One of the great action films of all time, Bruce Willis will forever be remembered for his role as the "monkey in your wrench" cop who single-handedly takes down a group of terrorists. The developing plot plays out naturally with increasing levels of tension. At its core, the film is more than just a good guy versus bad guys tale — it's about guys who do their jobs well and those who let ego get in the way of doing their jobs well.
John McClane (Willis) is a New York City cop who has come to L.A. for Christmas to visit his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia, TV's THE DIVISION), who left NYC to take a high-powered position at the Nakatomi Corp. As he gets comfortable in her office while the company Christmas party takes place in the other room, John is sent into action when terrorists take over the building. Led by the highly intelligent Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman, GALAXY QUEST), the terrorists are there to steal bonds worth millions. Their scheme has been planned out perfectly, except for the wrinkle of officer John McClane, who calls himself Roy when asked.
Other guys just doing their job will get involved as well. Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald Veljohnson, TV's FAMILY MATTERS) responds to a disturbance call at the Nakatomi Building and gets a violent hello when he wants to just blow it off as nothing. In comes Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson (Paul Gleason, TRADING PLACES), who tries to take control of the scene and only mucks things up more with his incompetence and arrogance. Reporter Richard Thornburg (William Atherton, GHOSTBUSTERS) ruthlessly tries to do his job and get the story at all costs. Harry Ellis (Hart Bochner, SUPERGIRL) is a coke-snorting exec who finds out quickly that negotiations with killers is rough business. Later FBI agents Johnson (Robert Davi, THE GOONIES) and Johnson (Grand L. Bush, HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE) arrive and survey the scene with the same cool precision as the corrupt exec who makes the decision that repairing a safety blot isn't worth the cost when just compensating the injured is cheaper.
Different characters carry out their jobs to different levels of competence. However, the two most skilled characters are McClane and Gruber. Their cat-and-mouse one-upmanship and sarcastic banter over walkie-talkies is part of the joy. The one-upmanship between the two keeps the viewer on their toes. One moment we think John is in charge and the next Hans seems to have the upper hand. The battle of wills leads to some of the most memorable action sequences in film history. McClane's crash through the window swinging from a fire hose would have to be top on the list.
What wraps the film in a nice bow are the performances. Willis handles the cocky back and forth dialogue perfectly. Rickman creates one of the screen's best villains. Smart, ruthless — but not overly cruel — he just wants his money. And in his snarling sophistication, no one delivers killer lines more precisely. However, I feel Veljohnson has the most overlooked character. The actor looks the part of the fat, donut-eating slacker, but there is more than meets the eye. He was a very good cop, but something changed him and he will have to confront his fears to help protect lives, which is the point of his job. Some complain that Gleason and Thornburg's characters are too cartoonish. But they work so well to infuriate us, helping the plot boil. But I think they are more than just plot pieces, so I add this — are they not just bigger than life versions of people we all have to work with from time to time? Gleason's Robinson isn't the chief of police; he's the deputy. He's in a power position where he can rule over the people under him, but too afraid to take chances because he knows he doesn't know what he is doing and still has to report to someone higher up. Thornburg is the weasely pariah who just anxiously waits for the moment when he can step on and over everyone to raise himself up. Maybe it's just me, but that's L.A. baby.
DIE HARD is nearly 20 years old. It has certainly past the test of repeated viewings. The film has still retained its ability to thrill and create tension, and most of all entertain. It's a deceptive film, because the intelligent details can be easily lost in the rush of the rollercoaster ride. This film is more than just about cool dialogue and great action; it's about doing one's job well and what that means to each of us.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
