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Directed by: John Mc Tiernan Starring: Bruce Willis Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedila Plot Summary: Bruce Willis is New York cop John McCLane. Flying in to LA to spend the holidays with his business-oriented wife and kids, he is underwhelmed by the welcome he receives, when the office building where his wife works is held hostage by terrorists seeking to appropriate the $600 Billion in the safe. It's up to him to safe the 40+ hostages, not to mention the day, in the 1988 John McTiernan helmed blockbuster that has aged remarkably and spawned two hit sequels, both of which were unable to live up to the original's success. Year: 1988 Other: Great music, and McClane's wry humour only improves the admittedly weak script. Rating: 4.5/5
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May 2, 2004 17:46
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 21:43 |
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It was also from a time in which Hollywood was making action pictures with great dialogue that was snappy instead of cartoonish, wasn't afraid of showing violence (in slow-motion no less) and didn't edit anything into an epileptic film fit. This is probably the best action movie ever made. 5/5
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May 2, 2004 17:49
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This is a great action film, probably the defining film of the genre for its era. Probably the greatest reason for its success is that it is able to maintain the human quality of the characters throughout the film, even when the action really gears up, which is where other films often give in to spectacle. McTiernan gives generous time for character development, which makes the audience's investment much more powerful and rewarding as the film plays out.
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May 2, 2004 17:55
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For me, action movies are best with humour mixed into it, such as many Arnold roles (True Lies) or this one. Bruce Willis gives an amazing performance, and having Carl Winslow in the movie just caps it as one of the best movies I have seen. I think I'm going to watch it again, actually.
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May 2, 2004 18:00
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This movie is excellent, easy 5 stars.
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May 2, 2004 18:03
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I agree, awesome movie, one of my favorite action flicks.
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May 2, 2004 18:08
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The thing about Die Hard that needs to be repeated is the humanity of John McClane. He isn't some indestructible superhero, glibly tossing off one-liners as he mows down the baddies; in most of the action scenes, Willis plays him as scared shitless. Just like you would be if you were alone against an assload of guys with guns who wanted to kill you. McClane's heroism is not that he is a man without fear, not a human wrecking crew, but that he is horribly afraid, but fights on anyway. I loved Die Hard.
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May 2, 2004 18:18
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Everything about this movie is great. Alan Rickman is such a great villain. My pops was undergoing training for stockbroker firm right down the street from Nakatomi(I can't remember the real name), while they were shooting.
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May 2, 2004 18:24
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I'm going to agree with what the others have said so far, but also say that this movie also really benefits from having a good sense of setting. If you watch this movie enough, the Nakatomi building seems like a real place. The way it's handled, the building becomes an interesting place with character, rather than just a backdrop for the action. Dawn Of The Dead and The Shining are other examples of films that evoke this same kind of feeling. As opposed to movies like Die Hard: With A Vengeance, where the setting seems unfocused and less interesting. This film truly is one of the greatest true American action films.  If it were made today it John McClane would probably have been a kung fu master, and would have bullet time effects every time he kicks someone. And there probably would have been some sort of genetically engineered super virus involved somehow. But thank God and Ronald Reagan that this movie was made...  EDIT: Also do you like to pretend that Die Hard, Family Matters, and Ghostbusters all took place in the same universe? I know I do. EvilKosh fucked around with this message at 18:56 on May 2, 2004 |
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May 2, 2004 18:28
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Great movie, witty dialogue (See: Yipee Kay Yay Mother Fucker) great action, and as previously mentioned, Carl Winslow. You can't beat that. 5/5
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May 2, 2004 18:52
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Greatest trilogy of our time. I thought Family Matters was a direct spin-off for years.
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May 2, 2004 20:49
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A little trivia: this movie was originally intended to be a sequel to Commando. Yes, that dumb Arnold movie where he guns down a billion mercenaries on a private island. Can you imagine Arnold as John McClane? "DO I SOUND LIKE I AM ORDERING A STROOOOODEL?!" Die Hard is easily one of the greatest action films of all time, and the one that basically kicked off the whole "terrorists capture X location" subgenre. So you have Die Hard to thank for Speed 2 (Die Hard on a boat!), Sudden Death (Die Hard in a hockey arena!), Executive Decision (Die Hard on a plane!!), and a million other sub-par thrillers. Luckily Die Hard makes up for all the lovely movies that rip off its formula. From the first frame the movie is absolutely note-perfect with Bruce Willis as a snarky, sarcastic divorced cop who shows up at a Christmas party and has to save the guests from a group of terrorists whose goals are not what they first appear to be. In every spot where the movie could have degenerated into cliche or ridiculous plot contrivance, it manages to stay on track, resulting in that rarest of things -- a "realistic" action movie. I would definitely put it in the top three action/thrillers ever made.
