LTTP: Die Hard 1

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Possibly the best action movie ever made, and the slow start you mentioned is a big part of it, getting us involved with the characters and their story.

The one thing I never loved - the hacker guy's sports references just seem unnatural and unnecessary, but I am glad they didn't go with the stereotypical nerd techno-babble that's become so prevalent.

But damn Alan Rickman is good, and Bruce Willis was born to play McClane.
 
Die Hard 4 was entertaining enough. Sure it wasn't as good as 1, 2, or 3 but it had it's moments and I feel deserving of the Die Hard name. Awesome action scenes, cool stunts, funny references to past movies. Who cares about the stupid computer mumbo jumbo? Nobody, that's who. Oddly though, I wanted to buy a Mac after the movie was over.
 
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"Sugar-enriched flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, polysorbate 60, and Yellow Dye No. 5. Just everything a growing boy needs."
 
I'm in the firm camp of believing that 2 is an entertaining (yet pale) imitation of 1 as 4 is an entertaining (yet pale) imitation of 3.

5 is just a massive piece of shit all around.
 
Formosa said:
1-3 = good classics, then it became horrible, especially the last one.

Go watch 24. much better than Die hard.
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I actually haven't watched 24 yet. I watched a few episodes of series 6 or 7 (I'm not sure) and I enjoyed it. Maybe now is the best time to start.
 
The perfect action movie. Probably my favorite movie ever until I found out Jaws was the greatest movie ever. I rewatch it more often, though.
 
Cracked on why Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever made. And they do make very good points.

The original is a classic with good reason. Still the best action film ever made in my opinion.
Are there movies with better stunts and more spectacular action sequences? Yes. But what Die Hard does that most others don't is that it makes you feel connected to the characters. McClane is just a regular guy. Sure, he's a cop, but he doesn't want to be there. He didn't choose to get involved in the situation, he was just dealt a shitty hand is doing what he can to get out of it. You genuinely feel bad for the guy the whole time and want to see him succeed.
The movie also has one of the great villains in Hans Gruber. Slimy bad guy with a nice flair for style, but also isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He isn't over the top, and also has fantastic chemistry with McClane.

Another thing that was so refreshing about Die Hard when it first hit was it was one of the first action films where the hero got fucked up real bad. He's beaten, shot, blown up, and cut up before the thing is over. The man is a walking disaster by the end, but he doesnt give up, even if he is just limping along and tired. I love my 80s invincible action heroes as much as the next guy, but it was refreshing to see one that was actually human.


On a different note, I have been thinking lately we need a remake of Die Hard. Keep Alan Rickman as Hans, but now it's Maggie Smith in the McClane role. This little old English lady killing terrorists and giving quippy one liners. It would be awesome.
 
I cant take the guy-that-you-thought-was-definitely-super-dead-comes-back-and-tries-to-kill-the-protagonist thing that some 80s movies loved to do. There's at least one Lethal Weapon that does it, too, and it's some unnecessary bullshit that damn near ruins the movie for me.
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
I cant take the guy-that-you-thought-was-definitely-super-dead-comes-back-and-tries-to-kill-the-protagonist thing that some 80s movies loved to do. There's at least one Lethal Weapon that does it, too, and it's some unnecessary bullshit that damn near ruins the movie for me.
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Joel Silver's signature move.
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
I cant take the guy-that-you-thought-was-definitely-super-dead-comes-back-and-tries-to-kill-the-protagonist thing that some 80s movies loved to do. There's at least one Lethal Weapon that does it, too, and it's some unnecessary bullshit that damn near ruins the movie for me.
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but he hand his hand between the chain and his neck!!! I just saw the movie again about two weeks ago and it's even more clear to me that he wasn't going to die just from being noosed, thrown against a wall and suspended twenty feet in the air.. no way man, no way.

btw..

We're going to need more FBI guys, I guess.
 
Not much original thought from me-- I agree with the concensus: 1 > 3 >>>>> 2 > 4 (haven't bothered with 5).

What I love about the first one above all others is it's subtheme set up about the American Male becoming less relevant, but still the guy you call when you need to blow up a building. John MacClane is A-OK with his wife earning more, being more successful, and moving out to LA for opportunity as long as he has a purpose-- wreck stuff.
 
I Wanna Be The Guy said:
Good god no. 4 was legitimately great. It was a real surprise just how good 4 turned out. I think it's better than 2 and 3. By some distance too. 5 is complete shit though.
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Legitimately great? The PG-13 Die Hard, where the villain's master stroke was erasing Macleans 401k is legitimately great?

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The thing I remember most about 4 were those crazy French parkour henchmen. Like, really... just out of nowhere you're gonna throw parkour artists into the movie? I remember watching it in the theater and hearing the puzzled audience audibly reacting to these ridiculous parkour moves.
 
