Nothing less than the greatest action movie ever made

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2001)

If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then the makers of Die Hard should be in a state of constant blush. No film since Dirty Harry has had so many imitators, some good (Under Siege), some bad (Sudden Death). But its influence reaches beyond movies who pit a hero in an enclosed space, all alone against the bad guys. Die Hard ushered in a new kind of action hero. After years of musclebound supermen like Arnold and Sly dominating the genre, Die Hard gave us John McClane, just your everyday cop. He's alone, tired, and scared.
It was an ingenious move to cast Moonlighting's Bruce Willis as McClane. Known primarily as a comedic actor, Willis proved the perfect choice. Finally, people had an action hero that they could relate to. I speak for myself here, but it's difficult to relate to a 250 pound Austrian Mr. Universe. Though Arnold certainly serves his purpose, it's in Willis's McClane that the masses can really find their hero. Unlike his predecessors who always welcome a challenge, McClane would like nothing more than to get out of his predicament. He's frightened throughout the ordeal, and we sense, does not expect to survive.
Of course, action movies aren't just about heroes. They're just as much about the villain. Die Hard's number one villain is Hans Gruber, the egomaniacal "terrorist" leader who buys all his suits in London and quotes from his classical education. In that, he is the exact opposite of McClane, a working class New Yorker whose smarts, we infer, are more of the street nature. As Gruber, Alan Rickman shines, nearly stealing the show from its star. He has only portrayed one other Hollywood villain since, The Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1990 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Rickman was easily the best thing about that film, and is responsible for any of its memorable scenes.
To better accentuate the everyguy hero against the odds, the script brilliantly brings in the cowboy analogy. When they communicate over the radio, Gruber insists that McClane's unwillingness to surrender is the result of seeing too many American movies growing up. He thinks he's John Wayne or Gary Cooper. This analogy, of course, brings on the now classic line from McClane: "Yipee Kay A, mother...." Well, you probably know the rest.
And to top all this off, Die Hard is simply one of the most exciting action yarns ever put on film. Veteran action director John McTiernan gives us death defying stunt after stunt. Die Hard achieved new levels of suspense and entertainment, and reigns on just about every list of the greatest action movies ever made. Not only was it a great entertainment, but it revolutionized the action movie. And although the technological advancements of the past thirteen years have brought many new special effects, no action film since can stand up to the original.