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May 3, 2004 02:44
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There's just something amusing about watching McClane trying on the shoes of the terrorist baddies that he just killed and complaining about the size of their feet. The surreal nature of that scene was wonderful.
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May 3, 2004 03:52
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This movie defines the genre... one of the best action films ever made. 5/5
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May 3, 2004 21:42
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I loved this movie. Alan Rickman plays one of the world's smoothest and cruel killers. 5+/5
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May 3, 2004 21:47
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Truly one of the greatest films ever made, always a pleasure to watch. And it has Alan Rickman so it gets major brownie points in my book.
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May 3, 2004 21:56
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I bought this film this afternoon on DVD, and watched it for the first time in ages. Without a shadow of a doubt, one of *the* finest action films ever made. I seem to remember when it first came out, many critics were of the opinion that it was a film that redefined the action film genre - and I think they were spot on. I mean come on, compare this film to all the other 80's action flicks; we have characters we actually care about, a story that actully holds some water, a hero who actually gets beat up and hurt, who experiences fear and terror. The direction is tense and exciting, and the editing is lean - this is a fat free film. And Hans Gruber is the ultimate movie bad-guy 
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May 5, 2004 21:45
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Die Hard kicks rear end. There's some discussion to be had regarding how McLane is the everyman hero, the anti-Bond, etc, but Die Hard loving kicks serious rear end. Five out of five.
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May 5, 2004 22:55
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There is not a whole lot redeeming or "deep" in this movie, but it's drat fun and has a million and one imitators. 4.5
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May 15, 2004 22:33
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This was the first action movie I ever saw where the hero gets really hurt and banged up during the course of the movie. It's also the first time I've ever seen a hero that's scared out of his friggin' mind most of the time. Add in the fact that he has a family he loves, but has issues with, and you get a truly fleshed out CHARACTER for a change. This was also the first time I had ever seen Alan Rickman in a movie, and I have been a HUGE fan of his ever since. There are very few actors who can give a villain a soul, and he's one of them. 5/5
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May 16, 2004 21:27
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One of my all time favorite movies... The reason I'm a Bruce Willis fan... Looking forward with great zeal to the fourth.
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May 17, 2004 01:51
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I always thought American action movies were kind of tame and boring compared to Asian action movies but this is one of those rare movies that defies this. In a word, this movie is hardcore bad rear end. This is a man's movie and if you have a pair swinging between the legs you will enjoy this movie. Bruce Willis's character will always have a special place in my heart as being one of the most bad rear end characters of all time. Everything from the action to the dialogue is driven by balls and not brains, and there is nothing wrong with that. 5/5
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May 18, 2004 23:08
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The Rooftop scene is enough incentive to see it, oh Carl Winslow too 5/5
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May 19, 2004 21:30
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This movie just keeps on giving and giving. If you're looking for action, it totally delivers, and when you think it has delivered enough, you get even more. 5.5 because I like this kind of movie, and this one is the best.
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Jun 17, 2004 20:05
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really, just a classic action movie. plenty of action, but with real characters and actual dialogue that strays into the realm of conversation, and not just one-liners. makes other action movies look like the bad films they are by being as good as it is. 4.
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Jun 18, 2004 06:52
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To this day Die Hard is my favorite action movie. Nothing even really comes close. It's really one of a very hand select few of movies that Bruce Willis is in that I like. Great action through the whole thing. A lot of suspense too. I watched it a few times on regular cable...boy was that a mistake. With half the dialogue of the movie taken out, it wasn't very good at all. A lot of the dialogue makes the movie. Alan Rickman is so easy to hate. He plays his role to perfection. 5/5
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Jun 18, 2004 21:34
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I remember I used to drive by Nakatomi Plaza as a kid and would look up and see a few missing windows and wonder if that's where McClane smashed through when he had the firehose tied around his waist. Anyway, I was talking about this movie the other day with a friend, and he claimed that Die Hard 3 is just as good as the first two. I couldn't repudiate this claim since I haven't seen number 3 -- although I've seen 2 a few times and liked it, but I still didn't get quite the same feeling from 2 as I did from the original (which I've owned on VHS for 15 years and watched manymany times). I don't want to be too off-topic here, so in conclusion: Die Hard is the best action flick I've ever seen. I love when the FBI agents take over and they think they are so bad-rear end...when the armored car crashed into the wall and hardly makes a dent (relatively speaking)...and when the Evil Germans say MachSchnell!! (I have no idea how to spell that)
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Jun 19, 2004 05:42
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5/5. This movie has been etched into my brain since I was 4 or 5. Anyone who has not seen it, doesn't know a good action movie from another.
