On Christmas Eve, a New York cop comes to L.A. to see his estranged wife at her company's Christmas party, held on the top floor of a sparkling skyscraper. When terrorists capture the building, the incredulous cop is the hostages' only hope for survival. One of the greatest action movies of the late 1980s, DIE HARD ushered in a new standard for the genre. With the dissolution of the Cold War, both the stereotypical Russian threat (represented in movies such as TOP GUN and RED DAWN) and the destructive egoist (as seen in OCTOPUSSY) became less fearful. With DIE HARD, director John McTiernan introduced Hollywood to a new type of villain: the terrorist entrepreneur. Alan Rickman stars as Hans Gruber, a relentless businessman whose lethal tactics achieve his goals. Unlike most '80s film villains who committed globally dangerous acts for liberty, genocide, or megalomania, DIE HARD's Gruber uses guns, explosives, and cunning to storm the Takagi Corporation's Christmas party and heist millions of dollars from the company. In addition, DIE HARD also saw the development of the clumsy or bad luck hero with John McClane (Bruce Willis), a man in the wrong place at the wrong time who chooses to intervene. Action fans would see this misfit hero archetype again in UNDER SIEGE (Steven Segal). Although DIE HARD contains many action movie cliches (one-liners, pyrotechnics), it also broke new ground in its genre.
This is, quite simply, one of the best action thrillers ever made. Director John McTiernan set a new standard for movie suspense when he placed one-man army Bruce Willis in a skyscraper under terrorist control and then had the supercop engage in one dynamite, eye-popping stunt after another. It's one of those rare films that just keeps getting better on repeated viewings. Willis cemented his sardonic tough-guy image and Alan Rickman thoroughly enjoys himself as the German mastermind behind the sinister plot.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Powerful, suspenseful action movie, with splendid special effects, although it goes on rather too long.
New York Times
"...It works....Relentless energy and smashing special-effects extravagance..."
Radio Times
Halliwell's Film Guide
