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Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Reginald Veljohnson, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, Paul Gleason, Alexander Gudunov
Die Hard (1988) ****
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Reginald Veljohnson, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, Paul Gleason, Alexander Gudunov
Die Hard was a watershed film for the action genre. Bruce Willis’ character stepped out from behind the boring, fighting machines being played by Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Shwarzenegger at the time, and gave us something new. John Mclane fires out almost as many one liners as bullets as he plays an ordinary New York cop, thrust into extraordinary circumstances. The film is a little dated now, with smoking in the airport, socially acceptable pregnant drinking, and lots of big hair. Thankfully, there are no leg warmers in sight and the 80s flashback moments are offset by the fantastic action scenes and some good supporting characters, especially Alan Rickman who shines as one cool villain. The film’s weak spot is tired caricatures of several characters, but this is still one of the best action movies of all time.
John Mclane is an NYC cop, visiting his wife and kids in LA, and he goes directly from the airport to his wife’s office Christmas Party at a giant new office building, Nakatomi Plaza. Something goes wrong between the eggnog and the covert office sex romps, however, and soon a group of slick European criminals have seized control of the building for their own reasons. Their carefully laid plans did not include having Mclane running around picking off their goons, stealing their equipment and insulting them on their own radios, unfortunately, and soon, things are not going as anyone planned.
This is a great movie, and one that changed how action movies have been since. If you have somehow missed this classic, thankfully it’s not too late. Pick it up, strap in and get ready for one wild ride.
