[joshuaviolet]

Die Hard is the movie franchise that made a movie star out of TV star Bruce Willis, and created an entire action-movie genre of its own. In the original 1988 film, Willis plays wisecracking New York cop John McClane, who arrives at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles to meet up with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonny Bedelia), at her office Christmas party. As luck would have it, the company ends up in the middle of a terrorist plot led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his gang of expert killers, and with little help coming from outside, McClane has to pick off his enemies one by one. Thus was born the "Die Hard genre," epitomized by such films as Under Siege ("Die Hard on a ship"), Passenger 57 ("Die Hard on a plane"), Speed ("Die Hard on a bus"), and Cliffhanger ("Die Hard on a mountain"). But few measure up to the explosive brilliance of Die Hard. Director John McTiernan develops the action at a fast and furious pace, culminating in some fantastic set-pieces on the top of the building, in the elevator shaft, and in the building's outer plaza. Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza's script, based on Roderick Thorp's novel Nothing Lasts Forever, is smart, funny, and full of memorable lines (among them "Welcome to the party, pal!" and of course "Yippee ki-ay, motherf*****"), and the cast is perfection, especially Rickman as the cunningly evil villain, and Willis, whose McClane character--bloodied, beaten, bruised, and barely breathing, as he battles both bad guys and bureaucrats--is someone audiences could genuinely cheer for.

[StoneHead37]

Honestly, I think that Bruce Willis is one of the world's worst actors to ever set foot on a movie set; his only decent part in a movie was Pulp Fiction. With that said, I thought Die Hard was a crappy movie due to its main star being Bruce Willis. In addition to the plot being so cliche, there are way too many characters to remember and for me, the whole thing was a mess.

[ThePinkFloydSound]

Die Hard is one of those light-hearted films my whole family would watch if it came on. John McClane has a likeable charm about him doesn't seem to be captured in many films like this.

Yes, you can call it cliched but this film doesn't try to be anything else. It is what it is. A fun, light-hearted action flick with a charming protagonist and a classic villain played by the brilliant Alan Rickman.

Great Christmas film.

[AlexGTAGamer]

QUOTE (ThePinkFloydSound @ Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 19:59)

Great Christmas film.

This I agree with.

The one thing that I tend to find myself doing whilst watching Die Hard now is seeing how Bruce Willis gradually gets older per film. I remember when I first watched Die Hard 4.0 and I said to myself "Is that Bruce Willis? Nah, it can't be. Oh my it is him."

[sonnyBlack]

I loved this series since I was a kid, it's always fun to watch McClane kick ass while the odds are stacked against him. And I also like to watch the original around Christmas time.

[Niko Vercetti 112]

SERIOUSLY?
Who hasn't seen Die Hard? (apart from today's idiotic kids who won't watch something if it's been around for longer than 5 years. Claiming "it's got poor picture quality")

[Jeeebuuus]

The first Die Hard was not cliche, it created a genre of action films. I remember seeing it when it came out when I was around seven. It and the first Robocop (which if you can find the unrated version was the most violent movie up till its time, it was originally rated X). After Die Hard you would read reviews for movies that said "Its Die Hard in a hockey rink" or "Its Die Hard on a bus" or "Its Die Hard in a day care". Die Hard rules.

[AceRay]

Die Hard is a freaking amazing movie. The sequels weren't quite as good but the original is awesome.

[Moonshield]

QUOTE (StoneHead37 @ Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 13:48)

Honestly, I think that Bruce Willis is one of the world's worst actors to ever set foot on a movie set; his only decent part in a movie was Pulp Fiction.

Last man Standing? What Just Happened? Bandits? Hudson Hawk? Death Becomes Her?

I could go on.

[ilovebender.com]

Not yet - actually.


I have played the Die Hard Trilogy game for the Playstation; My older brother by 2 years had it, it was one of my favourite games growing up.



This post has been edited by ilovebender.com on Friday, Mar 30 2012, 13:13

[ThePinkFloydSound]

QUOTE (ilovebender.com @ Friday, Mar 30 2012, 14:08)

Not yet - actually. I have played the Die Hard Trilogy game for the Playstation; My older brother by 2 years had it, it was one of my favourite games growing up.

Dude, I'm happy for you. You have another classic to watch.

[GTAvanja]

QUOTE (StoneHead37 @ Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 20:48)

Honestly, I think that Bruce Willis is one of the world's worst actors to ever set foot on a movie set

Sarcastically speaking, you're a very smart man.

Bruce Willis is a great actor.

