Production Year: 1988 - Action/Adventure - Director: John McTiernan - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Paul Gleason, William Atherton, Hart Bochner, Alexander Godunov, Robert Davi, James Shigeta, Alan Rickman, Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia
Originally director John McTiernan was reluctant to show Bruce Willis face on the poster for ‘Die Hard’ in fear that it might scare away potential movie goers. The cast are largely unknown apart from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman (who incidentally turn in some of the best performances in their careers). Alan Rickman is the evil bad guy Hans Gruber, a smug and confident super villain who invades a skyscraper and holds the workers hostage. Bruce Willis is John McClane the cop visiting his wife, who is suddenly thrust into the fray when armed terrorists take the building. He manages to avoid the gunmen and goes into hiding in order to try and save his wife and the hostages.
As Empire magazine once said ‘Die Hard’ was so successful that it even spawned a whole genre of similar films including, ‘Die Hard’ on a boat (‘Under Siege’), ‘Die Hard’ in a sports stadium (‘Sudden Death’), ‘Die Hard’ on a train (‘Under Siege 2’) and ‘Die Hard’ on a mountain (‘Cliffhanger’). With a very good script full of laughs everyone gets good lines including the two very serious FBI agents Johnson and Johnson (no relation).
Although Willis is at his explosive best it is Rickman who steals the show as his almost loveable villain also making off with the best line. Said to Holly McClane when she calls him a common thief; “I am an exceptional thief, Mrs McClane. And since I` m moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.”
‘Die Hard’ is a tense cat and mouse thriller that is honestly the best movie in the whole high octane genre. It is a real gem of a movie with every aspect as good as it could be. Goodies and Baddies, big guns and explosions, smart lines and fast action are all present and correct, and way above the two sequels that followed it.
More details
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Outstanding
Value for Money
What format are you reviewing?
Evaluate this review
How helpful would this review be to someone making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Die Hard [1989]
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." In Die Hard, those bad guys, led by the velvet-voic...
Die Hard [1989]
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." In Die Hard, those bad guys, led by the velvet-voic...
DIE HARD
On Christmas Eve a New York cop goes to Los Angeles to visit his estranged wife at her
... more
company's Christmas party, held on the top floor of a huge skyscraper. The building is invaded by terrorists, leaving the cop, who's escaped to the roof, as the othe...
very helpful
very helpful
very helpful
