Brilliant action thriller

Rating: 9/10 (16 November 2013)

New York cop John McClane travels to Los Angeles to work things out with his estranged wife, only to find her office block at the mercy of terrorists, and he is their only hope of rescue.
Die Hard did two things - it created a template for big budget action thrillers with one good man against the massed forces of evil, and it turned Bruce Willis from a moderately successful light romantic actor with a predominantly TV career into a major macho big screen star.
Die Hard was pretty good. It pushed the boundaries of suspension of disbelief, but it never stepped over them. It gave us excellent baddies, a resourceful and admirable - though not perfect - goodie, some idiots (and one sound ally) on the outside, and a claustrophobic environment and solid scenario within which all the elements could play out. And, of course, scads of first rate action.
Die Hard was the first and still the best, and I recommend it.