i must have seen a different film!!

Admirable film.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Die Hard was a massive success back when it released and its easy to see why: It's an incredibly well paced action film with a wisecracking lead we relate to and an awesome bad guy. Directed by John Mctiernan Die Hard is a template for great action movies- It has relentless action, great one liners and suitable pyrotechnics instead of mindless CGI. John Mclane and Hans Gruber have endeared themselves in pop culture. What is incredible about Die Hard is that it has lost none of its edge and still retains every bit of its charm to this day. No matter how many movies Willis makes he shall forever be best known for running around barefoot atop the Nakatomi building.

I guess we could go down the 'Bruce Willis is in his prime here' path or even Alan Rickman is the perfect bad guy. But really this film excels beyond the average action film and it's sequels due to the fact it's in a contained, restricted environment where only stealth and quick thinking can secure the advantage against the odds. This scenario ramps up tension when there's little chance of escape. Unlike the following films which diluted the tension somewhat by allowing John McClane to run around freely or going on chaotic vehicle chases. Bruce Willis wisecracks become the light in the darkness in Die Hard. Including his lighter that leads him down ventilation shafts. The action is purposeful and tense. Each fight there's a reward to be had for success which helps to heighten the action suspense. Ammo is limited and our hero really doesn't want to be where he is. All in all Die Hard becomes an action, suspense, thriller where the outcome isn't looking positive and the underdog faces some strict odds in a claustrophobic scenario. A tension filled, thinking man's action film is what results here. And something which is rarely achieved to this day.

In 1988, a little film with a little known actor burst onto the screens of America. Its high powered action and wise cracking unsuspecting hero found their way into the hearts of action movie fans and, to this day, it remains a testament to the great and glorious eighties. The decade of great action, unforgettable comedy, and undying horror. Following a short stint on TV's Moonlighting, Bruce Willis teamed up with director John McTiernan to bring to life the character of Detective John McClaine. A New York City police officer who flies out to Los Angeles to see his estranged wife and kids. What follows is the most unlucky day a man can have. People do not remember that before this film came out nobody knew who Bruce Willis was, but after, you could not find someone who did not know his name or his face. His popularity is still high to this day, and it is all owed to one man. Detective John McClaine. Bruce Willis' portrayal of the character is one of the main reasons this movie is considered a modern classic. His quick wit and gun-tastic prescene make him the ultimate action hero. He is not the indestructible terminator or the special forces trained Rambo. He is just a regular guy who has been unwittingly sucked into the most unfortunate of circumstances and Bruce Willis plays the character like no one else could, with great humor and a sense of foolhardy abandon. Bruce Willis is not the only great performance in this one. Alan Rickman as the German terrorist, Hans Gruber is amazing. He always seems to impress and that is no different in this classic. Hans Gruber is backed up by two great performances by his second in command Karl, played by Alexander Godonov, and Clarence Gilyard Jr who plays Hans' tech guy, Theo. Sgt. Al Powell, played by Reginald VelJohnson, lends a simpathetic ear to our hero and he performs amazingly. A semi-static performance by Bonnie Bedelia as John's wife does little to bring the overall performances in this one down one bit. Die Hard accomplished many things in its theatrical run and subsequent release on video. It started the career of one of personal favorite actors, Bruce Willis. It gave us the unkillable and highly lovable character of John McClaine who still seems to impress after all these years, and it laid the groundwork for everything that came after it. Die Hard raised the bar for action movies, and to this day it remains one of the few high water marks for the action genre. This one is a great addition to any movie library and makes for an entertaining view every few months. While many movies seem to lose their luster after several viewings, this one seems to find its way onto my screen, thirty years after its release, more often than movies of only a couple of years old. Watch it now.

This is my five hundred and ninety-fifth review since I registered IMDb account about three years ago, but jubilee thousandth rated title. I planned it to be something real awesome, but then last night I found out that my girlfriend never saw "Die Hard" and that tragedy had to be corrected right away.When it was released I was 9 years old and for years it was favorite movie to all boys in school. From today's perspective, although I fully understand why it was number one, I definitely have to overthrow it from the throne. I could write forever about this flick, but to cut long story short, in my opinion, what is really worth in this movie are incredibly charismatic Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJohnson and the last half an hour. Everything else is average, monotonous and even boring. During the movie, my personal impression was around 6/10, but because of emotional attachment, cult status and influence, and especially because of its ending, which leaves really strong impression, I have to rate it higher. Also, I can't ignore four well deserved Oscar nominations, so my thousandth rating on this site will be7,5/10