The film that defined a genre.

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2002)

"Die Hard" is a film that defined a film genre. Critics and film fans alike have looked to this film as one of the most influential films in recent years. This film literally has it all. Not only does "Die Hard" give us an incredibly charismatic hero, but also villians that the audience loves to hate, an underlying love theme, action, comedy, and special effects that were very well done. The look and feel of "Die Hard" emerged from brilliant director John McTiernan. At its core the plot seems to revolve around one cop's crusade to defend innocent civilians against terrorists. However with this film the viewer must take a step back and look deeper into the film. In this film fan's opinion "Die Hard" is based on love. John McClane's love for his estranged wife is his motivation to go on and survive. McClane, our hero is portrayed in an interesting way. McClane is an incredibly vulnerable man. He takes unfathomable amounts of punishment and continues to go right at the terrorists. The broken glass in his feet, the numerous cuts and burns and the various beatings handed to him have not deterred his fight. McClane's battle is similar to that of Rocky Balboa who competed so dramatically against Apollo Creed, because of the strength and encouragement from his woman. This love theme should not however overshadow the achievement of this film in terms of special effects, plot, and directing. McTiernan crafted an amazing picture that not only kept the audience guessing but also tells a story with characters the viewer can associate with. From the beginning of the film the audience is immediately supporting McClane. This film should be recognized not only as a an action film with great fight scenes and incredible special effects but also a story about love, determination, and the human spirit.