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Jun 20, 2004 02:37
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I've never been a huge fan of action movies, but Bruce Willis is a demigod in this movie. 5.5 because I love this series so dearly and the first movie was especially excellent.
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Jun 20, 2004 06:02
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Die Hard is the archetypal action movie for the last twenty years. It really did define the genre, making the leap from Dirty Harry to Bad Boys II. Bruce Willis does an excellent job of kicking rear end, but not in any absurd Arnold way. It's very realistic, for the most part, and that just makes it more intense. I think the fact that there are only 12 terrorists makes a difference, because they each have a distinct character. Like the hardcore blonde guy with the Steyr Aug, who just won't die. Every death matters; it's not like Commando, where hordes of guys get mowed down by machine guns. It's much more believable. Alan Rickman is loving awesome as Hans Gruber, the leader of the terrorist gang. The perfect sophisticated European gentlemen armed thug. Carl Winslow is the voice on the outside cum sidekick. The FBI guys are great, too. The chief is the stuck-up rear end in a top hat you'll see a hundred more times, but here he is fresh and new. The thing about Die Hard is that every action movie to come out since has taken something from it. The gritty violence, the violent terrorists and the screaming hostages, the hard-boiled cop and his bawling loved one(s). The dialogue is spot-on. The rear end in a top hat reporter. Crawling through elevator shafts and ventilation ducts. The explosions, gunplay, and  death scenes. The only thing it lacked was the ultimate action movie death: a guy falling out of a window or soemthing and getting impaled on a sharp pole, but I think that was in Die Hard 2.5.5, because
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Jun 20, 2004 16:33
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ah, bruce willis' one and only good performance 5/5
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Jun 20, 2004 23:45
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This film is nearly 25 years old, and I just saw it today for the first time because of the upcoming "Live Free or Die Hard" sequel. I was blown away (no pun intended), truly one of the greatest action movies ever.
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Jan 2, 2007 02:23
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The best action film I have ever seen. I could watch this movie every month,
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Jan 2, 2007 06:24
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this is without a doubt the best christmas movie ever made. Its not to shabby as an action movie either 5.5/5 and i would give it a higher rating if i could
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Jan 3, 2007 08:34
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5.5 out of 5 solely because that's the highest I can go. It's my favorite action movie (or in the top 5 at least) and I can watch it over and over. One of my favorite scenes is when he fights the first terrorist. :cowboy:: Drop it, dickhead. It's the police.  : You're not going to hurt me.:cowboy:: Oh, yeah? Why not? : Because you're a policeman. There are rules for policemen.:cowboy:: Yeah, that's what my captain keeps telling me. It kind of brings the character full circle. You've seen his wise-rear end attitude, his depression over the state of his marriage, his love for his family, his compassion for other people, and his desire to kick the poo poo out of terrorists.
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Jan 8, 2007 17:08
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There's a reason most people look at Bruce Willis and think "cool guy" instead of "Hollywood dickhead". It's primarily because of this movie. John McClane is funny and he kicks rear end--he's on your side. And the bad guys aren't the cartoon characters you expect nowadays. The suspense is palpable and the surprises are perfectly gauged. Rickman is deliciously sinister. Most movies pale when you watch them ten or twenty years later. This one just makes you wonder why Hollywood can't get it this right more often. See it with a friend, because you'll want to pitch out a few high-fives. 5/5.
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Jan 9, 2007 20:11
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I'd say this was one of the best action movies ever made, but that would be a lie, since it is objectively the best action movie ever made. It's not a mindless action flick, it's got feeling and they're real people, and bruce willis looks so young! 5/5
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Oct 18, 2008 12:15
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The greatest Christmas movie that has ever been made. 5/5.
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Jun 12, 2012 22:53
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I was forced to watch this movie last year for the first time ever. I can see why: it loving rocked. As was mentioned before, Willis' character is great. He is entertaining as hell because he is both scared shitless and pretty drat reluctant about being a hero all along. Easy 5/5.
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Jun 21, 2012 12:59
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| # ? Apr 24, 2024 21:43 |
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This movie is basically perfect. Not in the sense that its the most enjoyable movie I've ever seen (although its up there), but in that there is not a single mistake that I can spot, or anything I would change. Everything is done just right. 5/5
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Jun 29, 2012 00:03
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