IMDb > Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard
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Die Hard (1988) -- New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building.
Die Hard (1988) -- New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building.
Die Hard (1988) -- New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building.
Die Hard (1988) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John McTiernan
Writers (WGA):
Roderick Thorp (novel)
Jeb Stuart (screenplay) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Die Hard on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 July 1988 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
It will blow you through the back wall of the theater! more
Plot:
New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(254 articles)
Birthday Suits, An Oscar For Ed!
 (From FilmExperience. 28 November 2009, 6:20 AM, PST)
Surrogates (2009) Movie Review
 (From SciFiCool.com. 26 November 2009, 10:49 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Action-packed thrill ride that could be the best in the genre!!! more (545 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Bruce Willis ... Officer John McClane

Bonnie Bedelia ... Holly Gennaro McClane
Reginald VelJohnson ... Sgt. Al Powell (as Reginald Veljohnson)
Paul Gleason ... Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson
De'voreaux White ... Argyle

William Atherton ... Richard Thornburg

Hart Bochner ... Harry Ellis
James Shigeta ... Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi

Alan Rickman ... Hans Gruber
Alexander Godunov ... Karl
Bruno Doyon ... Franco
Andreas Wisniewski ... Tony
Clarence Gilyard Jr. ... Theo
Joey Plewa ... Alexander

Lorenzo Caccialanza ... Marco
more

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
131 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | German | Italian
Colour:
Colour
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #29160) | Peru:14 | Argentina:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2001) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (re-rating) (2001) | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) (original rating) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (cut) (video premiere) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (cut) | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) | Finland:K-18 (1988) (uncut) | Malaysia:18SG | Brazil:14 | Philippines:R-18 | UK:15 (2007) | UK:18 (1988) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | India:A | South Africa:16LV | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Norway:18 (original rating) | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:PG-12 | Spain:18
Filming Locations:
20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA more
Company:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
This was based on a book by Roderick Thorp entitled "Nothing Lasts Forever" - a sequel to another book entitled "The Detective", which in 1968 was made into a film starring Frank Sinatra. Coincidentally, Bruce Willis made his movie debut in The First Deadly Sin (1980) walking out of a bar as Sinatra walks into it. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Holly's maiden name is Gennero. This is misspelled in the credits as "Gennaro", and also on the Nakatomi computer that McClane uses at the start of the film. Furthermore, when he hits the touch screen button with her name, it suddenly changes from "Gennaro" to the correct "Gennero". more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Businessman: You don't like flying, do you?
John McClane: What gives you that idea?
Businessman: You wanna know the secret to surviving air travel? After you get where you're going, take off your shoes and your socks then walk around on the rug bare foot and make fists with your toes.
John McClane: Fists with your toes?
Businessman: I know, I know, it sounds crazy. Trust me, I've been doing it for nine years. Yes sir, better than a shower and a hot cup of coffee.
John McClane: Okay.
[the businessman sees John's gun]
John McClane: It's okay, I'm a cop. Trust me, I've been doing this for eleven years.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Angry Video Game Nerd: Die Hard (#2.11)" (2007) more
Soundtrack:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 In G Major, (Allegro Moderato) more

FAQ

Do any of the terrorists live?
Why exactly did Holly punch the TV reporter Dick Thornberg at the end?
How did Hans know that those kids on TV were Holly McClane's?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
83 out of 104 people found the following comment useful.
Action-packed thrill ride that could be the best in the genre!!!, 13 April 2001
9/10
Author: JLevin from Midwest

Quite possibly the best modern action movie since the classic "Dirty Harry", "Die Hard" simply rocks. Based on the interesting novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp, "Die Hard" made headlines for its combination of a terrific cast, excellent script, amazing action sequences and superb direction. Headed up by screen favorite Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense), "Die Hard" also features the talented Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest) and Bonnie Bedelia (Needful Things). Directed by action veteran John McTiernan, the mastermind behind such action spectaculars as "Predator", "The Hunt For Red October", "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1999), and "Die Hard With A Vengeance".

In the role that shot him to stardom, Willis plays Detective John McClane, a hard-hitting cop from New York on Christmas Vacation in LA. He is there to visit his wife (whom he is separated from), Holly Gennaro, who recently got a great job working for the Nakatomi corporation and has permanently moved to Los Angeles with their two children. John arrives at Nakatomi Plaza expecting a fun Christmas party and a relaxing night. Man was he wrong! A few minutes after getting settled, twelve gun-toting Eastern Europeans take the entire 30th floor hostage. The supposed terrorists are headed up by the brilliant megalomaniac Hans Gruber (Rickman), who actually wants the $640 million dollars inside the floor's vault. Somehow, McClane escapes upstairs armed only with a handgun and starts causing a ruckus, slowly hunting down each well-equipped thug.

"Die Hard" succeeds is because it presents every challenge McClane has to face realistically and clearly. As the tension mounts, the ordeals for John become increasingly harder. First, it's just a terrorist. Then a whole slew of them. Later, it's the NYPD and even the FBI! Director McTiernan gives the film a good pace and makes the film work by showing that John isn't superhuman; he only uses his brain more than his gun. Also, screenwriters Jeb Stuart (The Fugitive) & Steven E. De Souza (48 Hrs.) add touches of humor that lighten up the viewer and classic one-liners ("Yippy-Ki-Yay, !@#$") that ignite the screen. Their subplots actually add to the story instead of overcomplicating it, especially one featuring good cop Sgt. Al Powell (Rejinald VelJohnson of TV's "Family Matters").

Overall, this movie was awesome. Willis is very believable and has significant screen presence. Character development is superb, and even though Stuart and De Souza leave some loose ends untied - like how a man gets hung with a chain and still comes back for more - the film remains to be an action classic. Note to Parents: the nudity, drug use, continual profanity, and extreme violence would make this a bad choice for kids under 13. Otherwise, see "Die Hard" ASAP! Overall Rating: *** Worth 9 out of 10 dollars ***

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Greatest Christmas movie EVER? snowsnowrain
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soundtrack? mmvm
The one thing that really bothered me. rydentg
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