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Die HardRating:
Release Date: 07 September, 2004 Retail Price: $14.98 OUR Price: $10.99 You SAVE: $3.99! Cast: |
Die Hard Reviews
Fully enjoyable, and not for the action
I've seen this movie bunches of times since it came out in 1988, and what's enjoyable for me is not the action, which is well done, but the character interaction. Bruce Willis, as John McClane, is a pretty good representative for the everyman. He isn't tall, he isn't classically good-looking (although he is bulked up for this role), and he doesn't have money, style or a classical education backing him up. But he is observant, clever, funny, loyal, and brave. The fantasy here is two-fold: that an everyguy can go up against a brilliant, organized, elite, arrogant force and win and, while he's doing it, he can show his superiors up as complete idiots and get the job done when they can't.
The "terrorist" villains are almost likeable too. Alan Rickman endows his Hans Gruber with a glossy condescension that is fun to watch. He makes an exceptional foil for McClane: their weaknesses and strengths complement ech other's. And Clarence Gilyard as the hacker Theo has a real energy about him. The fly in the ointment is, of course, the violence. At the time this movie was made, many Americans thought America was selling itself to Japan, so a big heist from a Japanese company seems almost like an acceptable payback for services to cheaply rendered. But no viewer is going to forgive two dead hostages, so the ending with its high "terrorist" body count still feels satisfying.
Also satisfying is watching those supposedly in charge refuse to listen and thus fail spectacularly. A big part of this film's appeal is that the idiots in charge get shown up time and time again for the arrogant, unthinking, protocol followers they are while John McClane gets results because he pays attention, cuts through the BS, and just does what needs to be done. Almost everyone has had a boss like Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson, but hardly anyone gets the opportunity to call him an idiot and bypass his authority.
Props must be given to the filmmakers for including black actors in key positions on all fronts and including them as savvy, and, for the most part, sympathetic characters.
Hard,solid,and entertaining
Based off of the 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by the late Roderick Thorp (RIP),"Die Hard" is one of the most solid and entertaining action films to ever be made or released--no questions asked.
Here,in this film,Bruce Willis plays John McClane. McClane,who is an off-duty New York City police officer,is getting to fly to Los Angeles for Christmas. McClane's plan is to spend the holiday with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia),and their two kids,who Holly brought out to LA with her after she took a promotion as a stock broker at LA's Nakatomi building. John and Holly have the perfect Christmas planned--they will spend half of Christmas Eve at a Christmas office party that Nakatomi is holding on its top floor,and will then go home to spend the rest of the holiday with their kids.
However,before John and Holly can enjoy Holly's office party and go home and be with their kids,trouble arises. In the middle of the party,a team of German terrorists,led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)and his assistant Karl (Alexander Godunov),seize control of the building,holding Holly and all of her fellow employees hostage. The reason as to why Hans,Karl,and their group of terrorists are seizing control of the building is unknown to all of the hostages--but once John has slipped past the terrorists and has brought the LAPD and the FBI down to Nakatomi,communicating important information to an LA cop named Al Powell (Reginald Vel Johnson),this movie becomes a thrill ride until its very end.
If you are a fan of both Bruce Willis and action films,"Die Hard" is a must see film. DH has everything an action films usually has and needs--action,entertainment,suspense,drama,and even a little bit of humor. I recommend purchasing this film in a DVD box set that you can find right here off of Amazon,a set that has this film accompanying its two sequels--but either way,this is one solid action film that set the standard for action films. This film also proved that a comedian/comedy type actor can be in a tough action film if he/she wants (lets not forget the fact that Bruce Willis was famous for his role alongside Cybill Sheppard on the comedy/drama show "Moonlighting" at the time this film was made,and had co-starred in the comedy film "Blind Date" alongside Kim Basinger,Phil Hartman,and John Larraquette)and do a good job,while Willis,alongside all of the other actors in this film,do an excellent job at acting out the chemistry that their characters have--which is what makes this film totally complete.
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