Die Hard (1988)

Christmas Movie # 5 (well, it’s sort of a Christmas movie...)

Synopsis: Bruce Willis smirks his way through two hours of gunfire and explosions.

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “High above the city of LA, a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. But one man has managed to escape detection...an off-duty cop. He’s alone...tired...and the only chance anyone has.”

What Did I Learn?: 1) Christmas decorations and packing tape can come in handy during a terrorist invasion. 2) Dropping a body out of a 30-story window is an effective means of getting a policeman’s attention.

You Might Like This Movie If: You prefer the younger, wisecracking Bruce Willis to the old, grumpy guy who shaves his head and never says anything.

Really?: I had a little trouble believing that a police sergeant would continuously ridicule his Deputy Chief, or that Powell and McClane would have so many warm, heart-to-heart walkie-talkie chats over a police frequency.

Rating: Die Hard is one of the finest action thrillers ever made. Bruce Willis plays a tough guy, not a superhero (he bleeds, and some of those scenes in the elevator shafts are truly suspenseful), Alan Rickman is a worthy adversary, and the tension builds up into a thrilling finale. Aside from a few implausible scenes, the film’s only flaw is that it’s populated by a few too many boneheadedly stupid and obnoxious characters for my taste. 8.5/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/