Man Movie - Die Hard

[Valentine]

"If this is their idea of Christmas, I've got to be here for New Years."

Every time I return to Die Hard, I am quickly reminded as to how much I truly love this movie. One of the greatest action films in modern cinema, Die Hard has it all.

Bruce Willis is, of course, John McClane – perhaps one of cinema’s most rugged and raw protagonists. McClane is a New York cop, whose wife Holly (played by Bonnie Bedelia ) has recently moved to Los Angeles to further her career. There is some obvious tension between the two, as it becomes clear that McClane did not expect his wife to move at all, and his wife has begun to use her maiden name at work.

As the story opens, McClane is coming to Los Angeles for the holidays to be with his wife and children. He meets up with Holly at her office, where her work Christmas party is going on, and things begin to go awry. The office has been taken over by terrorists, led by the elusive Hans (Alan Rickman), who have discovered that the building keeps a large sum of cash in bank notes on the premise. John McClane manages to escape from the hostage situation, and throughout the remainder of the movie, keeps the terrorist group on their toes by destroying their plans.

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that is just so well-executed and fun that every other filmmaker in that genre feels they must copy every last trick. Die Hard is one of those few action blockbusters backed up by pure substance – well-shot, excellently edited, and superb direction by John McTiernan. John McClane is probably one of Bruce Willis most accurate portrayals, as he delves quite deep into the New York cop’s mentality, both superficially through his mannerisms and on a deeper level. The movie keeps you on edge every viewing, and re-revolutionized the way a true hero/action feature should be – one extremely tough guy overcomes seemingly impossible odds to save everyone. The strategy has been repeated time and time again, and it never fails to attract an audience.

[locke]

Die Hard is one of my favorite movies to watch in the Christmas/New Years season. Willis makes a terrific hero and he's not invulnerable. One of my favorite scenes is when he's picking broken glass out of his bloody feet while talking on the phone about his family and crying. Outstanding work from him and the director there. and the screenplay is no slouch either.

Another highlight is seeing Alan Rickman in yet another great villain role. between this and his snarling Sheriff of Nottingham he was one of my favorite villains growing up.