A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 8 wins & 8 nominations total
Joseph Plewa
- Alexander
- (as Joey Plewa)
Gérard Bonn
- Kristoff
- (as Gerard Bonn)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe fictional Nakatomi Plaza is the headquarters of 20th Century Studios, so the studio could use one of its own buildings and didn't have to hold back on stunts and action sequences. While Jeb Stuart was writing the screenplay, he did a tour of the building, and immediately incorporated some of the locations and objects he found there into his script as set pieces (such as the cart that McClane and Karl end up riding during their fight). The company charged itself rent for the use of the then-unfinished building. Some of the middle floors were occupied by legal and administrative departments, so only empty floors were used for filming. Still, the filming of scenes that involved gunfire had to be postponed until after hours because some of the employees from the active floors started to complain about the noise.
- GoofsSeveral times during transmissions with the two-way radios, characters interrupt each other, which would be impossible given the type of radios they were using.
- Quotes
John McClane: [huddled in an air vent, recalls his wife's invitation] "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..."
- Crazy creditsIn the widescreen version, the 20th Century Fox logo is stretched.
- Alternate versionsThe Ultimate edition DVD contains the following deleted/extended scenes:
- Extended power shutdown sequence.
- Extended opening flight scene.
- Brief dialogue in the first Hans/McClane confrontation.
- Extended scene where Robinson/Powell brief the FBI on the tower situation.
- Brief dialogue when Hans interrogates Takagi.
- Brief dialogue after Theo says "You didn't bring me along for my charming personality".
- Extended/alternate dialogue in McClane/Powell conversation after McClane uses the plastic explosives.
- Brief scene of FBI agents getting stuck in thorn bushes as they make their way towards the building.
- At the end, McClane says "You got a warranty for this (Holly's watch, a gift from Nakatomi Corporation)?" to which Holly laughs.
- Argyle's dialogue as Powell's police cruiser flies by in the background.
- Brief Ellis dialogue reacting to the terrorist intrusion.
- City engineer briefly coughs before pulling out the power cord.
- Brief dialogue in Hans/Karl argument about "neutralizing" McClane.
- Additional Holly dialogue after seeing Karl's reaction to McClane's escape.
- ConnectionsEdited into Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
- SoundtracksSingin' in the Rain
Written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
Featured review
This original action classic has been hugely influential over the years - and it's no surprise, as it's one of the best action thrillers ever made. New meaning is brought to the word "action" as here it is exhilarating, furious and nothing less than exciting. The premise is simple: one location, one good guy and twelve bad guys. Cue lots of explosions, fist fights, blood, violence, and plenty of shooting too. The thrills come from the suspense of Willis using his wits as well as his brawn to fight the bad guys and save the hostages.
When watching this film what becomes immediately apparent is how fresh it is. This hasn't been filmed with some cheap cameras for a quick buck, it looks professional and couldn't be less polished. The photography is clear and brings out the best of the surroundings, while the music has obviously been carefully chosen to convey the right mood. And, strangely enough for an action film, the acting is actually very good. Unheard of, as remember this was back in the days where Schwarzenegger and Stallone were the top stars of the action genre. Bruce Willis excels as the wisecracking, sardonic cop, and you can't fail to like him. He's consistently witty and provides a powerful presence when needed - it comes as no surprise as he lived off this image for the next six or seven years.
The supporting cast aren't half bad, either. The reliable Bonnie Bedelia takes a break from her usual highbrow, "moral dilemma", television movie fare as Willis' tough wife, while Reginald Veljohnson is also great as a sympathetic cop - you just want to hug him. But most memorable of all is Alan Rickman for his excellent turn as the cool, calculating terrorist with a carefully-crafted German accent and a fine line in natty suits. Rickman is THE bad guy of modern cinema, watch any subsequent action film with terrorists and you'll see people trying to be him. He's that good. The rest of the cast of terrorists have all been picked for their imposing looks, and they're not bad either. Keep your eyes peeled for fearsome Bond baddie Robert Davi in a minor role as an FBI man.
As well as the tense running around in corridors and stand-offs between Willis and the various creeps, this film really delivers in the action stakes. The guys here really do look like they are trying their hardest to kill each other, and we get people flying down stairs, getting chains wrapped around their necks, getting shot all over the place. Every kill that Willis makes is original and exciting. There are also plenty of ace stunts, like when Willis jumps off an exploding roof with only a fire hose tied around his waist. The gore level is high, graphic in fact, with people being shot apart wherever you look, and it's definitely a film for all cinema fans to enjoy. Consistently entertaining and strong enough to withstand repeated viewings, this is the first and final word on the "one guy versus lots of bad guys" sub-genre of the action flick.
When watching this film what becomes immediately apparent is how fresh it is. This hasn't been filmed with some cheap cameras for a quick buck, it looks professional and couldn't be less polished. The photography is clear and brings out the best of the surroundings, while the music has obviously been carefully chosen to convey the right mood. And, strangely enough for an action film, the acting is actually very good. Unheard of, as remember this was back in the days where Schwarzenegger and Stallone were the top stars of the action genre. Bruce Willis excels as the wisecracking, sardonic cop, and you can't fail to like him. He's consistently witty and provides a powerful presence when needed - it comes as no surprise as he lived off this image for the next six or seven years.
The supporting cast aren't half bad, either. The reliable Bonnie Bedelia takes a break from her usual highbrow, "moral dilemma", television movie fare as Willis' tough wife, while Reginald Veljohnson is also great as a sympathetic cop - you just want to hug him. But most memorable of all is Alan Rickman for his excellent turn as the cool, calculating terrorist with a carefully-crafted German accent and a fine line in natty suits. Rickman is THE bad guy of modern cinema, watch any subsequent action film with terrorists and you'll see people trying to be him. He's that good. The rest of the cast of terrorists have all been picked for their imposing looks, and they're not bad either. Keep your eyes peeled for fearsome Bond baddie Robert Davi in a minor role as an FBI man.
As well as the tense running around in corridors and stand-offs between Willis and the various creeps, this film really delivers in the action stakes. The guys here really do look like they are trying their hardest to kill each other, and we get people flying down stairs, getting chains wrapped around their necks, getting shot all over the place. Every kill that Willis makes is original and exciting. There are also plenty of ace stunts, like when Willis jumps off an exploding roof with only a fire hose tied around his waist. The gore level is high, graphic in fact, with people being shot apart wherever you look, and it's definitely a film for all cinema fans to enjoy. Consistently entertaining and strong enough to withstand repeated viewings, this is the first and final word on the "one guy versus lots of bad guys" sub-genre of the action flick.
- Leofwine_draca
- Jun 24, 2016
- Permalink
Everything New on Prime Video in November
Everything New on Prime Video in November
Your guide to all the new movies and shows streaming on Prime Video in the US this month.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Duro de matar
- Filming locations
- Fox Plaza - 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA(Nakatomi building, interiors filmed on the 29th and 35th floors)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $28,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $85,892,546
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $601,851
- Jul 17, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $143,651,650
- Runtime2 hours 12 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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