Despite my often going for
older and more outré selections in this category, I have a fondness for some of
the bombastic action pictures to come from Hollywood in the 1980s, and this is
one of the best. Die Hard is a non-stop rollercoaster, an exemplar example of
perfectly structured action which gradually builds over the course of its
running time, and from the opening bell doesn’t let go. Much like The
Terminator, all exposition is told on the move; we are introduced to John McClane,
played with engaging flavor by the mighty Bruce Willis (whose New York cop is a
refreshing everyman amidst the onscreen musclemen of the period), as he is en-route
to Nakatomi Tower in Los Angeles to meet with his estranged wife. What follows
is a masterfully balanced heist film uniting strong characters (Alan Rickman’s
Hans Gruber is hands down one of the all-time great villains) with some of the
most memorable action set-pieces to grace the screen. Even today, Die Hard
represents a gold standard of action cinema.
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