Die Hardwas a movie nobody was expecting. A surprise hit that madeBruce Willisa star and changed the way action movies were made. There was a before and afterDie Hardfor the genre. For the next ten years, we kept seeing “Die Hardon something”, like a bus (Speed), a hockey stadium (Sudden Death), or a plane (Air Force One).
It also gave us a different type of lead character for those movies. Back then, most action heroes were gun-touting, shooting first and asking questions later, with muscles you’re able to only get with thousands of hours at the gym. Not John McClane (or Bruce Willis for that matter). He was a reluctant hero. Smart, witty, funny, compassionate, and vulnerable. He was in over his head and physically tired. He was no superhero, but just a cop trying to save his wife in Nakatomi Plaza.
For those reasons,Die Hardwas a hit and a franchise was born. We all wanted to see more of John McClane’s adventures. He was not perfect; he had marital problems, drank too much, and chose the worst moment ever to take his shoes off. He was just a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time (five times…).
After the sad news about Bruce Willis' health andhis retirement from acting, theDie Hardfranchise is probably over. We’ve had a lot of fun with many of these movies, and we’ll continue re-watching them well into the future. Here is everyDie Hardmovie, ranked:
5A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Russia because his son Jack (Jai Courtney) has landed himself in trouble. Once in Russia, McClane discovers his kid is a CIA agent, and nothing is what it seems. Explosions, fights, and a timid “yippee-ki-yay”… ensue.
A Good Day to Die Hard,directed by John Moore, is the franchise’s worst entry by a mile. It might have Bruce Willis andDie Hardin the title, but that’s it. There’s no wit, and no charm. Just action for the sake of action, that sometimes name checks some franchise staples, so they can sell more tickets. It has Jai Courtney when people thought he could save franchises (and its sequels), but his chemistry with Willis is non-existent. Nothing is inspired here, including the story and the action. It’s a shame this was the last entry in the franchise, but no one can be blamed for deciding to end it after this one.
4Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
A hacker named Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) is holding the United States cybersecurity infrastructure hostage. With the help of a young hacker (Justin Long), John McClane will attempt to save the whole country.
Directed by Len Wiseman,Live Free or Die Hardis a good action movie, although not a greatDie Hardmovie. For one, McClane begins to be an invincible killing machine who can even fight jet planes. The stunts are incredible, but one of the best things about the first movie was that he was a normal cop with bad timing. Not here. Here he can survive all kinds of unusual accidents.
Justin Long is a good sparring partner for Willis, and the idea that the most analog detective ever has to save the world through digital means is pretty inspired. There’s agreat fight scene with Maggie Q, and having Mary Elizabeth Winstead as his daughter is good casting. They should have given her more to do, though. In all, a fun action movie, but one that loses many of the things that made theDie Hardfranchise special.
Related:These Are The Best Bruce Willis Movies, Ranked
3Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
John McClaine is in a race against time to end a hostage crisis before hundreds of innocent plane passengers die. His beloved wife is one of those passengers.
Die Hard 2: Die Harderis similar to the original, but bigger and louder. In this case, with a lot more killings and explosions.
The movie is directed by Renny Harlin, and is a better-than-average sequel that tried to do the same things as the first movie while changing the location and spending more money on its action. It worked. It also has a well-rounded cast, with William Sadler as the villain, Bonnie Bedelia is back as McClane’s wife, and William Atherton as an unbearable passenger on the same plane as her. It was never going to be better than the original, but it’s a very fun time at the movies (or on your couch).
2Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)
A bomb explodes in downtown Manhattan, and the terrorist who did it will only talk with John McClane before doing it again. With the help of Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), they will try to find out who is responsible.
Die Hard With a Vengeancewas directed by John McTiernan (who also shot the first one), and it shows. This deadly game of “Simon Says” is one of the best sequels of all time. This movie changes the structure of what aDie Hardfilm is, but keeps McClane, who’s at his worst ever, and makes everything sing. Samuel L. Jackson is what the doctor ordered. The buddy cop formula works wonders with these two, and there are great action set pieces, like the one with the cab in Central Park. It even has a decent villain in Simon (Jeremy Irons), who has a good plan that only some detective work can prevent. The fact that Simon is Hans Gruber’s younger brother and wants some vengeance is just the cherry on top of this awesome movie.
Related:Here’s What Makes Die Hard The Best ‘80s Action Movie
1Die Hard (1988)
An NYPD officer tries to save his wife and several others taken hostage by German terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza. That’s the summary forDie Hard. This movie is so much more. This is the one that changed the game.One of the best action movies of all time. Maybe even one of the best movies of the last forty years, period.
It has the best mix of action, heart, jokes, and cast. Bruce Willis is incredible. He might not have the big muscles, but he’s perfect for the role. He conveys bravado, but also vulnerability, and you do believe he’s in real trouble and scared. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is the perfect villain; smart, ambitious, and greedy. It has a great screenplay, and John McTiernan directed the hell of it. It even earned four Academy Award nominations and made 140 million at the box office.
Die Hardis so good, that more than 30 years later,we’re still talking about it. This one created the franchise and still holds up. It was evenselected for preservation in the National Film Registryso the next generations can keep enjoying this, once in a lifetime, action masterpiece.
