Unpopular opinion but I don’t think this movie is good lol. I get that it’s very nostalgic and it has its moments but otherwise it’s not too different from any other late 80’s/early 90’s action film. Which is frankly not a high bar to achieve.
I understand how, in retrospect, it may feel like it isn’t groundbreaking, but do consider that before Die Hard, there really wasn’t anything quite like it.
A quote straight from Wikipedia:
It is considered to have revitalized the action genre, largely due to its depiction of McClane as a vulnerable and fallible protagonist, in contrast to the muscle-bound and invincible heroes of other films of the period.
While it did sort of fall apart and away from what made it great in the later sequels, I think it’s important to put the film into the context of when it was released and what it did to the genre.
In the eighties, action films preferred invincible heroes who slaughtered mooks by the dozen with casual disdain. Die Hard popularized grittier and more realistic action, with heroes who are vulnerable and suffer from character faults. It also popularized the concept of action movies confined to limited space, a setup that this very wiki calls ““Die Hard” on an X”. (For example, Speed is “Die Hard on a bus.”) Also, at the time it came out, people were shocked at the idea of a comedic actor like Bruce Willis being an action star. Nowadays, what with Tom Hanks Syndrome, comedic actors doing serious roles aren’t nearly so amazing. Younger fans might not even know Willis got his start in comedy.
Same reason I like Dredd from 2012. They confined the story mostly to a location and one main enemy, and I think it helped a bit cause Dredd generally has no flaws and can’t be beat.
Yeah it’s a good way of realizing why certain things from your past felt so amazing at the time, but are seen as less impressive to people just experiencing it now. It’s hard to describe just how awe inspiring The Matrix was to see in the theaters, or how incredible Golden Eye felt to play on the Nintendo 64 for the first time. Looking back, those things feel like one of a million other movies and games. But that’s only because a million other movies and games were changed forever because of them.
Or to take it a step further back, try getting someone without context before the modrrn era to understand how groundbreaking Casablanca is. So many tropes were invented in that movie, but watched without that understanding many would say “what’s the big deal ?”
It’s a good movie even now. But it’s a great movie with context
That was my complaint after Die Hard with a Vengeance. He became a little indestructible and lost some of the flaws that made the character exciting to watch. The first 3 are great in keeping true to the character, but the movies after DHwaV are just generic action movies borrowing a character’s name.
I maintain that Live Free or Die Hard is a much better movie when you watch the uncensored version. Yeah, a lot of the shit McClane goes through is not something any regular Joe would survive but the movie at least tries to make it survivable. And the uncensored version adds in a lot of the blood that should’ve been present with all of that bullshit in the first place.
It’s a little hard to find. Never released on Blu Ray and only available to purchase in 1080p and also not streaming anywhere (that I’m aware of). Might also be hard to find on the high seas as a result. But good luck to you!
In minor defense of DH4, which I agree goes beyond the premise of the first 3, it does kind of follow that John would be better able to do some crazier things after going through the events of the first 3 movies. He still shouldn’t be indestructible, but his experiences definitely qualify him as badass at that point. I also still like DH4, so I wanna justify that somewhat, hah. DH5 is just not good, though.
I wanted to say that’s not what ‘anti-hero’ means, but I kind of see where you’re coming from. In my mind, an anti-hero does terrible stuff to achieve good goals (Deadpool being a prime example), while John McClaine does do some pretty vicious things, but is more or less just trying to survive, not because he wants to do the terrible things.
My kids watched it for the first time ever last weekend. They had no nostalgia or frame of reference for it and yet they both loved it - “the dumbest fun movie I’ve seen in ages”. We’re watching #2 tonight.
It’s like looking at Half-Life in 2023 as someone who never played it in 1999. It doesn’t look like much of anything; but that’s because everything that followed copied it.
That’s the thing, it WAS different to other action movies at the time. Im not going to say you are wrong not to like it, but it can’t be denied that it blazed a trail for a new type of action movie and, as a result, is loved by millions.
Well, maybe that’s my problem. It’s not some grand masterpiece of film and I didn’t find it very entertaining. Obviously that’s a subjective judgment on my part though.
Iconic action scenes, memorable, quotable dialog and one liners. Great charismatic actors playing the hero and the main villian.
Good actors playing supporting characters.
Decent coherent easy to follow story.
Lots of action movies from that era don’t score highly on at least a few of those points and have been mostly forgotten.
I suppose you had to be there at the time. For people who only watched US/Hollywood films it was wild. There hadn’t been much, if anything, like it before. Everything that came after it… came after it.
Unpopular opinion but I don’t think this movie is good lol. I get that it’s very nostalgic and it has its moments but otherwise it’s not too different from any other late 80’s/early 90’s action film. Which is frankly not a high bar to achieve.
I understand how, in retrospect, it may feel like it isn’t groundbreaking, but do consider that before Die Hard, there really wasn’t anything quite like it.
