"Going that extra round when you don't think you can, makes all the difference in your life&quo...
"Going that extra round when you don't think you can, makes all the difference in your life" Rocky Balboa (Rocky IV)
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Storyline: John McClane is a New York cop on his way to spend Christmas with his family in LA. Leaving the airport John heads over to his wife's (Holly) office before going home. While he is there terrorists lead by Hans Gruber take control of the building. John manages to escape while the employees are being rounded up. With little assistance from outside, John is left to thwart the terrorists alone, but what are their motives? When will help arrive.
Characters:
John McClane - played by Bruce Willis, John is a New York cop having marital difficulties since his wife and kids moved to LA. He is a tough cop who doesn't always play by the rules.
Holly Gennero McClane - played by Bonnie Bedelia, is John's wife who has moved to LA to further her career working for the Nakatomi corporation.
Hans Gruber - played by Alan Rickman, is the mastermind behind the terrorist takeover. He is organised and motivated.
Karl - played by Alexandar Godunov, is Hans right hand man. He is more like the brawn and ammunition behind the takeover.
DVD Featues: The film is accoumpanied by the following special features: Audio commentary from the director and visual effects producer. Deleted scenes Interactive slide show Full Script Extended scenes Trailers Text commentary with the cast and crew as well as an interactive menu.
Review: I must have watched this film about a hundred times and I love it.
The viewer is eased into the film with a couple of scenes to set up the story and give some background before the terrorists arrive. Without spoiling the film for anyone who hasn't seen it (I doubt there are many) you learn about John's dislike for flying and meet Argyle (a driver sent by Holly's firm to pick John up from the airport). The conversation between John and Argyle on the way to Nakatomi Plaza gives all the background needed to start the film.
Once at Nakatomi Plaza the story develops as John is reunited with his wife, Holly, and meets the other people at the party. While he is having a bit of a wash terrorists begin to take control of the building and John escapes to raise the alarm.
From here on the action starts and it is pretty much non-stop for the rest of the film. There are a couple of touching moments when John doesn't think he is going to make it and his friendship with an LA cop develops.
The acting is surprisingly good. Normally in action films you expect some of the acting to be a little suspect as the main reason for watching the film is the action scenes. In Die Hard, Alan Rickman is superb as Hans Gruber and Bruce Willis is excellent as John McClane. The supporting cast don't let the film down either with solid performances.
All the characters, including the supporting cast, in this film are well developed where possible. The dialogue between them is clever and the subplots and motives of the characters are great.
The only potentially negative thing you could say about this film is that the plot is very basic. What you see if very much what you get. I guess that can be good or bad depending on what you are looking for. The important thing is, what the film lacks in complexity it makes up for in action.
Made in the late eighties, parts of the film do look a bit dated but generally I think it has aged well. The fact that they made two further films which have done well shows its popularity.
It is directed by John McTiernan and is very much in the mould of his other offerings (Preadtor, Basic, Hunt for Red October).
If you like action films and are not looking for a complicated plot then give it a look. If you like it then try the second and third films in the series. They do not disapoint.
I have heard rumours about them making a fourth one sometime soon. Can't wait for that. I think it should be out sometime next year.
"Yippie kiya mother fu****"
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Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
This seminal 1988 thriller made Bruce Willis a star and established a new template for ... more
action stories: "Terrorists take over a (blank) and a lone hero, unknown to the villains, is trapped with them." InDie Hard, those bad guys, led by the velvet-voiced...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This seminal 1988 thriller made Bruce Willis a star and established a new template for ... more
action stories: "Terrorists take over a (blank) and a lone hero, unknown to the villains, is trapped with them." InDie Hard, those bad guys, led by the velvet-voiced...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
This seminal 1988 thriller made Bruce Willis a star and established a new template for ... more
action stories: "Terrorists take over a (blank) and a lone hero, unknown to the villains, is trapped with them." InDie Hard, those bad guys, led by the velvet-voiced...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
New York cop John McClane facing Christmas alone flies to Los Angeles to see his ... more
estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) and their kids in an attempt to patch things up. He arrives at his wife's high tech office building in the middle of their Christma...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Great action scenes which keep you hooked right the way through Disadvantages: Re-watching it will expose some plot holes and ideas which are fantastical
![Die Hard (Two Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1989]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78512308.jpg "Die Hard (Two Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1989]")
![Die Hard (Two Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1989]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/70950492.jpg "Die Hard (Two Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1989]")
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