4 was pretty bad. I recall disliking 2 a lot and never rewatched it, so I can't say definitively that it's better or worse than 2-- but it's bad. I didn't give a fuck about anything while watching it. That's why I never saw 5, and from reports that's even worse.

Die Hard is my favorite action movie hands down (Hans down?) but even that couldn't get me to watch 5 after seeing 4.

The real surprise in the series is how good 3 was, considering the sharp drop-off from 1 to 2.
 
3>1>2

I love Die Hard i watch them around Christmas every year..since it is the best christmas movies out there.

Sinatar said:
Legitimately great? The PG-13 Die Hard, where the villain's master stroke was erasing Macleans 401k is legitimately great?

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Not only that but also not saying Yippe ka yee motherfucker at the end makes me even more sad. 4 was meh and i will never watch the 5th one though heard it was really really bad.
 
Die Hard 1,2 and 3 are alle nice :) dont watch 4 and 5 instead watch the last boy scout its basically another good Die Hard movie :D
 
Every christmas I watch this and christmas vacation. Best Willis movie of all time.


No lie the hacker dude got me into computers.
 
Freedom = $1.05 said:
I cant take the guy-that-you-thought-was-definitely-super-dead-comes-back-and-tries-to-kill-the-protagonist thing that some 80s movies loved to do. There's at least one Lethal Weapon that does it, too, and it's some unnecessary bullshit that damn near ruins the movie for me.
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No way, Die Hard does it well. It leads to the awesome scene where Carl Winslow gets his groove back.
 
1 is God-Tier, 2 is just crappy, 3 is really fucking good, 4 is a decent action movie but a terrible Die Hard, never bothered with the 5th
 
I watched Die Hard 4. It was an average outing. The problem with the 'internet hacking NSA spying' films is that we don't have a point source or reference point to the limitations of hacking capabilities, and as such, the good and bad characters keep outdoing each other with these nonsense hacks (that take up a significant amount of screen time). As an older John McClane, Bruce Willis wasn't bad, but I felt like the role has outgrew him. There were still plenty of entreating action scenes, especially the women ninja scene, which was the best executed and most reminiscent of the older Die Hard films. It wasn't as poor as I anticipated, but it certainly didn't live up to the expectations of the last films. The FBI and government cast were redundant in this film. Justin Long's performance was variable throughout the film, and was mostly disappointing. Easily the worst sidekick of the four films.

I'm not watching 5, and thus ends my Die Hard journey! It's been great.
 
I've watched Die Hard 1 every single christmas eve without exception for the last 10 years. It's the greatest christmas film ever, and also the most perfect action film ever made - tied with Predator.

It's perfect. You have that classic build up - "fucking california...", argyle's introduction - "this IS christmas music!!" and then the peaceful, chilled out scenes in Nakatomi Plaza intercut with scenes of Hans' shady team arriving on the scene set to a chilling version of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

and then just when everything is going well, nigh dead on the 30 minute mark...you hear gunfire. McClane leaps up into action, and then SHIT GETS REAL. AND THEN MORE REAL. AND THEN EVEN MORE REAL UNTIL HE'S BLOWN UP A FUCKING SKYSCRAPER WITH A CHAIR COVERED IN C4 AND THEN LEPT OFF IT LIKE A FUCKING NUTTER.

it's a perfect film. Die Hard 3 is damn good too.
 
richisawesome said:
I've watched Die Hard 1 every single christmas eve without exception for the last 10 years. It's the greatest christmas film ever, and also the most perfect action film ever made - tied with Predator.

It's perfect. You have that classic build up - "fucking california...", argyle's introduction - "this IS christmas music!!" and then the peaceful, chilled out scenes in Nakatomi Plaza intercut with scenes of Hans' shady team arriving on the scene set to a chilling version of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.

and then just when everything is going well, nigh dead on the 30 minute mark...you hear gunfire. McClane leaps up into action, and then SHIT GETS REAL. AND THEN MORE REAL. AND THEN EVEN MORE REAL UNTIL HE'S BLOWN UP A FUCKING SKYSCRAPER WITH A CHAIR COVERED IN C4 AND THEN LEPT OFF IT LIKE A FUCKING NUTTER.

it's a perfect film. Die Hard 3 is damn good too.
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Hmm Predator, I've been meaning to check that out too.
 
Volotaire said:
Hmm Predator, I've been meaning to check that out too.
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I don't know if its down to McTiernan, but Predator fits the exact same buildup structure as Die Hard.

Everything is cool until the first guy is picked off, and THEN SHIT GETS REAL! Also it's the most manly film in fucking existence:

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Delta Assault said:
Oh man. You should just do a LTTP: Classic Action Movies.

But yeah, Predator is amazing. Go watch it, and Predator 2, and AvP 1 and 2, and Predators.

They decline in a similar fashion to Die Hard.
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Well except the worst is AVP2 and not predators.

Just watch Predator 1 & 2, don't watch the other 3 shitshows.
 
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