Die Hard Retro Review

There is no denying the effect something has when it enters popular culture. It appears on T-shirts, graffiti, people use catchphrases in everyday conversation, and sometimes it ends up in the Smithsonian. That's why my first retro review is on what (in my personal opinion) is one of the greatest action movies of all time: Die Hard.

The story is basic. New York City Cop John McClane flies to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife, Holly. While waiting for her at her office party, a gang of terrorists takes over the building and takes all the guests hostage. McClane manages to evade, and what results is a no holds barred war between one man, and very dangerous men.

Sure, it's not the most mentally engaging film ever made, but it's a ride unlike any other. It's a modern western standoff, the good guy in the tanktop and the bad guy in the John Phillips suit. No matter how cliche the story may seem, you can't admit that there is a moment when you're not cheering on our battered and bruised modern day hero who aspires to be like Roy Rogers. To put it frankly, "Yippie Kai Yay, Mother Fucker."

This isn't Bruce Willis' first film. But unless you truly acknowledge his two romantic comedy bombs that came before, THIS is his star maker. This is what took him from "friend of a producer" to a man who's noteriety for action movies puts him in direct contention amongst the names such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The fact that he has a relaxed "I don't care" demeanor, during a time when most men would lose their heads make him cool. His sarcastic wit and humorous delivery at the appropriate moments make him a more developed hero than the larger action stars who need only carry a large gun. There is nay a man alive who has seen Die Hard and NOT fantasized about being John McClane. That is the power of Bruce Willis.

While many of our generation will remember Alan Rickman for his portrayal of the "switching sides like a tennis ball" Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series, I will always remember Rickman as the villainous Hans Gruber in Die Hard. Not only do you know for a fact that he is the villain, he does a hell of a job to make sure you know it. He is the classic foreign terrorist in the almost every action movie. His threats, his willingness to kill to get what he wants, his pure business approach to everything. Just the guy that you want to see go down in the end. And the fact you truly feel like this man is pure scum is the assurance that Alan Rickman is doing his job right. Not to mention the believeability you recieve when Jeremy Irons plays his brother Simon Gruber in Die Hard with a Vengeance, but thats a review for another day.

There should never be a moment when Die Hard is on and you're not watching it. And if you've never seen it, you're just hurting yourself.

A+