This baby never gets old

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2014)

It always throws my family for a loop that I watch DIE HARD every Christmas. But I can't help it, it's tradition. It's been a Top 5 of mine for many years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. It's a first-rate action/thriller and takes everything great about the action genre and just makes it better. If the screen isn't being owned by Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman (riveting performances, both), there's the welcome comic relief of Hart Bockner, Paul Gleason and the FBI guys. It features a score that's Michael Kamen at his best, striking photography, a relatable hero and a script with no throwaway scenes. Part of the fun of watching this movie is getting to spend two hours inside the Nakatomi building. The sets reflect the building's opulence, and even the unfinished floors provide all sorts of atmosphere.
It's impressive how many things DIE HARD gets right. Let me put it this way: compare this to the more recent entries in the series. It's a jarring difference.
10/10