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Die Hard (1988)

R | | Action, Thriller | 20 July 1988 (USA)
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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.

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Writers:

(novel), (screenplay) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

, , | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... John McClane
... Holly Gennaro McClane
... Sgt. Al Powell (as Reginald Veljohnson)
... Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson
... Richard Thornburg
... Harry Ellis
... Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi
... Hans Gruber
... Karl
Bruno Doyon ... Franco
... Argyle
... Tony
... Theo
Joey Plewa ... Alexander
... Marco
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

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

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

hostage | one against many | terrorist | heist | christmas | See All (234) »

Taglines:

40 Storeys High - with Suspense, Excitement and Adventure on every level! See more »

Genres:

Action | Thriller

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

Language:

| | |

Release Date:

20 July 1988 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Duro de matar  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$601,851, 17 July 1988, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$83,008,852

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$140,767,956
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
Show more on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(70 mm prints)| (35 mm prints) (4 channels)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Die Hard originated from the failed script of Commando 2 See more »

Goofs

When John is talking to Sgt. Powell about his family (after eating the Twinkie), he's holding the radio in his left hand and his wallet in his right hand, looking at pictures of his kids. In the close-up shot of the wallet, both of John's hands can be seen holding the wallet. 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 »

Connections

Spoofed in Vier gegen die Bank (2016) See more »

Soundtracks

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
(uncredited)
Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne
Hummed by Reginald VelJohnson
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How did McClane know the C4 would explode on the floor that Hans' men using the rocket launcher were on?
Q: What do the terrorists want?
Q: Do any of the terrorists live?
See more »

User Reviews

 
"Welcome to the party, pal!"
25 June 2007 | by – See all my reviews

When people think action - they remember Die Hard. They remember Bruce Willis in his star-making role as that guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. They remember John McClane, they remember Han's Gruber, Holly Generro and Ellis, alright not really Ellis... but everybody will always remember those immortal words, "Yippee-Ki-Ay Motherf*&ker" Die Hard is the ultimate action film, packed with all the firepower you can handle and enough C4 to level a building. It's and a genuine no-holds-barred roller coaster ride from beginning to end.

With a relatable everyman John McClane, (Bruce Willis in his iconic role - brilliant)and a sinister villain in Han's Gruber (Alan Rickman)Die Hard has the action-genre by the balls and sets a standard in this genre that has never been equaled. "Welcome to the party, pal!"
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