One Of The Best Action Movies Ever Made

Rating: 10/10 (8 December 2014)

In a role turned down by Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Burt Reynolds, Bruce Willis is perfectly cast as John McClaine in my favourite movie of 1988.
Plot In A Paragraph: In a last ditch attempt to patch things up with his wife, New York cop John McClaine flies to LA on Christmas Eve to meet his wife at her works Christmas party. Problems arise when Terrorists take over the building where the party is being held and it's up to McClaine to save the day.
With great action scenes, some solid pacing, brilliant casting and a superb sense of atmosphere this is perfect entertainment. Is It believable?? not really, but it's not so unbelievable that you just dismiss it as unrealistic.
One of the things I love about this movie is Willis's performance. He often resorts to using his brain and wits to beat bad guys, if Stallone or Schwarzenegger were cast they would have easily dispatched the terrorists with ease and a machine gun and a never ending supply of bullets ala Rambo or Commando. Willis plays McClaine as human, he is scared, he is vulnerable and he gets hurt and feels pain. It also helps matters that Willis can deliver a deadpan one liner better than most in Hollywood.
The clever pacing makes it easy to skip over the few plot holes, and there is not one weak link in the cast. As brilliant as Willis is, its Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber who steals the movie. Every line is delivered to perfection. Bonnie Bedilia also knocks it out of the park as Willis's estranged wife Holly. Reginald VelJohnson is also worthy of note as Sergeant Al Powell.
This should be viewed at least once every Christmas.