A quote straight from Wikipedia:
While it did sort of fall apart and away from what made it great in the later sequels, I think it’s important to put the film into the context of when it was released and what it did to the genre.
All that to say, Die Hard fucking rules.
Exactly, this is 100% Seinfeld is Unfunny material.
Same reason I like Dredd from 2012. They confined the story mostly to a location and one main enemy, and I think it helped a bit cause Dredd generally has no flaws and can’t be beat.
Dredd (2012) is just “Die Hard on LSD”
Jokes aside, Dredd rules.
Just learned about the Seinfeld is Unfunny trope from your comment. What a helpful expression in describing media/pop culture progenitors!
Yeah it’s a good way of realizing why certain things from your past felt so amazing at the time, but are seen as less impressive to people just experiencing it now. It’s hard to describe just how awe inspiring The Matrix was to see in the theaters, or how incredible Golden Eye felt to play on the Nintendo 64 for the first time. Looking back, those things feel like one of a million other movies and games. But that’s only because a million other movies and games were changed forever because of them.
Or to take it a step further back, try getting someone without context before the modrrn era to understand how groundbreaking Casablanca is. So many tropes were invented in that movie, but watched without that understanding many would say “what’s the big deal ?”
It’s a good movie even now. But it’s a great movie with context
I’m in my 40s and wasn’t aware of his comedy career.
I think that TV Tropes page was written like a decade ago, if that helps you feel better.
I mean, I don’t think Moonlighting really targeted preteens and children, so that tracks.
He could be a fucking bartender for all we know!
That was my complaint after Die Hard with a Vengeance. He became a little indestructible and lost some of the flaws that made the character exciting to watch. The first 3 are great in keeping true to the character, but the movies after DHwaV are just generic action movies borrowing a character’s name.
I maintain that Live Free or Die Hard is a much better movie when you watch the uncensored version. Yeah, a lot of the shit McClane goes through is not something any regular Joe would survive but the movie at least tries to make it survivable. And the uncensored version adds in a lot of the blood that should’ve been present with all of that bullshit in the first place.
I didn’t watch the uncensored version. Might have to give that a try.
It’s a little hard to find. Never released on Blu Ray and only available to purchase in 1080p and also not streaming anywhere (that I’m aware of). Might also be hard to find on the high seas as a result. But good luck to you!
Oh come on, Die Hard 4 & 5 show he’s clearly a flawed character with common average everyday struggles like being a deadbeat dad.
In minor defense of DH4, which I agree goes beyond the premise of the first 3, it does kind of follow that John would be better able to do some crazier things after going through the events of the first 3 movies. He still shouldn’t be indestructible, but his experiences definitely qualify him as badass at that point. I also still like DH4, so I wanna justify that somewhat, hah. DH5 is just not good, though.
it was so different because he was an anti-hero, and he got visibly beat thoroughly and never stopped being a smart ass about it.
I wanted to say that’s not what ‘anti-hero’ means, but I kind of see where you’re coming from. In my mind, an anti-hero does terrible stuff to achieve good goals (Deadpool being a prime example), while John McClaine does do some pretty vicious things, but is more or less just trying to survive, not because he wants to do the terrible things.
My kids watched it for the first time ever last weekend. They had no nostalgia or frame of reference for it and yet they both loved it - “the dumbest fun movie I’ve seen in ages”. We’re watching #2 tonight.
I’ve always told people they’re thinking too much when they watch these movies. Just have fun. They’re ridiculous, that’s the point.
That’s because it set the mould, and dozens of copy cats followed the formula thereafter.
It’s like looking at Half-Life in 2023 as someone who never played it in 1999. It doesn’t look like much of anything; but that’s because everything that followed copied it.
Maybe so, but if they did it better then as someone who watched it later it doesn’t do much for me.
I’m curious which movies you would say did it better. I’m always up for a good watch (if I haven’t already seen it).
That’s the thing, it WAS different to other action movies at the time. Im not going to say you are wrong not to like it, but it can’t be denied that it blazed a trail for a new type of action movie and, as a result, is loved by millions.
I mean nobody is going to call it some high art cinematic masterpiece. But it is a fun entertaining movie.
Well, maybe that’s my problem. It’s not some grand masterpiece of film and I didn’t find it very entertaining. Obviously that’s a subjective judgment on my part though.
It’s not outstanding but it is well crafted.
Iconic action scenes, memorable, quotable dialog and one liners. Great charismatic actors playing the hero and the main villian. Good actors playing supporting characters.
Decent coherent easy to follow story.
Lots of action movies from that era don’t score highly on at least a few of those points and have been mostly forgotten.
That’s fair. It is a well rounded movie. I just didn’t find it exceptional.
I haven’t bothered to watch it again since the 90s.
I agree with you.
I’ll watch most of the Schwarzenegger movies from this era ahead of this.
And hair! Don’t forget hair. Lots and lots of hair…
I suppose you had to be there at the time. For people who only watched US/Hollywood films it was wild. There hadn’t been much, if anything, like it before. Everything that came after it… came after it.
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