"Yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker!" - John McClane
It is Christmas Eve. NYPD cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has jsut flown to Los Angeles to see his two kids and his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) for Christmas. John is to meet Holly at her company's Christmas party, located in the posh Nakatomi building. This is the same night, however, that a gang of German terrorists, lead by one Hans Grüber (Alan Rickman), decide to rob the building of some $600,000,000 worth of bearer bonds.
As the other party guests are rounded up and held captive, only John McClane escapes unnoticed. It is then up to himself and a cop on the outside, Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), to help save the Christmas Eve hostages.
For any fan of action movies, Die Hard is the ultimate action movie. Die Hard is, perhaps (arguably), the best action film ever made. It has everything that makes a great action thriller great: superb special effects (explosions!), well-timed suspense, memorable characters and great dialogue.
Die Hard dosen't slow down in action, but slowly builds, right up to the final climax. This is how a good action film works. We don't like to have the film lag in the middle, or in parts. A good, steady build always works, and Die Hard produces this effect very well.
I loved the casting of Reginald VelJohnson (T.V.'s Carl Winslow from Family Matters [the one with Urkle!]). I thougt he brought a great personality to the picture and, well, hell, I just love him in the role because he's Carl Winslow!
With all of the guns, shooting, explosions, etc., Die Hard is the ultimate "man's" movie. Your not a real man untill you've seen Die Hard.
Plot: 
Die Hard is a film about terrorists, but it tries to understand the point-of-view of the terrorists, and does so effectivly. It gives us well-timed suspense and not just a bunch of men shooting wildly.
Visual Effects:
The explosions and gunplay look very real, and the blue-screen composits of Bruce Willis in the elevator shaft and on the edge of the building are well done. This is why Die Hard was nominated for the Oscar in the catagory for Best Visul Effects.
Sound:
The sound effects and sound in general are perfect to listen to; that's probably why Die Hard was nominated for two Oscars for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing.
There are a few songs in the film (Mostly christmas songs), but they work well with the Christmas setting of the film.
There are, at two points in the film (near the end of the film) where Ludwig Von Beethoven's Ode to Joy is played. This orchestral selection is highly unexpected in an action film such as Die Hard but is amazingly well utilized. It fits in unusually well, and it is a great addition to the film.
Character Development: 
There is a great change in the attitude of John McClane and the terrorist, Hans Grüber. There is even a change in McClane's wife, holly, but it is less pronounced than the other two characters.
Atmosphere:
This is the man's movie. Women may not go in for this flick, but your not a real man should you ever turn down watching Die Hard.
Realism:
Warren’s Rating:
9.29/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
15-03-05
