Today’s review is about my favorite Christmas movie of all time. It’s a film which became a game changer to the Action movie genre, and kickstarted Bruce Willis’ career as an Action Hero, after his show, Moonlight ended. What I’m actually referring to is a film called, “Die Hard.”
Die Hard was released in the Summer of 1988. (same year Bruce’s daughter, Rumer, was born, I guess it’s a Christmas miracle for him) The film earned positive reviews from critics and it made enough money at the box office. Due to the massive success, Die Hard spawned four sequels released in 1990, 1995, 2007, and 2013, comics, video games, action figures, and other merchandise.
Fun Fact: Joel Silver, who is the Producer of the film, and Die Hard 2, also produced the Lethal Weapon films, and The Matrix Trilogy. Lethal Weapon is also considered a Christmas film.
Now that Christmas is almost a few days away, here’s my take on one of the best Action movies of all time.
The following article contains no potential SPOILERS. Which means you are allowed to read this review. Just in case if you never got a chance to watch it.
Nice & Naughty Aspects
Nice: Bruce Willis, did a B.A. (look it up on the Urban Dictionary) job as John McClaine. Known for his one liners, and his iconic catchphrase Yippee-Ki-Yay… (you know the last word if you’ve seen it!)
The late Alan Rickman, did an excellent job as Hans Gruber, the main antagonist of the film. He is cunning, unpredictable, and also a master strategist.
Action Sequences were great, filled with bullets, stealth takedowns, and explosions, all in one complete package.
Cinematography looked normal, without any technical difficulties. Dutch Angles were used effectively on one scene to create a tense encounter.
The movie’s High Concept, (What If Scenario) involving one man vs. a dozen enemies, set in one location, felt unique at the time. This idea transformed like a strand of DNA. Films including Home Alone, Air Force One, Paul Blart, among many others, were inspired by the movie that started this trend. Video Game franchises such as, Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, & Batman: Arkham Asylum, also credited the film as a source inspiration. Without John McClaine, there would be no Solid Snake, or Sam Fisher. I have no choice but to give Die Hard a truckload of Bonus Points!
You’re gonna be surprised that Die Hard is based on a novel called, “Nothing Last Forever.” The book was written by crime novelist, Roderick Thorp. The book’s premise is similar to Die Hard, taking elements from the book, and the film did several minor changes to the source material such as, changing Joe LeLand’s name, to John McClaine. Thus, a franchise is born.
If you’re a fan of the GTA series, Stevie Wonder’s song, “Skeletons,” is heard in one scene. GTA V features the song in one of the game’s radio stations to listened to while exploring The City Of Los Santos. (Los Santos is based on Los Angeles)
The Nakatomi Plaza, is the real life headquarters of Fox.
Dialogue is very memorable, making Die Hard, one of the most quotable movies of all time.
My favorite line in this film is, “Now I know what a TV dinner feels like!” I’ll give it an Extra Point, whenever I play a video game where you have to go inside a vent, I always have to say that line.
Naughty: Product Placement featuring the following brands such as, Coca-Cola, Hostess, Crunch, Mars, and Hershey’s. I’ll give this flaw a pass, because I couldn’t find any other brand to shove down my throat.
I couldn’t find anything else wrong with this picture. So I’ll give it an Extra Point for The Cast, & Crew for making this gem as flawless as possible.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Die Hard is arguably my favorite Christmas movie of all time. It’s definitely a masterpiece. I strongly recommend this picture if you haven’t seen the whole thing. So what are you waiting for, get off your butt and give it a watch! Trust me, you’re blood is gonna be filled with a high dosage of testosterone!
Now that Disney officially bought Fox for $53 billion, who knows if John McClaine will cross paths with Ellen Ripley from Alien? I would pay my money to see them both teaming up to fight a Xenomorph King! (if there ever is one in the Alien franchise) Disney or Fox, if you’re reading this, please make this happen! Pretty please with a cherry on top?
Nickthemoviecritic.com 