This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is truly an piece of cinema. Bruce Willis was excellent as the perfect NYPD detective John McClane. That Hans Gruber got what was coming for him.… Expand

This movie is great. Bruce Willis plays an amazing character in this one. He's very witty and funny. There are so many ups to this movie. I don't want to spoil it so I will just say get the DVD and watch it pronto. I am now going to watch the rest of the films in the series and waiting for the newest installment which comes out next year.

How can you not like Die Hard? As I said for First Blood, It's one of the best action movies of all time and is a must watch for all action film fans.

Many critics have noted over the years that 'Die Hard' is one of the greatest action movies of all time. I would be partial to that sentiment to a certain degree. It isn't one of the best films ever made but it is top of its class in its respective genre, which is good enough for me. Bruce Willis is a terrific hero but It's Hans Gruber (played by Alan Rickman) who is the standout character of the flick. He's simply everything you ever look for in an evil villain - and the accent only helps. If you're looking for a fantastic popcorn feature to enjoy then look no further.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It may look like a stupid action movie to judgmental snobs, but if you payed attention and/or read the book you would be see the depth of this movie, from John doing quick scan of all the empty floors as he's escaping from the terrorists at the beginning of the movie, to the genuine look of horror in Alan Rickman's eyes as he falls.… Expand

First off, I would give this a 9.5 out of 10. Acting is great. The villian is great, and Bruce Willis is awesome. The story is really good, and the score is really good. The action sequences are great. This is such a great, intense, action movie. Overall, this is a great action movie. It's really good. You should go see it. Highly recommended.

In spirit, this is the simple story of a man who saves Christmas; a kind of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians scenario, in which the greedy German terrorists are defeated by the noble and just bullets of Bruce Willis' MP5 - delivering the meaning of sharing and caring right into their heads. Of course, trying to define Die Hard as nothing more than a hollow-day (!) movie would be doing it a great disservice. The characterisation of both McLane and Gruber (or Grinch - a coincidence? You decide) is done superbly by their respective actors. They draw you in with their personalities so well, that you find yourself cheering both of them on, just to see them continue to snap at each other. It's like a bizarro buddy-cop routine that took the 'good cop, bad cop' play a little too seriously. It's not incidental that the characters themselves often refer to cowboys and Westerns - this is a veritable wild-west duel, taken at a number of vertical paces rather than a standard back-to-back reflex test. That being said, however, some of the best moments are when McLane is just talking to himself, cracking wise while in the middle of a seemingly impossible situation. You don't have to convince anyone that you're a badass when you've just jumped off an exploding rooftop, Roy. You could try and make a case for the ending being cheesy and unnecessarily joyous, or that there are many implausible moments, but that would just be ill-spirited pedantry. This is action at its finest, and you better take what Mr. McTiernan gives you. There's no CGI or giant robots flying around - just good old-fashioned action, and it quickly becomes very obvious that films these days are just plain old doing it wrong. So sit back and plug in for two hours; you'll be yippie-kai-yaying in no time. Written for: www.webbinghaus.tumblr.com… Expand

There is a reason that Die Hard is a classic and that's because it is just so very entertaining. It has a good story, a claustrophobic setting, a dynamic lead, wonderful villain and action that holds up even now, 23 years after its initial release.
Sure it's a man's film but it doesn't try to be anything other than that. It does its job and in the process creates one of the best movie villains of all time. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is a terrific antagonist with everything from his demeanour to his delivery being spot on. He plays well off of Bonnie Bedelia who is great as the strong female presence of the film. Bruce Willis takes his place as one of the best action stars of this generation, taking the reigns from the likes of Stallone and Van Damme. It's a great movie.… Expand

Die Hard is flat-out amazing, it is a great action movie that is nice for the holidays. The plot is great and Bruce Willis' acting is hands-down amazing along with the antogonists' acting, this creates for an intense and gripping movie. The dialogue is all great and I kept wanting to know what would happen next as it is that intense. The violence and action is well-played out and very entertaining, it is a great watch. The flaws are that the story sometimes slows down and this can be annoying but this happens rarely and is uncommon. Overall "Die Hard" is a great movie that action junkies must watch as well as a great entertainment fix for anyone that watches it. Breakdown for "Die Hard": Presentation: 9.2, Plot: 9.0, Acting: 9.5, Dialogue: 8.7, Lasting Appeal: 9.2, Verdict: 9.1 out of 10 "Amazing"… Expand

Director John McTiernan's "Die Hard" is one of those original one-man macho action movies that have brainless fun and a surprisingly deep character depth. It certainly is a masterpiece.

