Action classic

Rating: 8/10 (28 July 2006)

Hands down, one of the most influential contemporary action films of it's era, DIE HARD is a white-knuckle thrill ride that almost single-handedly redefined the genre and inspired a whole slew of imitators and sequels – none of which can even close to matching the impact of the original. The film also sent star Bruce Willis into the stratosphere of success, which had both positive and negative ramifications. One of the main reasons that Willis is so effective in this film is because he represents an action hero who is also very much an everyman, a quality that has been diminished since Willis was catapulted to Hollywood's A-list. While I find much of his subsequent performances to be cloying and self-congratulatory, there is no denying that Willis is absolutely perfect here as DIE HARD'S brittle, wisecracking protagonist.
Jeb Stuart's screenplay is brilliant in it's fundamental simplicity, and Stuart's dialogue impressively manages to remain witty without crossing the line into unbearable camp. Director John McTiernan wisely does not attempt to elaborate on simple premise of Roderick Thorp's original novel, yet he does manage to effectively pull out every stop and maintain a fever-pitch of intensity throughout the entire proceedings. In addition to delivering the aforementioned career-best performance from Willis, McTiernan also gets solid work from Bonnie Bedelia and Alan Rickman, who proves true the old cliché that a thrill-inducing action yarn is only as good as it's villain. A towering, suspenseful, humorous, and exhilarating picture, DIE HARD is unquestionably a significant benchmark for the action genre.