Die Hard (1988)

Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia

Synopsis:
A New York cop travels to LA to visit his wife as her company celebrates their Christmas party, only for the building to be taken over by savvy terrorists who may not be what they first seem.

Impressions:
If the triumphant strains of "Ode to Joy" aren't playing in your head right now, you're obviously not in the know. This is an amazing movie, one of the best examples of 80s action, the action genre at large, Christmas movies, and cinema period. The action is amazing, but this is also rather smartly written. You have a highly intelligent villain who plays the cops like a fiddle and really puts our hero through the wringer. It's this film that marked Bruce Willis' transition from comedy to the action juggernaut he's been ever since and arguably the film that made Alan Rickman's career. Reginald VelJohnson, Bonnie Bedelia, and Alexander Godunov are also essential members of the cast and a number of other actors in smaller roles also shine. If you like action, I can't possibly imagine you haven't seen this yet. Own it, hold it close. It's amazing.

Rating:
Treasure It