Die Hard (1988) Review

 

Die Hard (1988)

It’s Christmas, so obviously we’re going with the best of them all...
Die Hard follows John McClane, who is visiting his wife and kids for the holidays, only for the enjoyment to be cut short after a group of terrorists take over his wife’s company’s Christmas party, leaving John to save the hostages.

The debut of Bruce Willis as an action star turns the classic cat & mouse game on its head, this time making McClane the one who is always seemingly multiple steps ahead, leaving Hans to always be in a perpetual state of catch-up. This ever fluctuating game with Hans on one side and beat cop, Al, on the other, makes for an interesting cross section for our rule breaking hero. It gives him a vulnerability, aside from the obvious issue of him being hilariously shoeless. As an action heavy film, its intelligently crafted, using Nakatomi Plaza as his battle ground to pick off terrorists one by one. It’s also straightforward, with no crazy twists, just hard nosed, incredible action.

Featuring Bruce Willis as the titular hero, he turns the genre on it’s head, being very likable, but also not being perfect. He makes mistakes and he isn’t this macho guy either. He captures John’s rebellious nature and foul-mouthed fury perfectly. The annoyed demeanor and informal attitude make him so entertaining while his actions say the rest. And with a fantastic hero, you have to have a good villain as well, and we absolutely get that in Alan Rickman as the cold and calculated Hans Gruber, who is genuinely one of the best movie villains ever. I also really love Reginald VelJohnson, who adds so much, while being a stationary, uninvolved character throughout. His connection with John adds so many emotional layers to both characters and is what makes this feel so human and natural, as their bond is a driving factor in the movie.

John McTiernan makes the reverse to Predator with Die Hard, showing us what it’s like as the hunter in this scenario. What makes it so cool is that is isn’t perfect, it isn’t flashy. It’s bloody and primal in nature, with McClain not being a living weapon, but a regular guy on a mission.
Merry Christmas and Yippee-Ki-Yay motherf***ers!

9.4/10