John McClane, officer of the NYPD, tries to save his wife Holly Gennaro and several others that were taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
John McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon Gruber in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.
Director:
John McTiernan
Stars:
Bruce Willis,
Jeremy Irons,
Samuel L. Jackson
John McClane travels to Russia to help out his seemingly wayward son, Jack, only to discover that Jack is a CIA operative working undercover, causing the father and son to team up against underworld forces.
A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her teenage son, John Connor, from a more advanced and powerful cyborg.
Director:
James Cameron
Stars:
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Linda Hamilton,
Edward Furlong
A seemingly indestructible android is sent from 2029 to 1984 to assassinate a waitress, whose unborn son will lead humanity in a war against the machines, while a soldier from that war is sent to protect her at all costs.
Director:
James Cameron
Stars:
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Linda Hamilton,
Michael Biehn
In 1938, after his father Professor Henry Jones, Sr. goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against Adolf Hitler's Nazis again to stop them obtaining its powers.
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler's Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
NYPD cop John McClane goes on a Christmas vacation to visit his wife Holly in Los Angeles where she works for the Nakatomi Corporation. While they are at the Nakatomi headquarters for a Christmas party, a group of robbers led by Hans Gruber take control of the building and hold everyone hostage, with the exception of John, while they plan to perform a lucrative heist. Unable to escape and with no immediate police response, John is forced to take matters into his own hands.Written by
Sam
On the director's commentary track, John McTiernan stated that Betty Carvalho was actually an Italian actress but felt that she did an excellent job portraying the Hispanic character of Paulina, the babysitter. See more »
Goofs
In the first close up where Hans is hanging from Holly's wrist, there is blood on Holly's face from John's arm. In the second close up this blood is missing. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Businessman:
You don't like flying, do you?
John McClane:
What gives you that idea?
Businessman:
You wanna know the secret to surviving air travel? After you get where you're going, take off your shoes and your socks then walk around on the rug bare foot and make fists with your toes.
John McClane:
Fists with your toes?
Businessman:
I know, I know, it sounds crazy. Trust me, I've been doing it for nine years. Yes sir, better than a shower and a hot cup of coffee.
John McClane:
Okay.
[the businessman sees John's gun]
John McClane:
It's okay, I'm a cop. Trust me, I've been ...
See more »
Crazy Credits
In the widescreen version, the 20th Century Fox logo is stretched. See more »
Alternate Versions
The new released German Special Edition DVD version is now uncut (FSK 16) because of re-rating. See more »
I was not a Bruce Willis fan per say. As a matter of fact, I thought what is this guy from Moonlighting gonna do? Is he gonna make them laugh to death with stupid comments and jokes?
I was not a fan of "Moonlighting" then either, that would come later. In addition I was not thinking, 'John McClain' "Hans Gruber' or 'John McTiernan' that was my first error.
As I took in the very first minute of the film, I knew, this was going to be radically different than I had imagined.
This movie and John McTiernan's directing (Also 'Preditor'-1987 'The Thomas Crown Affair'-1999) (The Hunt for red October) (Medicine Man)
The way I felt from his genius directing style, that gets you fully involved, stomach wrapped in knots, pulse pounding. He brings out the whole story, not just a 'clot' of mindless action and or violence.
He actually led up to the stories climax and didn't blow it when he got there. I was shocked at this movie, which gets 'compared to' all the time with other action and drama movies! Still, after two decades.
Needless to say, it changed the way I felt about movies and film making. From Willis's flawless performance to master terrorist Hans Gruber, (Rickman) what a truly superb 'Villain' & (James Shigeta, Holly's Boss) the emotion and heart-thumping fear that lead up to the demise of James's character. The scenery of the towering building and the city itself after dark, under the threat of terrorist activity.
Don't forget L.A. P.D.-in charge 'DeWayne T. Robinson', (Paul Gleason - God rest his soul -Died May 26, 2006)
I truly looked at film with a whole different view point. I got a copy of the original script, well the 18th re-write or something like that and went, line by line, through the story. It was unbelievable how this movie changed my mind on Movies...as well as Bruce Willis. I just can't say enough about Die-hard, but I will come to a soft close...but before I do, here is a 'spanner' of a thought, originally Willis was not first choice, it was Stallone that they wanted and he turned it down, think on that one! This would not be what it is this way, it would be wholly different with 'Sly' at the helm. I will even venture further out, do you know who this was originally written for? -Answer: Burt Reynolds. No kidding.
This is on my all-time list of the best of the best films, bar-none.
14 of 19 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
I was not a Bruce Willis fan per say. As a matter of fact, I thought what is this guy from Moonlighting gonna do? Is he gonna make them laugh to death with stupid comments and jokes?
I was not a fan of "Moonlighting" then either, that would come later. In addition I was not thinking, 'John McClain' "Hans Gruber' or 'John McTiernan' that was my first error.
As I took in the very first minute of the film, I knew, this was going to be radically different than I had imagined.
This movie and John McTiernan's directing (Also 'Preditor'-1987 'The Thomas Crown Affair'-1999) (The Hunt for red October) (Medicine Man)
The way I felt from his genius directing style, that gets you fully involved, stomach wrapped in knots, pulse pounding. He brings out the whole story, not just a 'clot' of mindless action and or violence.
He actually led up to the stories climax and didn't blow it when he got there. I was shocked at this movie, which gets 'compared to' all the time with other action and drama movies! Still, after two decades.
Needless to say, it changed the way I felt about movies and film making. From Willis's flawless performance to master terrorist Hans Gruber, (Rickman) what a truly superb 'Villain' & (James Shigeta, Holly's Boss) the emotion and heart-thumping fear that lead up to the demise of James's character. The scenery of the towering building and the city itself after dark, under the threat of terrorist activity.
Don't forget L.A. P.D.-in charge 'DeWayne T. Robinson', (Paul Gleason - God rest his soul -Died May 26, 2006)
I truly looked at film with a whole different view point. I got a copy of the original script, well the 18th re-write or something like that and went, line by line, through the story. It was unbelievable how this movie changed my mind on Movies...as well as Bruce Willis. I just can't say enough about Die-hard, but I will come to a soft close...but before I do, here is a 'spanner' of a thought, originally Willis was not first choice, it was Stallone that they wanted and he turned it down, think on that one! This would not be what it is this way, it would be wholly different with 'Sly' at the helm. I will even venture further out, do you know who this was originally written for? -Answer: Burt Reynolds. No kidding.
This is on my all-time list of the best of the best films, bar-none.