Die Hard movie review

Rating: 9/10

Die hard is a movie I have been dying to see for years. All I heard about the movie was praise. Some say it was the best action movie ever. Some say it is the best movie of the 80’s. Some say this was Bruce Willis’ best performance. Last night I had the chance to see this film and I was not disappointed.

Die hard follows the story of John McClain, a New York cop, who visits his family in California on Christmas. He goes to the Nakatomi building to visit his wife where a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber takes everyone in the building hostage in order to steal 600 million dollars in the building. It is up to John McClain to stop the terrorists and save the hostages. The plot of this movie is the perfect premise for a good action movie. It is simple and easy to understand.

    

Die hard did not disappoint. It met my expectations and even surpassed it. Before watching the film, I expected a good fun thrill ride that I will enjoy and probably forget in a day or two. But no, this movie is not forgettable at all and it is not just a fun thrill ride. The movie has heart and that’s what actions movies or just movies in general lack these days. I almost cried in this film. Yes, I almost cried in an action film. The movie stuck with me. Every time I think about it, it gave me chills. It gave me that feeling where you are excited and at the edge of your seat.

Bruce Willis shined in this film. This might not be his best performance ever but this is certainly the role that brought him to the world’s attention. He showed the audience what he was capable of doing; the emotional scenes, funny scenes, and actions sequences. He was everything in this film and that’s what makes John McClain such a memorable character.

John McClain is just a normal person. He is no superhero. He has a troubled relationship with his wife. He nearly died a couple of times in the film. He is a dad. And this is why he is so easy to root for and relate to. You feel for him for the whole movie. You feel how hopeless and lonely he feels. He doesn’t know what to do yet he feels like it is his responsibility to save all the people. This is the reason why he is not a two-dimensional character and why this movie works so well.

Reginald VelJohnson was also great in this film as Sergeant Al Powell who believed in John McClain throughout the whole movie when no one didn’t. The storyline between Al and John was great. The chemistry between them was also great although they could only talk through radio. And when they actually met in person, you could feel their friendship that bonded during the movie.

Another performance that stood out in the film was Alan Rickman who portrayed the evil terrorist, Hans Gruber. Some might know him from the Harry Potter franchise. I thought Snape was evil, but Hans Gruber was even more evil. Alan Rickman was perfect as the leader of the terrorist group. He was menacing, scary, and even funny when the role called him to be.

The action in this film was non-stop. When they finished introducing us all the characters and building up the plot, it was all action from there.  The pacing in this film was perfect. I was not once bored. I did not look at my watch a single time. I was always at the edge of my seat, rooting for John McClain, and always curious to see what is going to happen next.

The music only added more intensity to the action sequences. It was perfect. The camera work in this film is also very well done. It is not shaking and moving like crazy where you can hardly see what is happening. It was nice and slow but fast when it needed to be. The direction was perfect. The writing was perfect. The dialogue was perfect in funny scenes and it was perfect in emotional scenes.

Die hard is easily one of the best action movies I have seen, maybe even the best action movie I have seen. It is not the type of movie that you would forget in two days. The movie sticks with you. There are some well written characters in this movie ranging from funny to evil. It was a good thrill ride with perfect direction, writing, and acting. I recommend anyone who hasn’t seen this film already to see it. You will not be disappointed. Everything about this film is great.