Die Hard (1988)

Succeeded by: Die Hard 2 (1990)

	Directed by: John McTiernan	COUNTRY USA GENRE Action NORWEGIAN TITLE Die Hard RUNNING TIME 131 minutes
	Produced by: Lawrence Gordon Joel Silver
	Written by (based on the novel by Roderick Thorp): Jeb Stewart Steven E. de Souza

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
John McClane	Bruce Willis
Holly Gennero	Bonnie Bedelia	½
Sgt. Al Powell	Reginald VelJohnson	½
Dwayne T. Robinson	Paul Gleason
Argyle	De'voreaux White
Thornburg	William Atherton
Ellis	Hart Bochner	½
Hans Gruber	Alan Rickman
Karl	Alexander Godunov	½
Big Johnson	Robert Davi	½

Review

Bruce Willis is credible and convincing as John McClane, a one-man army and fighter for good ol' American values. This is a man whose legacy goes back to General Custer, through John Wayne's cowboy heroes, and right up to Dirty Harry – including all the one-man vigilantes that have come to represent the freedom and individuality of American history and culture.

The difference with Die Hard is the humour McClane brings with him. He is not the cool, indifferent loner with a death wish who seeks solitude and shies away from interpersonal situations, but rather a charming and fairly sociable guy – a modernized version of the cowboy, if you like. Politically, however, he is more in line with his predecessors: uncompromising, with no time for softness. And his adversaries are, unfortunately for the film, also mostly as flat and uninspired as they have always been in the American action genre. That goes particularly for the supporting characters – on both sides of the law. The exception is Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, who brings the style and diversity needed to match McClane in their encounters.

Die Hard is first and foremost a slickly executed action film. It has the tension and the sense of space and location that makes it come alive and feel vibrant. The themes are only mildly interesting, but the cat-and-mouse hunt never ceases to engage, and the script is full of creative and suspenseful twists and turns that, seen in light of the genre, never get too out of hand or ridiculous. Kudos to John McTiernan for his industrious direction and to his editing staff, who made the film into a tight and potent effort – despite its share of clumsy moments. Kudos also to a revelling Bruce Willis, who brought the action hero one step closer to human.