Rent Die Hard (1988)

A classic of 1980s action films - Die Hard review by RP

A classic of 1980s action films. While the ever-lengthening chain of sequels became more and more disappointing, this - the first and best – is really quite good. Yes, we know it's all rather far fetched, but Alan Rickman makes a wonderful villain and Bruce Willis (still with hair) does a good job as a tough but lone cop fighting against the odds. When the action begins it is non-stop – right to the last minute, which in an 'action' film is exactly as it should be: no soppy romantic interludes, no lengthy speeches, no wasted time. The goodies are good, the baddies are bad, everyone knows their place. The director, John McTiernan, had previously directed Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Predator', but this is no muscle-bound 'Arnie' film – the central cop character, while physically fit, is no superman. The film is a little dated after close to 25 years but holds up well. If I have a reservation it isn't about the violence that is portrayed but that there is a little too much f-ing and blinding for my taste. 4/5 stars – highly recommended. It's a great film.

A film is only as good as its Villain. - Die Hard review by JD

Re watching this today its a film that certainly shows its age. Both good and bad.

The plot is robust and lacks the pointless complications you find in todays films, it doesnt preach to the audiance and despite the number of rounds loosed off and various explosions, it also refrains from going utterly ott. The bad guys are utterly believable, as are there actions (for the most part) other players have there part, but arent over done. The slimy salesman isnt the nasty villain he would of been today and the girl boss, is a girl boss. She's second in charge and this is made clear with her subtle interactions. Nobody shouts it, she just is.

I also like how the bad guys all have MP5's. No raiding the prop cupboard here - they are an organised group and the weapon of choice is uniform. Subtle, but its one of those classic ways a good film tells you a story without saying a word.

But as solid as the film is, there are 2 things that makes it stand out.

The first is the rough Bruce Willis. He's not great and looks pretty uncomfortable with his weapon handling. But it adds to the charm and his rough, fly by night approach perfectly offsets the films greatest asset - Alan Rickman. Yes, its a brilliantly written villain but Rickman in his first role completely owns it. This is top drawer stuff and Rickmans villain is easily one of the best in movie history. Rickman alone is 10/5 stars.

Also, the Police officers are a superb light hearted addition. The Police chief, the SWAT commander and the FBI agents are all highly entertaining. They arent 2 dimensional idiots. It looks to me they mess up in a funny way so as to not make them look like dimwits.. which in turn makes the bad guy look more dangerous.

Alan Is no longer with us and Bruce with his health issues has not had a great end to his career. With Die Hard we can enjoy these fantastic actors over and over.

Essential Christmas Film - Die Hard review by GI

Whether Die Hard fits into your personal idea of a Christmas film or not it's definitely one that is best watched over the Christmas period, it feels odd to watch it at any other time. This is a film that is a key action film and set a standard which has been followed ever since. But it's not action for action's sake and the film has a real panache, it never takes itself seriously and there's a good deal of humour liberally spread throughout. It made a star of Bruce Willis and cemented his wisecracking, cynical screen persona ever since. More importantly it brought Alan Rickman to a wider public audience as an actor of significant skill and personality. The story takes place on Christmas Eve when NYPD officer John McClane (Willis) arrives in Los Angeles to visit his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bodelia) for the holiday. He joins her at the Christmas party taking place in the large hi-rise building of the company where she is one of the top executives. But soon after his arrival the building is taken over by a ruthless team of raiders led by German terrorist Hans (Rickman). Their motives are unclear but appear to be political and in the confusion of their arrival John manages to slip away and then becomes a serious problem for Hans as he continually frustrates their plans. The action set pieces are mostly chases throughout the building which is portrayed like a labyrinth with bursts of violent action when John has to escape the raiders attempts to catch and kill him. The humour comes from his sarcastic abuse of Hans and the mostly comic incompetence of the police surrounding the building outside. Overall this is exciting, tense and good fun and it remains a firm Christmas favourite and it's always a joy to watch at that time making a nice contrast to the Christmas romcom etc.