The Standard...

Rating: 10/10 (9 November 2003)

One thing about "Die Hard" is that it is not recognized as the standard by which all action films of the 1990s were judged; until "Speed" (1994), THIS film was what raised the bar on what could go in film. Director John McTiernan understood that to create successful film (with the franchise potential included) he had to create a scenario that others had used before, but had never given their full potential -- in his success, I give you the masterpiece "Die Hard".
Bruce Willis brings his all-but-typecast macho man swagger to John McClane, bringing out the humor, the charisma and the just-plain-annoyed attitude that has made McClane one of film's great heroes.
Alan Rickman's turn as Hans Gruber not only introduced him to American audiences and gave him a legion of campy villain roles, it also showed audiences how much he loves his work -- for his sheer patience, calm and just- plain-cool nature, Rickman brought Gruber to life as a suave and smarmy but (ultimately) loveable villain... in the kind of villain audiences love to hate.
So the next time you want a good, dumb action film for a weekend, choose "Die Hard" and understand that classic films (yes! 1988 is classic films!) don't need all those special effects and that seeing a guy run barefoot across broken glass really, really makes you feel for him all that more -- now if McClane could just find a pair of shoes, you'd ALMOST find the movie believeable...
Enjoy. I do.