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Die Hard
20th Century Fox Film Corporation

Die Hard reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 70 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.5 out of 10
based on 13 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: R

Starring Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Alan Rickman, and Alexander Godunov

When terrorists take over a Los Angeles skyscraper on Christmas Eve, visting New York cop John McClane (Willis) thwarts their plans.


GENRE(S): Suspense/Thriller  
WRITTEN BY: Roderick Thorp (novel)
Jeb Stuart
Steven E. De Souza
 
DIRECTED BY: John McTiernan  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: March 9, 1999 
Video: May 2, 1995 
Theatrical: July 15, 1988 
RUNNING TIME: 131 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

Widely considered to be a huge box office success, although it's $81.35 million U.S. take seems relatively paltry by today's standards.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
ReelViews James Berardinelli
Not only is it a thrill-a-minute ride, but it has one of the best film villains in recent memory, a hero everyone can relate to, dialogue that crackles with wit, and a lot of very impressive pyrotechnics.
Read Full Review
100
Mr. Showbiz Carmel Dagan
This brash, clever picture caught the attention of audiences after years of moribund product from the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone.
88
USA Today Mike Clark
The result is a foot-stomping rouser. Where else can you get a cop in his underwear boogalooing with skyscraper terrorists? [15 July 1988, Life, p.4D]
80
Washington Post Desson Thomson
A firepowered, blood-drenched action picture that doesn't let up.
Read Full Review
75
San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack
Slick, glossy, overblown, implausible. [15 July 1988, Daily Notebook, p.E1]
75
Chicago Tribune Dave Kehr
Has everything but a personality. [15 July 1988, Friday, p.A]
70
The New York Times Caryn James
Has to be the most excessive film around. It piles every known element of the action genre onto the flimsy story. [15 July 1988]
70
Variety Staff (Not credited)
As high tech, rock hard and souped up as an action film can be.
Read Full Review
70
Washington Post Hal Hinson
A logistical wonder, a marvel of engineering, and relentlessly, mercilessly thrilling.
Read Full Review
60
TV Guide Staff (not credited)
A triumph of slick direction and lowbrow thrills, marred but not spoiled by a sour aftertaste.
Read Full Review
60
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
As a grand flourish of cinematic technique, it is awesome; as a human drama, it is disgusting and silly, a mindless depiction of carnage on an epic scale. [15 July 1988, Calendar, p.6-1]
50
Time Richard Schickel
What Willis proves in Die Hard is that it is not one you can ease through, especially if your preparation runs more to body building than to character building. [July 25, 1988]
50
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
On a technical level, there's a lot to be said for Die Hard. It's when we get to some of the unnecessary adornments of the script that the movie shoots itself in the foot.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jared C. gave it a10:
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.

Steven S gave it a10:
Just really one of the greatest action movies ever made.

Cory H. gave it a10:
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?

[Anonymous] gave it an8:
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?

James M. gave it a0:
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.

Andrew M. gave it a 9:
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!

Pat C. gave it a 6:
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.

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