The perfect action movie in all ways. A relatable leading man in Bruce Willis who has believable struggles, clever action working around its own restraints, one of the best cinema villains ever in Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber and some of the most believable character work in action, in an age where the norm was to have everyone be a cardboard cut-out without personality.
Bruce Willis was the perfect casting for every-man John McClane. His marriage is struggling for believable reasons, and when him and Bonnie Bedelia are on screen together, we can see both the chemistry that brought them together and the disputes that split them apart. He struggles with flying and feels out of place in the ridiculous prestige of the Nakatomi Plaza making him feel just as out of place as we would when everything ramps up.
The action was brilliantly crafted and directed, which was a welcome change from director John MctTiernan who had previously directed mindless violence in "Predator". "Die Hard" however is clever, with characters always taking paths that avoid risk and even when things do escalate, the characters are intelligent over violent which makes Bruce McClane's survival believable.
Then the Hans Gruber, calm and calculating at every turn. Alan Rickman perfectly portrays this making a drive and focused man who always completes his goals without delay or failure, crafting a character who is still one of the best cinema villains ever.
Then there is the much-debated Christmas nature of the film. I personally think that it is a Christmas film, and a great one at that. It has the bright colour scheme of a Christmas film, all the Christmas music you could want and in the end it's a film about family. What more could you want from a Christmas film?
I think of "Die Hard" as the perfect action movie, always taking itself seriously and treating itself realistically. Paired with some of the best action ever and one of the most compelling cast ever put into an action movie you are left with an amazing action movie if nothing else.
Bruce Willis was the perfect casting for every-man John McClane. His marriage is struggling for believable reasons, and when him and Bonnie Bedelia are on screen together, we can see both the chemistry that brought them together and the disputes that split them apart. He struggles with flying and feels out of place in the ridiculous prestige of the Nakatomi Plaza making him feel just as out of place as we would when everything ramps up.
The action was brilliantly crafted and directed, which was a welcome change from director John MctTiernan who had previously directed mindless violence in "Predator". "Die Hard" however is clever, with characters always taking paths that avoid risk and even when things do escalate, the characters are intelligent over violent which makes Bruce McClane's survival believable.
Then the Hans Gruber, calm and calculating at every turn. Alan Rickman perfectly portrays this making a drive and focused man who always completes his goals without delay or failure, crafting a character who is still one of the best cinema villains ever.
Then there is the much-debated Christmas nature of the film. I personally think that it is a Christmas film, and a great one at that. It has the bright colour scheme of a Christmas film, all the Christmas music you could want and in the end it's a film about family. What more could you want from a Christmas film?
I think of "Die Hard" as the perfect action movie, always taking itself seriously and treating itself realistically. Paired with some of the best action ever and one of the most compelling cast ever put into an action movie you are left with an amazing action movie if nothing else.