Possibly the greatest contrived film of all time

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 2003)

Die Hard - what a movie. What a legend. The ultimate pointless, shallow, and unnaturally contrived movie makes for one hell of a viewing experience.
It's non-stop action, non-stop cliches, non-stop formulaic plots and villainous men with German accents, you've got to love it. Bruce Willis is at highest form in a role which needs nothing but highly toned abs and occasional smart alec NYC one-liners. Alan Rickman is the really loveable part of this film. A real-life German terrorist couldn't do better playing this role.
You can probably tell I've just finished watching it, the adrenaline is still pumping through my veins, my wry smile still plastered across my face. John McTiernan sure packs a punch, I can tell you that. The best thing about this film is that it's just a movie. It doesn't try to be anything but a formulaic, by-the-numbers, big budget action hit and so it works spectacularly for what it's trying to achieve. Provided you don't expect a masterpiece of filmmaking, what you'll receive is a masterpiece nonetheless.
There's no need to analyse this film much further, it's a thrill ride, utterly shallow and hopelessly artificial. You've gotta love it. **** / *****