With Christmas Day just a few weeks away, the festive season is now very much in full swing. Chestnuts are being roasted, mulled wine is being prepared, and various streaming services are offering up a swathe of Christmas movies to indulge in.
Some of these holiday offerings are OK, while others are terrible. I believe it is fair to say few are likely to become future classics.
But don’t worry, despite the influx of new movies, none of our old festive favourites are going anywhere, and if all else fails you can always kick back with a Christmas film from the past. And one of these past movie classics is Die Hard, which is not only a firm favourite during the holiday season, but this year it also celebrates its 35th anniversary!
Originally released in 1988, and directed by John McTiernan, Die Hard is an action movie starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, and Bonnie Bedelia. The film tells the story of an off-duty New York police detective, who finds himself in the midst of a deadly situation when he attends a Christmas Party in Los Angeles interrupted by thieves posing as terrorist.
In Die Hard, it’s Christmas Eve and John McClane arrives in LA. John is in town to attend a Christmas party hosted by the Nakatomi Corporation, where he hopes to reconcile with one of the corporation’s employees, his estranged wife, Holly.
After being picked up at the airport, John is taken to the Nakatomi Plaza where he gets ready to attend the festivities. But before John can get down to any fun, the building is seized by German radical Hans Gruber and his armed team of operatives.
Gruber is in the building to steal $640 million in untraceable bearer bonds, and will kill anyone who gets in his way. So, with John being the only police presence in the building, it’s up to him to take down Gruber and his men, while attempting to save as man of the party guests as possible.
Moving through the Nakatomi Plaza, John has to pick off the bad guys one by one, utilising whatever weapons he can find. But will his skills be enough to defeat Hans and Co., or will Christmas become a bloodbath?
You know, some people will spend precious minutes (possibly even hours) trying to tell you Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. For the record, I am not one of those people.
Die Hard is without doubt a Christmas movie. It is. No further discussion about this is needed. None whatsoever.
But as well as being a Christmas movie, it’s also important to make it clear that Die Hard is one of the best action movies of all time. It’s not just good, it’s absolutely ruddy brilliant.
When compiling a list of the best action films, Die Hard will always be on that list. And if it’s not, then the list isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on or the internet space it’s taking up, so ignore it accordingly.
Die Hard is an exciting, energetic, thrill-ride of an action picture which is expertly put together, perfectly paced, and captivating to watch. It is an attention-grabbing piece of cinematic wonder, and a film which offers so much from so little.
Die Hard’s simple premise, which keeps the action in one location, is a fantastic tension builder. As John McClane works his way through the building, despatching bad guys as swiftly as possible, the movie is able to continually up the ante.
At first, John conceals his identity from Gruber, but as the story progresses the truth about him is exposed. This creates chinks in his armour, puts his wife in danger, and adds more suspense to the already suspenseful storyline.
To add to this, although John initially works alone, due to being trapped in one location, he is able to make contact with an LAPD officer outside of the building (Al Powell played by Reginald VelJohnson), which in turn leads to the FBI getting involved. This escalates the situation further, creates new wrinkles in the plot, and places further pressure on John.
At every turn it appears as if he can’t catch a break, but all the twists and turns in the story keep things interesting. At no point does Die Hard ever run out of steam or lose momentum, it just keeps on going, and the end result is something superb.
Die Hard zips along at a fair whack, features plenty of cracking (and now iconic) lines, and delivers time and time again. Willis dishes up one of his best performances as John McClane, while Alan Rickman steals every inch of the film as Hans Gruber, chewing up the scenery as he goes.
The combination of the two actors is a key element of why Die Hard is so damn good, however, in truth the Willis/Rickman pairing is just one of the many, many things this movie gets right. From the dialogue through to the stunts, the staging and the cinematography (courtesy of future Speed director, Jan de Bont), Die Hard has it all and so much more.
They don’t make ‘em as good as this anymore, but they sure do try and replicate ‘em. But don’t accept all the clones, copies, and knock offs which pale in comparison, always come back to the original – especially now and at this time of the year!
Should you wish to celebrate Die Hard’s 35th anniversary, or you simply want to revisit the film for the Christmas season, the movie is playing in the UK at select Vue cinemas in December. Screenings are limited, so be sure to check your local listings sooner rather than later to ensure you don’t miss out.
Alternatively, if you’re not able to catch Die Hard on the big screen, or you want to watch the movie from the comfort of your own home, the film is currently streaming on Disney+. And if that’s not enough, Die Hard is also available on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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