In the late 1980s, Director John McTiernan refined the action film genre with this action- packed thriller that not only stars Bruce Willis is the role that defined his career, but also brought impressed audiences everywhere with ecstatic action sequences complete with amazing practical effects, inspiring characters, and one of the most original scripts for an action movie written for its time. This movie stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, a New York cop who heads on vacation to Los Angeles for the holidays, to spend Christmas with his wife Holly Genero (played by Bonnie Bedelia) and kids. Upon arriving at the Nakatomi Plaza building where she works, he and his wife ended having an argument dealing with family matters. Their dispute is eventually interrupted when the building becomes under attack by a dozen German terrorists lead by the ruthless Hans Gruber (played by Alan Rickman) who's intent on robbing the company of its money. Pitted against overwhelming odds and Gruber's diabolical mind, John McClane must take matters into his own hands and fight off the terrorists who have his wife, along with hundreds of innocent civilians held hostage, with no aid from the Los Angeles Police Department who are helpless against the terrorists' overwhelming power.
My family and I catch this fi on cable almost every year during the Christmas season and this never gets old. Unlike other action films from the 80s that spit cheesy little one-liners and mindless gun shootouts, this film presents viewers with a very likable protagonist who is self aware with his flaws and has feels very human, a Villain who is near equally likable and incredibly smart, and the dialogue between these two characters (which are spoken via walkie-talkies for the majority of the time) is very witty and clever that keep viewers' attention. The main character John McClane spends most of the time fighting off the terrorists who are lead by Hans Gruber, and the scenes are exciting to watch. Glossing with intense gunfights, explosions, stellar camera-work and fight choreography, the scenes keep viewers strapped to their seats. In the scenes when the action lightens up, there are some interesting conversations between characters like McClane, who at one point, shares a tender moment with a cop by admitting his flaws as a husband and a man as a whole. These moments are make you feel for the character and are presented in a realistic way and not sappy way. Bruce Willis does an excellent job as the main character and his performances him as the action hero he is today, along with his famous line "Yippie Kay Yay, motherf***er". The same can be said about Alan Rickman is gives off a performances as the one of the most charismatic antagonists ever put on screen. What really impresses me about this film is the action set pieces. The Nakatomi Plaza that serves as the film's main setting (at least during the beginning) is shot nowhere other than Twentieth Century Fox headquarters. Quite interesting!
Die Hard is one of the most influential action films ever made and shines with nearly every aspect an action film needs. It is a good movie for viewers to pop a bag of popcorn, sit on the couch, and watch. Director John McTiernan did a fantastic job with this film as well as the cast. This film is a textbook example of what action films need to be and a movie that every action fan should not miss.
