Review of Die Hard (1988) by Trergfirestorm — 02 Jul 2023

Yipee-ki-yay, ****.

How many times have I watched this movie 15-20? Or more? All this does not matter, since this action movie has long become a classic of the genre and it is a pleasure to watch it, even in 2022, knowing all the dialogues and storylines by heart, watching it is very cool, and every time you review you find something new for yourself.

In my childhood, there were a lot of action movies, there was plenty to choose from, but Die Hard stands out in the variety that it was before. There is really a very suitable script, a chic protagonist, a smart villain, of course, amazing directing by John McTiernan, excellent dialogues, shootouts, explosions, everything even now looks very cool.

28 million for those times is a really solid amount, and for me the film is visually very cool, what is the final moment between Hans and Takagi worth. Even watching this moment now you are surprised by the visual component of the film.

John McClain is probably one of the most beloved action heroes I've ever seen. Fearless, confident, cheerful, perky, many epithets can be picked up. Loved and love to watch him create problems for Hans and company. And his attitude towards his wife always looked very romantic.

Bruce Willis, Bruce has a large number of roles on his account, but it was the role of a cop that he liked the most, who is trying to save his wife and other people from terrorists in a foreign city. His phrases and his corporate identity are of course very pleasing even after so many years. Watching him fight Hans Gruber is a real treat.

Alan Rickman, Hans Gruber is a combination of cruelty and intelligence. Hans is very cruel, he leaves no chance for his victims, he is good with his smile. At the same time, he is very well educated and knows how to think very well. Such a villain is interesting to watch. His plan is quite standard, but the execution is incomparable. Probably after Harry Potter, this is another role of Alan where he is truly incomparable, although it was still very far from Harry Potter. Alan was going to play the bad guys. And do not say that he is English. He's gotten into his character so well that you actually believe he's from West Germany.

Bonnie Bedelia, in the role of John's wife, looks very impressive, she has her own story and her own motivation and she is connected with her career, but since the appearance of John, much has changed and she herself becomes different. Although their relationship was not too frequent, in the end everything looked quite passionate and romantic. Their storyline has always been my favorite. And when I watched the film again, I realized that their love is much deeper than I thought before. And John's confession to Al Powell confirms this.

Reginald VelJohnson, at first Al seems to be an ordinary police sergeant, of which there were really a lot. But everything changes when he began to talk to John on the radio. Their interaction was the highlight of the film. They had so much warmth and sincerity in a very stressful time. Al quickly becomes attached to John, even when he didn't know his real name or his purpose. Al is without a doubt one of the best secondary characters in this movie.

Alexander Godunov, probably one of the coolest villains of this film, you can’t tell from him that he comes from the Soviet Union, his appearance really looks like a German one. Very aggressive, angry and uncompromising. His obsession with revenge throughout the film was very satisfying, and their final confrontation with John looked very cool.

Deboro White is damn good as a limousine driver. He has little playing time, but his every appearance brings a smile and a great mood.

Clarence Gilyard Jr., I always associated with the sheriff from Cool Walker, thought that playing goodies suits him very well, but Theo's role is completely different, he is cheerful, smart, well versed in computers. Very cool role, I was surprised that he can play bad guys so cool, his laughter at the beginning of the film added zest to the hero.

Die Hard is not easy nostalgia for an amazing time. This is a great action movie with well-thought-out characters, with a great main character, with a chic villain, with a lot of equally cool secondary characters. The action movie, which has long become a classic of the genre, does not lose its relevance even now. It was a real pleasure to watch this movie after many years. Forever!!!

10 of 10.

P.S. It's okay, I'm a cop. Trust me, I've been doing this for eleven years.