When it comes to action, there is no other action cop movie that "dies harder".

Rating: 10/10 (13 October 2007)

My Take: A yardstick in which to measure your explosive summer action blockbuster.
When it comes to action, no other action cop movie that "dies harder". I'm not going further than saying DIE HARD is one of the best, if not he best, cop movie around. The film starts out slowly, but soon explodes with non-stop action scenes and an edge-of-your-seat pace, without giving less humor for a cause. DIE HARD is among those films I classify as "Great Action Movies". These are the action movies that act like roller coasters, wherein the action moves at an incredible pace which forces you to hold on for dear life on the edge of your seat or maybe have you looking for a seat belt on your chair.
Much of the charisma and wit comes from the goodness of the film's hero. Of course, this is John McLane, played with real zest by Bruce Willis. Willis gives his character that charm that makes him stand proud and apart from other action heroes (as in Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones). But with every good hero, there's a good villain. And that good villain is Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), the leader of a terrorist gang who invade a high-rise during a Christmas Eve party to rob a multi-million dollar wealth.
Secretly, McLane hides behind the dark corners of the building, taking on the terrorists one by one while also having communications with a downtown cop (Reginald Vel Johnson) who are parading outside the building. And, of course, there is also a major pain-in-the-butt that gets in the way, and that is a downtown Deputy Police chief (Paul Gleason), who is well-colored, but just plain incompetent. I think he's just their to do a set-up which we know will fail, which will definitely result to a lot of explosions or cops getting shot. McLane, of course, provides a few of his fireworks including the use of plastic explosions by throwing them down the elevator or dangling on a rope after an explosion in the rooftop.
Yes, DIE HARD is indeed a very busy action picture with some very terrific special effects. Few action movies today, with all the money for effects, work can even topple the fantastic effects here, which were more realistic. Director John McTiernan deserves as much credit as the effects masters and stunt coordinators. He gives the film an incredibly fast pace and keeps the action going, and doesn't forget the humor in the screenplay.
When it rummaging around the video store, make sure you get DIE HARD on your list. It's not THE best, but it's a terrific, riveting and sometimes funny action ride that never gets old.
Rating: ***** out of 5.