[xHIGHWAY_REAPERx]

I love the series, 4.0 didn't really grab me that much however.

And personally, I think Bruce Willis is a great, diverse actor.

He does, Action (Mostly), but has proven he can fit any role.

[darthYENIK]

QUOTE (Moonshield @ Friday, Mar 30 2012, 05:03)

QUOTE (StoneHead37 @ Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 13:48) Honestly, I think that Bruce Willis is one of the world's worst actors to ever set foot on a movie set; his only decent part in a movie was Pulp Fiction. Last man Standing? What Just Happened? Bandits? Hudson Hawk? Death Becomes Her? I could go on.

I can agree with the others, but Hudson Hawk? I guess I can agree, but only because rumor is that he's probably one of the biggest assholes in Hollywood, and in that movie he's pretty likable.

As for Die Hard, I f*cking love it. The second one was practically identical, but the third one was, in my opinion, better than the first. I don't even count the fourth movie, and probably wont count the fifth.

[Scarface187]

QUOTE (StoneHead37 @ Thursday, Mar 29 2012, 18:48)

Honestly, I think that Bruce Willis is one of the world's worst actors to ever set foot on a movie set; his only decent part in a movie was Pulp Fiction. With that said, I thought Die Hard was a crappy movie due to its main star being Bruce Willis. In addition to the plot being so cliche, there are way too many characters to remember and for me, the whole thing was a mess.

Throw this man into the pit.


Greatest movie of all time.

[trip]

QUOTE (xHIGHWAY_REAPERx @ Friday, Mar 30 2012, 13:48)

And personally, I think Bruce Willis is a great, diverse actor.

Huh? diverse? Sure he may have been in different genre style movies, but he almost always comes across as the same character he played when he busted into TV on the Moonlighting series.

I like him though. Love the Die Hard movies and most of the mindless things he's been in.

@ilovebender - you need to watch the Die Hard movies.

[GtaOutKast]

Die Hard has to be one of my favorite movie series although I just haven't watched number 4.
Especially,the Die Hard: With A Vengeance I can watch that so many times. Theres so much action in that movie which gets so hyped up.

[OH NO]

Have you ever watched Dai Hard? Its welsh porn.

or dye hard, which is also about wood.


Actually, and im cracking myself up here at my own dai hard joke, but anyway, Die hard three was not initally planned as a Die Hard movie. It was a seperate movie with the title "Simon Says." I believe.


look, i swear down now. My mate stole a b and q billboard and flipped it and sprayed "I hate ni**ers" and knocked my somalian mate abdis house wearing it. Cheesus christ man i forgot all about that till now, f*ck me.


i didnt hate die hard 4.0.

[AceRay]

QUOTE (OH NO @ Saturday, Mar 31 2012, 15:40)

Die hard three was not initally planned as a Die Hard movie. It was a seperate movie with the title "Simon Says." I believe.

It was based on an early script of Lethal Weapon 4, which kind of shows in the movie. Its a lot more of a buddy cop film than the others.

With a Vengeance was good but I can't help but feel they went slightly overboard, what with the truck surfing scene and Zeus just happening to drive by McLane when flies up out of the pot hole. If you watched WAV and then 4.0 immediately afterwards, you can definitely see the horrible over the top action kinda started in WAV and 4.0 took on from that. I love the first Die Hard cause its brutally realistic but the fourth one was just wacky, with McLane fighting a jet plane and flying cars into helicopters. He went from being just your Average Joe into a superhero. WAV went a bit out there but it was still firmly centred in reality, 4.0 was in la la land.

[Blackadder.]

I watched all of them in a row over a couple of nights once. I'd only seen the first beforehand, I read about the second but hadn't paid much attention to the others.

They may be kind of cheesy at times, but they're pretty cool films. The third kind of takes a different direction than the first two but I appreciate it as the series would have been kind of stagnate if it did the whole 'John McLane locked up with a bunch of terrorists' kind of thing again. The fourth one however I didn't really appreciate it's change of pace. It changed him from 'the right guy in the wrong place at the wrong time' to 'the amazing man who gets sh*t done.' It kind of painted him as a moron at times too, he's never been the brightest man around but driving his own car into an elevator shaft in an attempt to kill someone is pretty dumb.

Hell the two best parts of 4.0 are both related to Maggie Q. 1. She's hot. and 2. When John McLane full on smacks her in the face. Maybe it's just me but I found it hilarious to see a woman get hit in a movie for once. Speaking of actors in the fourth, Timoty Olyphant? Ughhh...