Die Hard

Die Hard

This movie is always looked upon as a great action flick from the 80s. People fondly look back at this movie as the beginning of the wisecracking hero with a troubled personal life. And, they’re all correct, because this is one fun movie. Part of the credit should go to director John McTiernan. He never forgets that the characters are the reasons we came to see this movie, yet he never forgets to let the action speak for itself without quick edits.

Bruce Willis came straight off the TV scene and just ruled this action movie. He was able to make us care about John McClane. He’s a hero every likes. McClane can be mentioned anywhere in the world and they know you’re talking about Die Hard. This is where it all started, big explosions and great one-liners.

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber simply rules as one of the best action villains ever. He’s brutal yet charming at the same time. I loved the scene where McClane catches him and Alan switches to his American accent. He has a sense of humor as well, which many of the villains before didn’t have.

The plot is simple, yet effective. A group posing as terrorists is actually there to steal money. One man takes them out one by one in a brutal fashion. What more do you want?

Another neat subplot involves Carl Otis Winslow, uh I mean Sgt. Al Powell. He’s the guy McClane is able to talk to throughout the film via a walkie-talkie. It is a nice friendship they develop between the two of them.

Michael Kamen’s musical score is also great. The only problem I had with the score was the James Horner music being tracked in toward the end. Trust me, you will hear the difference.

Grade: A-