DIE HARD (1988, USA, 130m, 15) ****½
Action, Thriller
dist. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; pr co. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation / Gordon Company / Silver Pictures; d. John McTiernan; w. Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza (based on the novel “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Roderick Thorp); pr. Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver; ph. Jan de Bont (DeLuxe | 2.39:1); m. Michael Kamen; ed. John F. Link, Frank J. Urioste; pd. Jackson De Govia; ad. John R. Jensen.
cast: Bruce Willis (John McClane), Bonnie Bedelia (Holly Gennaro McClane), Alan Rickman (Hans Gruber), Reginald VelJohnson (Sgt. Al Powell), Paul Gleason (Dwayne T. Robinson), De’voreaux White (Argyle), William Atherton (Thornburg), Hart Bochner (Ellis), James Shigeta (Takagi), Alexander Godunov (Karl), Bruno Doyon (Franco), Andreas Wisniewski (Tony), Clarence Gilyard Jr. (Theo), Joey Plewa (Alexander), Lorenzo Caccialanza (Marco), Gérard Bonn (Kristoff), Dennis Hayden (Eddie), Al Leong (Uli), Gary Roberts (Heinrich), Hans Buhringer (Fritz), Wilhelm von Homburg (James), Robert Davi (Big Johnson), Grand L. Bush (Little Johnson).
This highly entertaining and influential action thriller sees New York City policeman John McClane (Willis) visiting his estranged wife (Bedelia) on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Rickman) who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there’s no one to save the hostages — but him. The spectacular action sequences are directed with style and pace by McTiernan with great stunt work. Willis is superb as the wise-cracking and reluctant hero. Rickman makes for a charismatic villain in his film debut. There is an early role for Davi as an FBI special agent. The film was so successful that it spawned four sequels beginning with DIE HARD 2 (1990), followed by DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE (1995), LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (2007) and A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD (2013), and a host of imitators.
AAN: Best Sound (Don J. Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Al Overton Jr.); Best Film Editing (Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link); Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing (Stephen Hunter Flick, Richard Shorr); Best Effects, Visual Effects (Richard Edlund, Al Di Sarro, Brent Boates, Thaine Morris)
