and Officer Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) meet face-to-face for the first time. Karl comes out of the building armed with a gun. When he tries to shoot McClane, Powell shoots Karl. Thornburg (William Atherton) attempts to interview McClane, but Holly punches him in the nose. Argyle comes crashing through the garage door in his limo and drives McClane and Holly away.

Going to Holly's house to interview the children on TV was an invasion of her family's privacy and would reveal to the terrorists that Holly had children and possibly where they were located. This would then give the terrorists the opportunity to find them and then kill or kidnap them. At least that's the excuse she gives in the second movie. On the other hand, Dick had made her a hostage and made the situation more difficult and dangerous for John by giving Hans that much leverage. Maybe she was pissed about that.

Theo is knocked unconscious by Argyle. Kristoff is simply knocked out cold by John McClane just before his final confrontation with Hans and Eddie, as he is taking a box of bonds towards the exit; John knocks him down and is never seen again.

The Extended Version runs approx. 62 sec longer. The Extended Version includes a further plot scene. As a result some minor plotholes disappear. A detailed comparison between both versions with pictures can be found here.