Despite coming out over 35 years ago, adapted from a book over 40 years old, I was surprised to discover nobody on Teen Ink had written a Die Hard Review (at least that I know of). Like many others, I discovered this movie by the sheer number of references in other media. I never understood what was meant when the dwarven bombard tower said “yippee-ki-yay mother******” in Kingdom Rush, and still don’t today. But at least now I can appreciate how Die Hard is a masterpiece action, thriller, and Christmas movie. 

Die Hard follows New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) visiting fictional Nakatomi Tower for a Christmas eve party. It just so happens that on the same day a group of highly organized thieves led by Severus Snape, I mean Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) occupy the building in order to rob a vault inside. Die Hard is, in a lot of ways, a heist movie. Over the course of the movie John McClane uncovers the detailed plans of Hans Gruber as they play out. And just like a heist movie, part of what makes Die Hard so cool and compelling is that while still occasionally following movie logic, it’s realistic enough to be plausible. One thing I appreciate about the film is that the characters are very likable. While it’s true that in real life John McClane would probably be considered a psychopath, his competence and strong chemistry (and profanity) with other characters such as Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) makes him easy to root for. His love for his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedeliah) gives him an understandable motivation. The creators of Die Hard also pulled off making a likable villain: Hans Gruber. Just like Snape, Gruber is suave, and seemingly holds all the cards. For many, Hans Gruber is part of what makes the tension and eventual payoff of the film so satisfying. One of the few problems with this movie is that it doesn’t really have anything thought provoking to say. But honestly, not everything needs to be deep.

Despite being over twice as old, Die Hard has aged better than I have. Even without advanced CGI, the movie is just as good, and in many cases better than action movies today. If you’ve been desensitized enough by Call of Duty, and you aren’t offended by profanity (McClane probably swears on average 3 times per sentence), I highly recommend you watch Die Hard.