Purely entertaining, re-watchable fun.

Rating: 10/10 (9 November 2003)

It's interesting reading other people's reviews of Die Hard, both good and bad as to why this film is quite so successful. In many ways it comes down to the fact that this film (and its director John McTiernan) reinvented modern cinema as we know it in one hit. Never before did such a film sustain such a pace for so long, literally non-stop from start to finish the movie is perfectly paced leading from one crescendo to the next. With each plateau we are given a few short minutes to catch out breath, take stock then move on. J McT realised that a lot of the time it's the action sequences people love not the often unnecessary character development in-between - so why not try and make a movie that still had well developed characters, but at a much faster pace.
At the end of the day film for the most part is about rewarding it's viewers with something unimaginable and new, different to their daily lives (as with good fiction). Die Hard when it first exploded onto our screens in 1988 was just that. It's hard to imagine just how breathtaking this movie was now because there have not only been two sequels (to date) but also countless rip-offs and 'me too's'. Also for younger cinema audiences this movie is fast becoming 'retro', looking at the styles, themes and mood of the movie it's very much a film about its time (the late eighties). Rolex watches, limos, budgetless multi-national projects, barer bonds - there is a great sense of naivety possibly lost on younger audiences more used to computer crime and situations less tangible (the internet). Back then limos were only chartered by big corporations, Rolex watches really were a sign of status and guns the solution to all problems (as long as yours were bigger than theirs).
Times have changed however, less is more - everything is now high tech and the situation John McLain finds himself in is quite frankly laughable. As an example as a result of the phone lines being cut he resorts to taking on 11 would be terrorists, rescuing 30 hostages and his wife all because he can't phone 911. Today he'd probably have reached into is pocket and called for help on his mobile phone. Of course as you'll see it's not quite that easy, but even so the advent of mobile telecommunications does make a mockery of a lot of 80s movies. Back then having your phone lines cut in a movie meant two things; 1. there was no way to reach the outside world and this meant whomever cut them now had you prisoner in whichever building you were in at the time. 2. You were probably about to die, or dies trying to make your escape.
So why is this movie so good then? Well because in many ways it's comforting to watch. It's like sitting in a comfortable sofa with a mug of warm tea on winter's night; outside it may be cold and windy but inside you have complete control of your environment. Die Hard (without giving anything away for new watchers) concludes happily, the bad guys are really bad and the good guys are really good. In short you know where you stand and what to expect.
As a male, and like many other males I'm sure being honest about it when I first saw this movie I aspired to be like the hero. He's fearless, women love him and in the tightest of situations he retains his head and his sense of humour.
The movie is also endlessly entertaining I've watched it so many times now I've lost count - but I watch it again because there are still new things to spot, nuances perhaps I hadn't picked up on previously. But also because I know what I'm getting.
Okay so this movie doesn't make you think in quite the same way as perhaps 'better' more complicated movies do, but should it have to? It lacks the plot twists and sophistication of a lot of modern cinema certainly, it also lacks computer graphics and in my opinion that's no bad thing.
Die Hard is a straight-laced action movie and it's completely unashamed about that fact, I'd also add it pretty much invented this genre. But where more modern films have forgotten to include good characterisation and something resembling a story, this movie has both. Not only do we get to meet perhaps cinemas badest bad guy (Hans aka Alan Rickman) but also the then acting novice Bruce Willis as our hero.
If there's nothing on tv, or you feel like being ruthlessly entertained (but never having to question your own values) then this is harmless, entertaining, relentless fun. Not every movie in cinema needs to explicitly question contemporary society, it's values or ambition. Some films can simply entertain - Die Hard is the latter.