Die Hard

The best action movie ever. An avalanche of catchphrases, inventive set-pieces and witty interactions between the characters that we immediately find our way to. Compared to John Woo's equally crammed shakes, Die Hard has the benefit of being more physically painful, more motivationally compelling and, despite the necessary overkill, more believable. Bruce Willis in the role of a lifetime to which he has devoted his soul. A delight. (2011-04-27)

I didn't think I would like it after all these years, but the opposite is true. This is simply an excellent film, and I couldn't believe my girlfriend and I chose to watch it instead of something romantic, yet we both had a great time. We have to do this again sometime. And then the second part. And if there isn't a sequel, we'll just watch the first one again and it will be Die Hard 2. (2014-04-14)

The film has an ingenious script, whose basic storyline axis has been done a thousand times, but which has never quite lived up to its quality. Then there’s McTiernan's inventive direction that has drive that is so uncompromising that he actually set the bar so high that no one (including himself) has ever surpassed it. There’s also the Christmas Eve atmosphere when it all went to shit, and Bruce Willis in the role of a lifetime as a tired and determined cop who spouts plenty of catchphrases. All of the aforementioned are the cornerstones of not only this film but of the action genre as a whole, which has never been better on screen since Die Hard. Two hours of ecstasy in the most luxurious packaging that only a dull ignoramus can't love! (2006-09-24)

What is the best thing about Die Hard? Bruce Willis! If anyone from the anonymous lineage of action characters had appeared in the main role, it would have been completely forgotten and no one could enjoy John McClane as the archetypal example of the reluctant hero. John McTiernan also manages to present the action in a completely uncolored way and fearlessly builds the atmosphere of a several-story skyscraper with bloodied feet and a flood of black humor. It's just a shame about a few unforgivable and laughable 80s bits; the rest is undeniable classic. (2007-06-16)

A textbook example of quality, entertaining action cinema. John McClane might just be the coolest American action hero ever. He’s blowing up bombs, emptying clips like there’s no tomorrow, running barefoot over broken glass, crawling through air ducts, rescuing hostages, smoking one cigarette after another, tossing dead villains onto police cars, and dressing up bodies in Santa Claus outfits. All the while, he never loses his cool and always throws in a quip to lighten the situation. Bruce Willis deservedly stands as an iconic action archetype of the last century. He’s natural, charismatic, and delivers a torrent of legendary one-liners that would make for an epic YouTube compilation. But Die Hard isn’t just the Bruce Willis show — far from it. The supporting cast also shines, especially the brilliant Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. This is what a perfect main villain should be like. I’ve never been a hardcore fan of action movies and probably never will be, but films like Die Hard are undeniably fun. It’s rightfully considered one of the most iconic movies of all time. (2020-01-08)