Welcome to the party Pal!

Rating: 9/10 (15 July 2016)

'Die Hard' is without a doubt the pinnacle of classic action films and a highlight of the 80s. There's only one name that terrorist fear; McClane!
1. In a time when a new action star was needed, a young Bruce Willis rose to the challenge amidst the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Reluctantly on a trip to Los Angeles to meet his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and kids, John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself under the radar of a terrorist plot on Christmas Eve. Willis really was a breath of fresh air at the time of this film's release, considering no one knew what to expect since action stars of that era were damn near body-building types.
2. As far as Willis is concerned, with every great hero...there must be a great villain to follow; enter Alan Rickman (Hans Gruber). Apart from '007' films, Rickman defined what a suave, intelligent and deadly antagonist can be. No matter how bad a villain is, it's equally fun to have a formidable henchman at his side, which (the late) Alexander Godunov (Karl) portrays with sheer brutality. However sad it was to hear of Rickman's passing, his legacy still lives on in his most memorable and career defining role as Hans Gruber.
3. Behind a great action-flick like this, stood an exceptional director. John McTiernan proved his worth in the realm of action the previous year when he directed another cult and sci-fi classic; 'Predator'. It was clearly a no-brainer having him on board and in turn, McTiernan also went on to direct the third film in the franchise: 'Die Hard: With a Vengeance'. His directing style is obvious as can be since the action sequences are well maintained so that things never get derailed or too crazy.
4. Reginald Vel Johnson and Paul Gleason round out the main cast, with memorable side characters as well that stand in as other terrorists and comic reliefs respectively. Willis himself adds more of the humor to the film when he finds himself in stressful situations as the film progresses. He just has a natural charm as McClane which no other action star has ever brought to a character before.
To find things that don't work about this film is a hard task, cause I honestly can't think of anything. When spectacle meets action, that's when you'll know that old habits DIE HARD!!!