good fun

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2016)

On Christmas Eve, New York City Police Detective John McClane arrives in Los Angeles. He aims to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly, at the Christmas party of her employer, the fictional Nakatomi corporation. McClane is driven to the party by Argyle, an airport limousine driver. While McClane changes clothes, the party is disrupted by the arrival of Hans Gruber and his heavily armed terrorists: Karl, Franco, Tony, Theo, Alexander, Marco, Kristoff, Eddie, Uli, Heinrich, Fritz, and James. The group seizes the tower and secures those inside as hostages, except for McClane, who manages to slip away.
Gruber singles out Nakatomi executive Joseph Takagi, and says he intends to teach the corporation a lesson for its greed. Away from the hostages, Gruber interrogates Takagi for the code to the building's vault. Gruber admits that they are using terrorism as a distraction while they attempt to steal $640 million in bearer bonds in the vault. Takagi refuses to cooperate and is murdered by Gruber. McClane, who has been secretly watching, accidentally gives himself away and is pursued by Tony. McClane manages to kill Tony, taking his weapon and radio, which he uses to contact the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Sgt. Al Powell is sent to investigate. Gruber sends Heinrich and Marco to stop McClane, who kills them both. Powell, having been greeted by Eddie, who poses as a concierge, finds nothing strange about the building. As Powell turns to leave, McClane drops Marco's corpse onto his patrol car. After being fired upon by the terrorists, Powell summons the LAPD who surround the building. McClane takes Heinrich's bag containing C-4 explosives and detonators.