Have you ever wondered why films like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and Lethal Weapon 2 keep coming up time and again? Or why people enjoy films about military missions, car chases and shootouts? This amazing film is a great example of what it takes to set the real action thriller back into the hearts of viewers. It is one of the best movies of all time which is yet to be blown out of proportion. Now, not many know about the storyline or its history so we decided to put this story down for everyone as a short story.
Contents
Die Hard (1988) Movie Storyline And Short Reviews
Die Hard is a 1988 action film that tells the story of NYPD Detective John McClane, who travels to Los Angeles to save his wife Holly and their children from Hans Gruber, a villain with ties to the Russian mafia.
In one of the most iconic scenes in Die Hard, McClane’s son reveals his knowledge about planes by stating “I’m going to go flying”. The scene features a plane whose tail number is N9878C. This is an actual flight registered in California on February 12, 1985. The plane used for this particular scene was N9714E and it crashed at Santa Paula Airport near Santa Paula after hitting power lines while trying to take off on January 6, 1986.
The movie has been noted for its frequent use of real life locations (including Dulles International Airport) and coincidental details such as flight #N9714E’s tail number matches that of the plane used in the movie or its similarity with the World Trade Center towers which were destroyed during September 11 attacks in 2001.
The Climax of the Movie
In the climactic scene of Die Hard, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is about to be killed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).
However, McClane survives and with his last breath he tells Hans that he will get him. The last words from McClane are “I’ll be back.” This quote is said by Bruce Willis in almost every action movie that he has starred in.
The phrase ‘I’ll be back’ is also used by Clint Eastwood’s character Dirty Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry movies. It is a very popular phrase used for expressing determination and intent to return.
It was first said by Samuel L Jackson’s character Nick Fury in the film Captain America: The First Avenger(2011). This film was based on the Marvel Comics super hero Captain America who uses this phrase when rallying his allies against an enemy.
In short: It means ‘You won’t see me again’.
The Story Behind the Movie
Die Hard is a 1988 action film directed by John McTiernan. It stars Bruce Willis as New York City Police Department Detective John McClane, who becomes embroiled in a terrorist plot involving his estranged wife Holly Gennero (Bonnie Bedelia) and her ex-colleagues in the Nakatomi Corporation.
The screenplay was written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza from a story by Roderick Thorp, who wrote the original novel of the same name; it was based on an idea that originated with Stuart and de Souza, but they never intended to make it into a film until their agent heard about it being developed for television.
The Die Hard franchise has been revived twice since then: once in 1995 with Die Hard 2: Die Harder and again in 2013 with A Good Day to Die Hard. In addition, two direct sequels were released, Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
Awards
The awards for the movie are:
Best Action Movie of 1988.
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score – John Williams.
Satellite Award for Best Original Score – John Williams.
Best Sound Editing in a Motion Picture (Wesley Wrenn).
Screenplay Awards: Screenplay by Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza and Jonathan Hensleigh; Story by Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza and Jonathan Hensleigh; Based on Characters created by Roderick Thorp; Written by Jonathan Hensleigh, Jeff Elliot and David Loughery; Directed by John McTiernan.
Overall Reviews
Die Hard is a 1988 action film directed by John McTiernan. It stars Bruce Willis as New York City police officer John McClane, who finds himself caught in the middle of a terrorist siege at a large New York City department store on Christmas Eve.
There are few reviews about this movie:
“A good old fashioned nail-biter! I was surprised how much I enjoyed it!” – Nancy Loves Movies “The cast is perfect, and the script gets top marks for its quick wit and nimble dialogue.” – Movie Maniacs
Audience Analysis
The audience Reviews of the Die Hard (1988) Movie are given below.
“The Die Hard is a movie that shows the struggle between man and machine, good and evil, life and death.”
Rating: 5/5 – “It was amazing! I loved it!”
“I love Bruce Willis! He’s so cool!”
“This movie is full of action. The scene where he shoots at all those terrorists is so cool.”
“Die Hard (also known as A Good Day to Die Hard) is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan. It stars Bruce Willis as New York City police officer John McClane, who finds himself caught in a deadly Christmas Eve snowstorm after being wrongly accused of participating in an attack on the United States Capitol.”
Critic’s Analysis
Critic’s Reviews for this movie are mixed at best because it does not live up to the expectations set by other films in the franchise such as Heat or Red but there are some parts of this movie that are very enjoyable like when McClane takes out those guys in the elevator before he escapes and later on when he takes out all those terrorists with just two handguns while they were jumping down from the roof into their car; but overall I would give this movie 3/5 Stars!
Conclusion
Everyone loves action films, or films with a particular storyline that can make us feel breathless. Horror films are another addition to the list of the most liked films. Not many people know that the latter is much more than what meets the eye. Horror films provide their viewers with a chilling experience, without ever letting up on the tension that they want. These films are based on the supernatural elements of life and place it into a frightful context so that your imagination can run wild with you, something as if you were witnessing it in real life.
FAQs
1.What is the theme of Die Hard?
Ans: The theme of the movie is mostly about revenge for which many people have died including the president of USA which shows that if someone wants to get revenge on you or others then they will kill you in cold blood just like this old man (Hans Gruber) did when he killed his friend in cold blood just because he was trying to tell him something important but it was too late. Also this shows that once you take revenge then you can’t ever take it back because the person has already died so I think its better not to take revenge at all than taking revenge on someone who is already dead..
2.What makes Die Hard a good movie?
Ans: The movie is a good one because it’s action packed and filled with suspense.
One of the best movies ever made, Die Hard has kept its charm over the years. The plot revolves around John McClane who goes to LA for Christmas vacation and gets caught in a terrorist attack at Nakatomi Plaza, where he has to fight off a group of bad guys that are out to kill him and his family. This is one of those movies that will keep you on the edge throughout its duration. You won’t be able to stop watching it once you start.
3.Is Die Hard based on a true story?
Ans: The movie is a fictional story. Although the main character John McClane, was inspired by several people like police officers, who went above and beyond to save lives.
One of the most famous real life characters that inspired John McClane is Police Officer Dieter Von Cunth. He saved over 100 people during his career as a police officer in New York City. The other inspiration for the character of Detective Al Powell was Chicago P.D., who tried to prevent a suicide bomber from entering their building in 2002.
4.What is the plot of the movie Die Hard?
Ans: The plot of the movie Die Hard is about a New York cop who has to go on a Christmas Eve mission in order to save his wife and child from terrorists. The terrorist plan is to take over the Nakatomi building during Christmas Eve, which will give them access to all the information of various banks located there.
5.What happens to Bruce Willis’s character in this movie?
Ans: Bruce Willis’s character, John McClane in the movie “Die Hard” dies after being shot by Hans Gruber.
There are several scenes where his death is shown and it seems to be a bit obvious that he is dead but we never see him actually die.
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