Since the fifth Die Hard film was released today, I thought it would be fitting to examine the series, which has been around for 25 years.
Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988)
On a Christmas Eve visit from New York, Officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) plays cat and mouse in a locked-down L.A. skyscraper with a group of terrorists (led by Alan Rickman). Bruce Willis is iconic in one of the best action films ever made. Period.
Die Hard 2 (Renny Harlin, 1990)
McClane fights a unit of rogue military officers (led by William Sadler) who have taken over an airport in Washington, D.C. so that they can extract a foreign drug lord from the U.S. It's a step down from the original, but a worthy follow-up to a genre classic.
Die Hard with a Vengeance (John McTiernan, 1995)
McClane and a man from the neighborhood (Samuel L. Jackson) go head to head with a terrorist (Jeremy Irons) who stages some bombings throughout New York City and robs Wall Street. This is solid entertainment with great chemistry between Willis and Jackson.
Live Free or Die Hard (Len Wiseman, 2007)
With the help of a young computer hacker (Justin Long), McClane must rescue his daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and stop a cyber terrorist (Timothy Olymphant) from accessing important FBI information in the process. It's not on par with the first three, but it's fun seeing an older McClane do what he does best.
A Good Day to Die Hard (John Moore, 2013)
McClane heads to Moscow to find his trouble-making son (Jai Courtney) and becomes entangled in a nuclear weapons conflict, which leads to Chernobyl itself. Despite Willis' lovable on-screen persona, the aging McClane formula seems to have run its course, and the plot is arguably too rushed for its own good.
Ranking & Ratings:
1. Die Hard - ****
2. Die Hard with a Vengeance - ***1/2
3. Die Hard 2 - ***1/2
4. Live Free or Die Hard - ***
5. A Good Day to Die Hard - **
I'd rate it exactly like you Josh! First Die Hard w/ Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber still tops everything, then Die Hard 3 w/ Sam Jackson which was hilarious. I like Die Hard 2 & 4 in varying degree but the 5th one is an abomination!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Yeah, the 5th one is totally unnecessary. Of course, the original is usually the best. :)
DeleteOh man, I HATE Die Hard 2, but oh well. Bummed A Good Day isn't better... but what did I really expect. Ha.
ReplyDeleteHa, fair enough man. I'd give Die Hard 2 a B+. It's far from perfect, but I think it's a lot of fun. A Good Day is just pointless, and much less fun.
DeletePointless indeed. Hated it. Willis plays McClane as a parody now. Damn shame.
DeleteYeah, I'm hoping he'll shake this off when Sin City 2 comes out.
DeleteYEAH MAN
ReplyDeleteBRUCE IS THE MAN AS JOHN MCCLANE
IN DIEHARD 1988 I AM A BRUCE WILLIS FAN BUT YEAH I DO LOVE THE DIEHARD MOVIES I MEAN I GO MAD FOR THE FIRST EVER DIEHARD ITS MY FAVOURITE
OF THE DIEHARD SERIES
BRUCE IS AT HIS PRIME IN THE FIRST DIEHARD 1988
JOHN MCCLANE IS ONE BADASS COP AND I LOVE HIM LOL
McClane is my favorite Willis role, especially based on his performance in the first film.
Delete