For years, Die Hard was the benchmark by which I measured the quality of action movies. I loved everything about it and thought it could do no wrong. Upon watching it again, I realize the parts that work best in the movie are all of the elements that go against the convention of the genre. When looking at the rest as a whole, it shows more recognizable signs of formula than I once thought.
New York detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) has flown to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to visit his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). The two are kind of in a separation phase in their marriage, and although Holly is relieved to see that John has caught the last-minute flight, the two argue in her office at work. Next thing you know, a group of terrorists have seized control of the entire 40-story Nakatomi building, and the only person who has managed to sneak away is McClane.
What follows is a series of moves and counter-moves to try to thwart the nasties. John uses what little resources he can from his homebase, a floor near the top of the building that is still under construction. He even implements the office's Christmas decorations in two memorable scenes. By the end, there is the inevitable showdown between the hero and the ruthless top villain (Alan Rickman). Then there is one of those "I can't believe it's all over" denouements that tries to wrap up as many loose ends as possible.
There are a lot of recurring touches that make Die Hard a treat. Holly's corporate gift -- a Rolex watch -- is mentioned at the beginning of the film, and she must get rid of it near the end in an urgent way. She also has been using her maiden name, which makes for some suspenseful moments when her anonymity among the terrorists is key. The means by which the bad guys and John converse, where they are intelligently trying to pry any information possible from each other, makes for riveting dialogue.
The problem is that none of the good guys are even half as smart. Given how stupid most police officers are in real life, I suppose this is an accurate portrayal, but Paul Gleason's character as the assistant deputy chief of the L.A.P.D. is downright ludicrous. He doesn't bother to find out if there even are any hostages, doesn't ask to talk via walkie talkie to McClane until far later into the picture, and then he opts to send in a swat team and an armoured car before even fully assessing the situation. This is the kind of role Gleason plays in every movie he's ever been in, but it's not the kind of role this particular movie needs. Credibility is stretched even futher when the FBI agents show up. They make a plan to attack the terrorists from the roof. One agent estimates a loss of twenty-five per cent of the hostages. The other retorts, "I can live with that." Give me a break.
I can't recall how many times I've watched Die Hard, but I'd guess more than a half dozen times now. It showcases exhilarating action sequences and some fine performances by Willis and Rickman (while actors like Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, De'Voreaux White and Hart Bochner play up stereotypes and fall more into the stock category). It even manages to successfully pull off some laughs too. Heck, it's just a fun ride that gets your blood pumping.
