This is an old review from a site I used to have called He said, She Said. I had hundreds of reviews on that site. I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that site and am going to preserve what I can of it. If a review from that site made it's way here, that means it has been updated. Whenever I watch a movie that I already reviewed, I will update it and put it here. All new reviews will still be put on the Facebook page.
What He Said:
Die Hard was sort of responsible for establishing Bruce Willis’ career. Yes, he had been acting prior to starring in it, and was on a hit TV show, but Die Hard was his “breakout season” (to use a sports analogy). When you think of Bruce Willis, you think of Die Hard, not Moonlighting. It launched him into stardom and showed that he was capable of playing tough AND funny; something which he has done many times since over the course of his career.
Die Hard is a classic 80s action movie that has become synonymous with Christmas season. It's about a cop who is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and kids in LA for the holidays. She took a job there despite him (Willis) still being employed in New York. It seems like he didn't support her desire for a career and she didn't give a shit he had his own back in NY, so she just took the kids and left.
A group of high-end thieves storm Holly's work take hostages during her company's Christmas party and John goes into action hero mode.
There is so much to love about this movie.
First of all, there's really something to be said about the John McClane character. He’s not the kind of guy you’d find spending hours in a gym sculpting his body to the point of perfection. He's not in bad shape at all, but not a fitness fanatic, master martial artist, former green beret, or some other kind of trained killer. He’s a blue collar, do it the hard way kind of guy. His personal life is something of a mess, but professionally speaking the guy is a force to be reckoned with. Sure, it may not always look pretty, but the guy gets the job done; even if he ends up getting his ass kicked doing it. But that’s what we’ve come to love about him. He’s not some human weapon who mows through bad guys with ease, he’s just a dedicated, stubborn, tough SOB who loves busting bad guys. He is the exact opposite of the guys he goes up against.
are very quick on their feet. They are essentially a small army and Rickman excels as their leader. He was wonderfully hammy . No one else could have pulled off this performance.
Seeing this clash of styles is highly entertaining. It is really the backbone of the movie. For once, there’s an action hero who isn’t a former black ops agent. He’s extremely flawed, the completely opposite of indestructible, and very relatable. His nemesis is a high-brow criminal. And in a brilliant move, most of the time they spend "together" is trading jabs over a walkie talkie. They don't meet until damn near end of the movie.
The other highly successful component of this movie is its humor. Just about all action movies have a funny moment or two, but this movie really excellent at thst. The banter between them works so well. Gruber takes pride in his professionalism and McClane does not give a shit whatsoever. He could care less how he gets the job done; as long as it gets done. It’s like watching the Odd Couple, but only if you pitted them against one another instead of making them a team.
Paul Gleason (the jerky teacher from The Breakfast Club) is hilarious as the hard-headed Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson. Imagine a character that is every bit as an ass as his character in The Breakfast Club, but this one actually has some real authority.
Even actors in the smaller roles are amusing. Reginald VelJohnson (AKA Carl Winslow) is fantastic in his supporting role. The character doesn’t really do a whole lot physically, but manages to successfully entertain you as he’s along for the ride with McClane the whole time - and has a truly heroic moment in the finale. Real cowboy shit.
Hell you can even throw in the guys who play Argyle, the FBI agents, and the jerk reporter (also the same guy who plays a jerk in Ghostbusters). And I would be doing the actor a huge disservice if I did not mention Hart Bochner's performance as Ellis. It's a shame this guy didn't get more work in similar roles, because he absolutely nailed it. Even Bonnie Bedelia is quietly a force. She's a hostage, but stays strong for her colleagues and doesn't hesitate to give Gruber some shit.
When you combine all that with the fact that I had the opportunity to see it on the big screen for the first time ever (I was 8 when this was in theaters), I’m one happy camper. A local historical theatre showed this as one of its cult classics during the Christmas season a few years ago. *Fun movie fact* The theatre where we saw this movie is the same one where this famous scene from The Blob (1958) was filmed. It was just a great all-around experience.
Rating: Thumbs waaaay up.
This review was written God knows how many years ago, but was updated on January 2, 2022.
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his men are highly trained professionals. They are prepared, efficient,
and no-nonsense kind of guys. They always have a plan and when that plan doesn’t go their way, they
What She Said
I know action films are sort of a man’s thing, but I thought I’d appease my husband and go see this flick at our local classic
movie theatre the night before New Year’s Eve. As many would know, Die Hard has developed a cult following as an
action/holiday movie. It’s the film that started the whole Bruce Willis franchise, and one that will keep the viewer on the edge
of their seat.
Released in 1988, when I was obviously too young to see it, the movie tells the story of John McClane, just your average New
York City police officer traveling across the U.S. to visit his estranged wife, Holly, and family in L.A. for the holidays. He’s
really your blue collar, sweat and grease, workin’ hard type. Anyway, he’s meeting his wife at her company’s holiday gala at
some big fancy new building (it’s actually still partially under construction). But, things take an exciting turn when a group
of thieves/terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), storm the building and take everyone hostage. This is all in an attempt to steal a bunch of money from the owner of the place, Joseph Takagi. This group of bandits is the best of the best. They’re big, skilled with weapons, well trained, and merciless. They’re also quite funny at times. McClane, who was overlooked by the group when they took over the building, stealthily attempts to free the hostages and take down the terrorists. One man vs. more than a dozen. A classic story.
It’s amazing to watch McClane in action. He’s no Schwarzenegger or Stallone—just your average Joe—and so he really takes a beating. But he’s smart, and he’s got heart, so he is, of course, victorious. His interactions with Gruber can be very funny, as they truly are two men with lots of pride facing off. The movie, not surprisingly, screams 1980s, but it’s timeless in enjoyment and excitement. It’s nice to see Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman much earlier in their careers. Die Hard is a lot of fun, and was also great to see on the big screen. A nice holiday treat.
Thumbs up.
