A Skyscraper, 13 terrorists & Bruce Willis = Greatest Action Film Ever!

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2010)

Back in the 80's, Action movies were mostly dominated by huge he-men action stars such as Schwarzengger, Stallone and Van Damne. Thay were filled with huge explosions, unlimited ammo and hilariously cheesy one liners. Then in 1988, Die Hard was released and for better or worse, changed the action genre for the next decade.
The film starts with our hero John McClane played by Bruce Willis. A chain smoking, foul mouthed and down to earth New York cop, who's instantly likable the minute he's on screen. He's come to LA on Christmas Eve to meet his estranged wife at a party in the Nakatomi tower, hoping to rekindle his marriage. Unfortunately, after McClane has a wash, terrorists take over the skyscraper and take the guests hostage. Now, alone, bare foot and fighting for his life, McClane goes to war with the terrorists, to save the hostages as well as his wife. It's not Shakespeare but it's smarter than your typical 'hero kills bad guys' situation.
What makes Die Hard so revolutionary is how realistic and ground based it is (Atleast in Action movie terms). McClane fears for his life and would prefer the police take care of the situation instead of him. He doesn't run in guns blazing but instead sneaks around the building taking down terrorists one by one. The Skyscraper creates the perfect action setting and give the film a claustrophobic atmosphere. Through the course of the movie he gets bloody, beat up and injured depicting him as a real person. Not that any of this should turn you off, McClane still is cooler than ice and has a great sense of dark humour, filling the film with funny and memorable one liners.
The terrorists are great to, each having their own personality and each being recognisable from another. The team is led by Hans Gruber, played by Alan Rickman who makes the character instantly memorable and a ton of fun to watch as a suave and cunning villain. The film also has great pacing, starting off slow but as soon as the terrorists arrive, the film snowballs into a fast and furious pace.
There's not really anything else to say that has not been already said. A clever plot, memorable characters, solid acting, a ton of action and many quotable lines. The film is a classic by all mean and not only is it arguably the best action movie of all time, but because of it's setting at Christmas, makes it a perfect 'Anti Christmas movie' as well which is great around the holidays. Highly recommended for everyone.