Film Snail

Die Hard
Die Hard

7.8

Die Hard

R·1988·132m

Summary

NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her office, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.

Cast

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis

John McClane

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman

Hans Gruber

Alexander Godunov

Alexander Godunov

Karl

Bonnie Bedelia

Bonnie Bedelia

Holly Gennaro McClane

Reginald VelJohnson

Reginald VelJohnson

Al Powell

Paul Gleason

Paul Gleason

Dwayne Robinson

De'voreaux White

De'voreaux White

Argyle

William Atherton

William Atherton

Richard Thornburg

Hart Bochner

Hart Bochner

Harry Ellis

James Shigeta

James Shigeta

Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi

Bruno Doyon

Franco

Andreas Wisniewski

Andreas Wisniewski

Tony

Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Theo

Joey Plewa

Joey Plewa

Alexander

Lorenzo Caccialanza

Lorenzo Caccialanza

Marco

Gerard Bonn

Kristoff

Dennis Hayden

Eddie

Al Leong

Al Leong

Uli

Gary Roberts

Gary Roberts

Heinrich

Hans Buhringer

Fritz

Wilhelm von Homburg

Wilhelm von Homburg

James

Robert Davi

Robert Davi

Big Johnson

Grand L. Bush

Grand L. Bush

Little Johnson

Bill Marcus

City Engineer

Rick Ducommun

Rick Ducommun

Walt

Matt Landers

Matt Landers

Captain Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora

Rivers

Dustyn Taylor

Ginny

George Christy

George Christy

Dr. Hasseldorf

Anthony Peck

Anthony Peck

Young Cop

Cheryl Baker

Woman

Richard Parker

Man

David Ursin

David Ursin

Harvey Johnson

Mary Ellen Trainor

Mary Ellen Trainor

Gail Wallens

Harri James

Police Supervisor

Shelley Pogoda

Dispatcher

Selma Archerd

Hostage

Scot Bennett

Hostage

Rebecca Broussard

Hostage

Kate Finlayson

Hostage

Shanna Higgins

Hostage

Kym Malin

Kym Malin

Hostage

Taylor Fry

Lucy McClane

Noah Land

John McClane Jr.

Betty Carvalho

Betty Carvalho

Paulina

Kip Waldo

Kip Waldo

Convenience Store Clerk

Mark Goldstein

Station Manager

Tracy Reiner

Tracy Reiner

Thornburg's Assistant

Rick Cicetti

Guard

Fred Lerner

Fred Lerner

Guard

Bill Margolin

Producer

Bob Jennings

Bob Jennings

Cameraman

Bruce P. Schultz

Cameraman

David Katz

Soundman

Robert Lesser

Robert Lesser

Businessman

Stella Hall

Stella Hall

Stewardess

Terri Lynn Doss

Terri Lynn Doss

Girl at Airport

Jon E. Greene

Boy at Airport

P. Randall Bowers

Kissing Man

Michele Laybourn

Girl in Window

Charlie Picerni

Charlie Picerni

Dwayne Robinson's Driver (uncredited)

Conrad Hurtt

SWAT (uncredited)

Terry Ray

Terry Ray

SWAT (uncredited)

Eric Kay

Eric Kay

Fireman (uncredited)

Crew

Director

John McTiernan

Novel

Roderick Thorp

Screenplay

Steven E. de Souza

Screenplay

Jeb Stuart

Reviews

d

doktorkraesch

February 16, 2015

10

**This is one of the definitive 80s Action Films.**

There is no nonsense whatsoever, the plot moves along with such a pace that the viewer is not disturbed by implausabilities.

Bruce Willis plays the likeable "regular guy", who is forced bare-foot into unleashing mayhem and destruction, to perfection.

His brilliant opposite is Alan Rickman, playing the German villain Hans Gruber in such a way that you almost root for him to get away with his heist. Also, he thankfully dispatches the office sleazeball, Ellis, in a wonderful scene.

The bad guys in Die Hard are more likeable than their counterparts in other movies. They are allowed to be funny and charming, which is good because we as viewers spend a lot of time with them, so it's good that they are not complete douchebags.

John McLane gets to do what many adolescent boys wanted to try: to drop something off the ledge of a skyscraper or down an elevator shaft, and see what happens. But he uses an office chair armed with a PC monitor and a block of C4 and watches as it drops, then explodes, wiping out an entire floor!

Everything here is bigger and louder than other Action movies from it's time. McLane drops bad guys and one-liners left and right, things and people explode, culminating in a grand finale that is as well paced and executed as any action sequence that came after it.

This film started it's own sub-genre, after it came not only it's own sequels, but a load of films that were described as "Die hard on a..." or "Die Hard in a..." Most prominent examples were perhaps "**Speed**" and "**Under Siege**".

This is entertaining as hell, it's a must-watch!

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$28,000,000.00

Revenue:

$140,767,956.00

Keywords

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