Why is 'Die Hard' so perfect?

[블라스]

Watching it now, first time in like a year and a half maybe? Jesus H. Christ, what a movie...

* Cool hero? Check.

* Cool bad guy? Check.

* Cool sidekick, and great bond of friendship between the hero and him? Check

* A female character that not only is not annoying, but actually helps the plot and is very believable? Check.

* Awesome script, that apart from being tight, it's actually witty and funny (not forced and/or annoying like most action movies today)? Check

* Amazing, and I mean AMAZING action? Check.

* Argyle? Check. (Yes, he's a category unto himself....because he's a cool motherf***er.)

Such a rewatchable movie.

No annoying prettyboy models that try to pass as action stars, no "plucky" female characters, no precocious kids, no horrible pop soundtrack (except what Argyle listens to, but he can because he rocks).

In my humple opinion, THE perfect American action movie.

Often imitated, never equaled.

 

[Lord Valumart]

it's a special time in a young mans life when he sees Die Hard for the first time...

if you ever find a woman who likes all three and understands the Die Hard high five...she's a keeper

anyhow....DIE HARD ****ING ROCKS *****!!!

 

[Helghast]

Great casting. Great action. Great writing. Great movie.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

Bruce Willis is the ****. Twelve Monkeys is his best role. Die Hard is his coolest.

 

[블라스]

You know, I actually don't like DH2 that much.

It's like an average action movie, with the bonus of having John McClane

But Die Hard with a Vengeance rocks, I should buy that one.

 

[WorthyStevens]

* Cool sidekick, and great bond of friendship between the hero and him? Check

Carl Winslow? Check.

 

[블라스]

Carl Winslow? Check.

LOL
You're right, Al Powell kicks ass as well.

When John and Al finally meet....*tears*

 

[Carmine Falcone]

But Die Hard with a Vengeance rocks, I should buy that one.

I like that over Die Hard.

It has Samuel L. Jackson and I loved the villain and his plan. He started out all psychologically and ****..and later it turned out it was about stealing gold all along. Great.

I didn't like the way Simon died though. There is an alternate ending that is surperior in every way to the scene that ended up in the movie.

 

[Helghast]

Hell yeah. Nothing like a RPG to the chest, lol. I think it was that, I can't remember. Also the ending used in the book.

 

[The Shape]

Die Hard is badass as hell.

 

[Ghostvirus]

What was the alternate ending?

 

[Carmine Falcone]

What was the alternate ending?

The 2003 R1 DVD version includes an alternate ending showing McClane and Simon playing a game of 'chicken' with a rocket launcher. In this alternate version, Simon Gruber and his crew get away with the gold and months later, McClane tracks Simon down in Eastern Europe. The number on the bottom of the asprin bottle (at the phone booth) leads McClane to Gruber. The gold is turned into small miniatures of the Empire State building and smuggled out of the country. McClane is thrown off the force, with the police thinking that he may actually be involved in the heist. The "game" that McClane and Simon play is about riddles that they give each other, and they are each supposed to figure out the answer within a few seconds. McClane shoots Simon with the Chinese rocket launcher and the last line of the movie, as he stands up from the table and walks away is, "Yipee kayay mother****er".

IMDB

 

[Helghast]

I thought Gruber shot himself? I need to find the DVD again...

 

[The Chairman]

Watching it now, first time in like a year and a half maybe? Jesus H. Christ, what a movie...

* Cool hero? Check.

* Cool bad guy? Check.

* Cool sidekick, and great bond of friendship between the hero and him? Check

* A female character that not only is not annoying, but actually helps the plot and is very believable? Check.

* Awesome script, that apart from being tight, it's actually witty and funny (not forced and/or annoying like most action movies today)? Check

* Amazing, and I mean AMAZING action? Check.

* Argyle? Check. (Yes, he's a category unto himself....because he's a cool motherf***er.)

Such a rewatchable movie.

No annoying prettyboy models that try to pass as action stars, no "plucky" female characters, no precocious kids, no horrible pop soundtrack (except what Argyle listens to, but he can because he rocks).

