Review of Die Hard

Introduction

In 1988, a film came along that breathed new life into a tired action movie genre, and provided an unparalleled 2-hour thrill ride. That film was of course Die Hard, and its amazing success spawned two further sequels and endless rip-offs (most of them starring Steven Seagull). Then September 2001 came and went, and the lines between fantasy and reality blurred in a way that no one in their right mind could have expected, let alone desired. All of a sudden, these kinds of action movies were no longer entertainment, but in dubious taste. Swordfish was immediately pulled from cinemas around the world and the Die Hard trilogy in particular became tainted with a degree of uneasy poignancy. But the knee jerk reaction quickly faded, and Hollywood got back to work, with the Special Edition DVDs of the Die Hard trilogy doing big business. For a few months the idea of watching Die Hard never crossed my mind, and until recently, I retained a niggling feeling that I`d never enjoy it as much as I once did. I guess that I have a strange form of squeamishness. Anyway over a year went by, and I found myself in the mood for a decent actioner, and imagine my surprise when I found myself eagerly sticking Die Hard into my player.

John McClane is a New York cop with a typical dysfunctional family. His wife has a lucrative career with the Nakatomi Company and to further that career has taken the children and moved to Los Angeles. In an attempt to sort out their marital problems, John flies to LA for Christmas. However, terrorists, who gatecrash the office Christmas party in the impressive Nakatomi building, rudely interrupt their somewhat fraught reunion. While hostages are being taken, John quickly escapes through a fire exit and makes his way to an unfinished floor to call for help. His call, while pointedly ignored by the authorities is noticed by the terrorists, who promptly search for the wayward partygoer. John is forced to become a reluctant hero, as he tries to avoid the terrorists, while trying to convince the outside world of the crisis. But when the authorities are awakened to the problem, their ineptitude means that John McClane has to take on the terrorists single-handedly, pitting him against the charismatic leader Hans Gruber. But these are not your ordinary terrorists.

Video

Die Hard gets the 2.35:1 anamorphic treatment, and the picture is clear, sharp and resplendent. There is the usual hint of grain that I have come to expect from eighties movies, but perhaps the most noticeable flaw is the print damage. There are a few minor specks of dirt, and the occasional scratch or line, but again this is minimal and never detracts from the movie. John McTiernan directs and another notable name is Jan de Bont, who is Director of Photography. They create amazing tension as John McClane battles the bad guys. Combining the nighttime cityscape with some claustrophobic scenes in the building, the action is perfectly choreographed and perfectly paced. Even today the effects hold up when compared to modern CGI offerings.

Audio

This disc has soundtracks in DD 5.1 English and Spanish, and as soon as the movie starts the surround kicks in. The action is powerfully represented with meaty explosions and resonant bullet fire. The music is perfect with action-meister Michael Kamen handling duties and his score accents the action well. The tunes selected for this film are singularly effective, with Let It Snow by Vaughn Monroe becoming this films signature. However, the inspired selection of Beethoven`s Ode to Joy is notable for creating one of the most enduring moments in action cinema.

Features

This was the first release of Die Hard and consequently it`s light on extras. There is the Theatrical Trailer of course and a six-minute featurette. This is basically the trailer with added interview value. Don`t expect to glean any insights from this brief interlude, but is does have the benefit of including a blooper. Finally there are the cast filmographies, which are your usual text based affair.

Conclusion

Die Hard was the film that spawned a whole genre. After this we had lone heroes battling bad guys on planes, trains and boats (and ice hockey stadia), it even inspired an episode of Star Trek the Next Generation. But Die Hard did it first, and even after all these years, the film looks as fresh and exciting as ever. I find that it hasn`t dated in the slightest, and the dialogue is just as funny, and the action just as thrilling. This can most easily be attributed to the excellent script. Where most movies seem to be intent on producing the biggest thrills and effect shots, Die Hard has more than a one-dimensional story and has some great characters, and does give at least a nod to plausibility. The policeman trapped in a hostage situation who has to be a thorn in the side of the terrorists is a lot more plausible than some of the hot air that informs most action movie scripts.

Bruce Willis made his big movie breakthrough with this film, and forever established himself as a vest wearing action hero. His John McClane is a brilliant everyman, who has to be the reluctant hero. He displays a dark humour and sardonic wit that is movie gold and makes him eminently watchable. Reginald Veljohnson plays Sergeant Al Powell, the LA cop who communicates with McClane during the situation and provides an emotional lifeline to the embattled McClane. The two have a brilliant dynamic, despite the fact that they hardly share screen time, and there relationship provides a much-needed emotional depth to the story. Alan Rickman is the leader of the terrorists, Hans Gruber and establishes one of the most memorable screen villains of modern years. His cat and mouse with John McClane is engrossing, and the suave charisma that he brings to the character makes you realise why Brits play all the bad guys in Hollywood. The rest of the cast is just as good, with great turns from Alexander Godunov as the irate terrorist Karl, William Atherton as the unscrupulous reporter, Thornberg, Hart Bochner as Ellis, the archetypal eighties yuppie and Bonnie Bedelia as McClane`s long suffering wife Holly.

Brilliantly acted, scripted and directed, Die Hard is easily the best action movie of recent years. From the moment it starts with the culture clash between New York and Los Angeles as a nonplussed McClane makes his entrance, to the explosive climax, this film entrances me every time I watch it. Die Hard is an incredibly funny film, with the excellent dialogue and wit displayed by the characters. I love the two FBI men, both called Johnson, but it`s little observations like the terrorist preparing an ambush, who pauses to steal a candy bar, the fact that Argyle the chauffeur remains in the garage for much of the film oblivious to the mayhem that is occurring thirty stories above his head that show the depth of this script. Perhaps the best moment in the film is when the terrorists reach their objective and the massive vault door opens to the sound of Beethoven`s Ode to Joy and their faces light up in exultation. In that one moment, the audience is wholly on the side of the bad guys, and there is no other film that can make that claim.

As I said before, the Special Edition has superseded this disc, with added DTS goodness. It also has the extra extras so to speak. However this bare bones disc has the film in splendid condition. If you can settle for the DD 5.1 track and do without special features, then I`m sure this disc has all that you require. It will also have the added benefit of being ridiculously cheap if you can find it.