5 out of 5

Director: John McTiernan

By now, youve probably seen this. But if you havent, you are in for a surprise: even after *20 years* Die Hard is still one of the best, most solid action features ever made, with stunts that still wow and the type of intensity that got lost in all of its clones years later. Yes, Die Hard was a classic for the formula it popularized – the Die Hard formula – the regular joe against all odds. However, it goes beyond that here, grounding it with some unbelievably human elements that sometimes dont directly affect anything in the plot… which is really unheard of for the genre (meaning if you find out something or show something seemingly irrelevant, it will directly be involved at some point in the movie). A quick plot review: cop and estranged hubbie John McClane is visiting his wife in LA (from NY) to patch things up. He meets her at the office Christmas party on her buildings 30th floor, which is crashed by terrorists. Terrorists who didnt account for the uninvited McClane… Its hard to summarize in the little review space how much wonder there is in this movie. Upon repeated viewings, so many things stand out in comparison to other action: McTiernan is an AMAZING action director. knowing how to get your heart pumping without a swinging camera. The score is subtly and smartly perfect, and whoever made the editing decisions knew how to jump from moment to moment just right. Willis, Bedelia, and Rickman all bring the right tone to these characters. Most amazingly: the film, for a blockbuster, is so patient, waiting to wield its plot and guns until well into the movie, yet keeping you glued to the screen the whole while. I cant say enough, obviously. Watch it again, and again, and again.