In my humple opinion, THE perfect American action movie.

Often imitated, never equaled.

Hey, that was Stevie Wonder and Run D.M.C. he was listening to!

But seriously, Die Hard is the ultimate action movie for all the reasons Gammy stated. It's one of the few action movies where the characters aren't just 2-D cardboard cutouts and actually have depth and development to them. I love it.

As for Die Hard 2, yeah, it' ****. Fun the first few times, but lacks so much of what the first film had. With A Vengeance greatly makes up for it, though.

 

[블라스]

Hey, that was Stevie Wonder and Run D.M.C. he was listening to!

But seriously, Die Hard is the ultimate action movie for all the reasons Gammy stated. It's one of the few action movies where the characters aren't just 2-D cardboard cutouts and actually have depth and development to them. I love it.

As for Die Hard 2, yeah, it' ****. Fun the first few times, but lacks so much of what the first film had. With A Vengeance greatly makes up for it, though.

Oh snap!
Then all it's good

 

[블라스]

The 2003 R1 DVD version includes an alternate ending showing McClane and Simon playing a game of 'chicken' with a rocket launcher. In this alternate version, Simon Gruber and his crew get away with the gold and months later, McClane tracks Simon down in Eastern Europe. The number on the bottom of the asprin bottle (at the phone booth) leads McClane to Gruber. The gold is turned into small miniatures of the Empire State building and smuggled out of the country. McClane is thrown off the force, with the police thinking that he may actually be involved in the heist. The "game" that McClane and Simon play is about riddles that they give each other, and they are each supposed to figure out the answer within a few seconds. McClane shoots Simon with the Chinese rocket launcher and the last line of the movie, as he stands up from the table and walks away is, "Yipee kayay mother****er".

IMDB

Holy ****, I need the 2 disc set!

 

[The Shape]

The 2003 R1 DVD version includes an alternate ending showing McClane and Simon playing a game of 'chicken' with a rocket launcher. In this alternate version, Simon Gruber and his crew get away with the gold and months later, McClane tracks Simon down in Eastern Europe. The number on the bottom of the asprin bottle (at the phone booth) leads McClane to Gruber. The gold is turned into small miniatures of the Empire State building and smuggled out of the country. McClane is thrown off the force, with the police thinking that he may actually be involved in the heist. The "game" that McClane and Simon play is about riddles that they give each other, and they are each supposed to figure out the answer within a few seconds. McClane shoots Simon with the Chinese rocket launcher and the last line of the movie, as he stands up from the table and walks away is, "Yipee kayay mother****er".

IMDB

Now THAT would have been an ending.

 

[ultimatefan]

Answering the question, a big part of it was Bruce Willis, IMO. He has real charisma and made the character´s sense of humor in this dangerous situation feel real and honest. It wasn´t afraid to be R-rated or to have a hero cop who could kill without whining over it, it was tight and clever and never so over-the-top that puts you off the hook, everything is practical and believable, and the villain is witty and played with a great sense of irony by Alan Rickman.

 

[Ghostvirus]

I think the 80's were the best decade for action movies. They balanced cheese, & serious perfectly.

 

[BeserkerHilf]

the die hard high five?

 

[XwolverineX]

It just... Is. I've seen this movie twice, and loved it both times. I need to see it again, actually.

 

[black_dust]

"Come out to the cost we`ll get together have a few laughs"

I love Die Hard and everything about it


I do hope Die hard 4 doesnt spoil some dam cool films....

 

[Lord Valumart]

the die hard high five?

never heard of the die hard high five?

basicly someone shouts "die hard!!" holds up theirhand and awaits a high five...if it takes longer than 2 seconds to get a high five you need a new group of freinds

 

[Gamma Ray]

Carl Winslow? Check.

I thought he was talking about Argyle!

 

[Hunter Rider]

I was all ready to waffle on this movies greatness but Gammy my friend you summed it all up in those nifty written soundbytes