Die Hard
by Robbo
Posted on 7 December 2021
Rating -
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza and is based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp,
On Christmas Eve, New York cop John McClane (Willis) arrives in Los Angeles hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife Holly (Bedelia) at a Christmas party being held by her employer, Nakatomi Corporation at their down town skyscraper Nakatomi Towers.
During the party, the building is seized by German radical Hans Gruber (Rickman) and his heavily armed team and the guests taken as hostages, but McClane manages to slip away.
It is initially thought that the group are terrorists but it transpires that they are in fact there to steal $640,000,000 in bearer bonds, stored in the main vault.
McClane, shirtless and shoeless attempts to stop the terrorists and save the hostages, his only ally is Police Sergeant Al Powell (VelJohnson) who he is communicating with via a radio he took from one of the terrorists he killed.
John McClane is not your typical action hero. He is not a superhero, has no special powers, is not a muscle bound hulk, he is just an every man, a casualty of the situation.
Alan Rickman, an as then relatively unknown British classical actor created the perfect villain in Hans Gruber. Just the right level of menace and humour.
Combine that with a fast paced, action packed scrip; the stars align and you get Die Hard, a film that is entertaining, exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
Die Hard is one of the greatest action films ever made and one of the most influential films in the action genre, indeed it’s effect can be seen in many contemporary films.
I was fortunate enough to see this recently in the cinema and I must say that if there was a film that was made for the big screen it is this one.
Oh, and Die Hard is a Christmas film. As John would say in the edited for TV version, Yippee Kay Ay, My Friend.
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