German terrorists, a skyscraper, Christmas Eve and LA. When these elements are combined, you get Die Hard, a 1988 rip-roaring action epic that shot Bruce Willis to international fame. The plot is delightfully simple; John McClane is a New York cop who is visiting his wife Holly in LA during Christmas Eve. He meets up with her at her business company's Christmas party. All goes well until a few uninvited guests in the form of creepy terrorists seize control of the building and take all 30 of the guests hostage, demanding a ransom. McClane, in the bathroom at their time of arrival, escapes into the unfinished skyscraper armed only with his standard issue 9mm at his disposal. His main objective; find out what the hell is going on. His only help is a flatfooted cop on the ground played by Reginald VelJohnson of Family Matters. Along the way, he is listening to radio messages between the villains with a stolen walkie talkie in an attempt to figure out their nefarious plan. Alan Rickman is great as Hans Gruber, leader of the baddies, and delivers a performance he echoes in the Harry Potter films as Prof. Severus Snape. One of the best movie villains of all time. This festival of explosions, guns and epic battles was directed by John McTiernan, famous already for the original Predator. He delivers a movie that entertains as well as it shocks. In particular, the sequence in which one of the hostages attempts to save his own life by offering McClane to the terrorists. Correctly anticipating a liar, Hans shoots him in the head. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of the 1980s and spawned three sequels throughout the 1990s and 2000s, firmly placing John McClane as an action hero alongside the Terminator and Rambo. Also, it is the best Christmas movie ever made.… Expand

An action film at it's peak finesse and a perfect Christmas movie. Action; absolutely awesome, acting; memorable and quotable- need I say more about this film? It is too damn good to give it the highest praise.

This movie is absolutely awesome. Only idiots will deny it. If you didnt knew when this movie was made then you could have thought it was made in 2000 and up since its so awesome made.

just a fun film thats over the top and the king of 80s action films . bruce willis comes off as the every man who is **** , funny , and just in over his head but just plods on through this fun action packed adventure .

The best of the four Die Hards. Bruce Willis as John McClain was great. /the action and humor made this movie great and the best Die Hard.

One of the best action movies ever made. I'm 22 and just saw it for the first time. I'm kind of a movie buff, and I'm interested in all genres. The people who bash this movie seem to be pretentious jackasses. Die Hard is what it is: an action movie. If features ridiculously large explosions, brawls that would leave any real human being dead or permanently crippled, and unbelievable stunts. Everything that's expected from an action movie, but it also has a bit of heart. You care about the characters and the villains are trite but still believable and not completely one-dimensional. Excellent acting. It also gives us one of the best movie lines ever: " Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.… Expand

One of the best Christmas movies ever made. Also one of the best action flicks ever made. Well thought out plot, with great dialog and character interaction. If you think about it, there hasn't been a better action movie made since. It's arguable that it's the best ever as I can't think of one that rocks as much as this while staying realistic. I'd be amazed if Hollywood ever tops it.… Expand

Bruce Willis, well done, your humor is flowing with the character and makes everyone in the audience at least smile, laugh, or find it funny.

Just really one of the greatest action movies ever made.

Anyone watching Die Hard expecting philosophical expostion will be horribly dissapointed. Anybody who just wants to have a great time watching a good movie will get there just desserts. I have lost track of how many times I have seen this flick, and truly don't even remember the first time since it has been so long, but I do know that I get a thrill out of watching it every single time! That is what makes a movie good. And John McTiernan, where o where have you gone?… Expand

This action thriller relies as much on suspense as it does on action. No doubt this will entertain most anyone who watches it. And where else do you get an action film that doubles as a Christmas movie?

Absolute garbage. Andrew M., yes, I did enjoy it, when I first saw it when I was 8. Quite a few years down the track, now that I am past puberty, I find to to be trash.

Sure this film might have a few faults. Very minor faults. The question is: How many people can sit through this film and honestly say at the end that they did not enjoy it? Not many - and those who can must be mighty hard to please! It might be farfecthed but all action films are; it should not be a criticism! There wouldn't have been a score of James Bond films made if that was the case! It's escapism, it's exciting visuals, it's thrills, it's simply fun! The bottom line is, as far as action films go, this is one of the very best!… Expand

Willis really does bring a crazy angst to the stereotypical role of Officer Doomsday Machine. Accepting that such action films must have an undercurrent of inept unreality, this one's OK entertainment.

It's rubbish "because of the police chief"? Thank you, Chigago Sun-Times (same people who said Full Metal Jacket was rubbish because of Stanley Kubrick's direction). Now go away. And don't come back. Ever.

Greatest Action Film Ever (TM). Rickman's great. Bruce is great. McTiernan should be one of the biggest directors in Hollywood by now. It's one of the bestest films ever. Yes.

Simply the finest action movie ever architected.

This is the best action movie I have evvvveeeeerrrr seen. Bruce Willis is a top notch actor and it really shows in this movie.

Kick ass, no bullsh*t, action film.