Die Hard series
Encyclopedia
The Die Hard series is a series of four action film
s beginning with Die Hard
in 1988. All four films are centered around the character of John McClane
(portrayed by Bruce Willis
), a New York City
police detective who finds himself fighting a group of terrorists in each episode. There are also several video games based on the films, as well as a comic book series released in August 2009.
when McClane is traveling to Los Angeles
to spend Christmas with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia
), who is living in Los Angeles with their two children and using her maiden name. They attend a party at the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. During the party, East German terrorists break into the building and take the partygoers hostage. McClane escapes detection and manages to hide throughout the building, gradually killing off the terrorist gang and learning that their real aim is to steal millions from the building's vault. When McClane meets the terrorist's leader, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman
), a climactic battle ensues and McClane throws Gruber out the window
.
, McClane is at Washington Dulles International Airport
awaiting the arrival of his wife. Meanwhile a group of mercenaries led by former U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Stuart (William Sadler
), take over the airport's communication systems, stranding several planes in the air, including the one McClane's wife is on. Colonel Stuart's plan is to free a captured Latin American dictator (Franco Nero
) who is en route to the airport. McClane discovers the plan, including a conspiracy between Stuart and an Army counter-terrorist unit sent to stop him. He foils their plans and provides a visual landing signal for the circling aircraft by exploding the plane the villains were using for their getaway.
) threatens to blow up various locations in the city unless McClane will play his twisted version of Simon says
. McClane must solve a number of riddles and challenges in order to keep the bombs from going off. He receives the reluctant help of Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson
), a shopkeeper from Harlem who had saved McClane after the first challenge "Simon" had put him through. The FBI finally reveal that "Simon" is in fact Simon Peter Gruber, the brother of Hans Gruber, who is attempting to kill McClane in revenge for his brother's death in the first film. In a subsequent revelation, McClane discovers that revenge is only a timely and clever cover story to conceal the true purpose behind his terrorist activities: the forced depletion of New York's Federal Reserve. With the help of Carver, McClane tracks Simon to the Canadian border. There, in a decisive final confrontation with the latter in a helicopter, McClane puts an end to Simon's plan with a handgun and a power line.
). A group of cyber-terrorists
begin hacking into the computers of the FBI, who sends McClane to bring in computer hacker
Matthew "Matt" Farrell (Justin Long
) to question him about the cyber-attack. In the process, a group of assassins, hired by terrorist mastermind Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant
), attempts to kill McClane and Farrell. Farrell tells McClane that the terrorists are actually in the middle of performing a crippling cyber-warfare
attack on the infrastructure of the country, disrupting all power, public utilities, traffic, and other computer-controlled systems. The terrorists later take Lucy and Farrell hostage. In the end, McClane saves them and foils the terrorists' scheme.
and The A-Team
writer Skip Woods
was in negotiations to script a fifth Die Hard movie and that the film will be produced by Alex Young
. Bruce Willis will again return as John McClane, and Willis said that he would like to see Live Free or Die Hard
director Len Wiseman
return and even wishes to see the story take place outside of the United States of America, with a tentative title of Die Hard 24/7.
On October 5, 2010, Willis announced during a MTV interview that a first draft of the script was finished and that the shooting should begin in 2011. Regarding a possible Die Hard 6, Bruce Willis told ShowbizSpy, "for me, I want to do Die Hard 5, then one final Die Hard movie—Die Hard 6—before finally hanging that white vest up for good". Noam Murro was set to direct the film scripted by Woods and continue to develop the script, but he left to direct the 300
prequel, 300: Battle of Artemisia, instead. Irish-born director John Moore is now signed on to direct. The film is said to involve John McClane and his son heading to Russia.
On 13 October, 2011 the studio announced exclusively on The Jim Rome Show that the film would be called A Good Day to Die Hard and would be released on Valentine's Day 2013. On the same day sources at FOX Studio's indicated that Patrick Stewart
is under strong consideration for the film's main villain, a disgraced Russian general who plots the assassination of the visiting U.S. President. The Studio are looking at Liam Hemsworth
, Aaron Paul
, James Badge Dale
and D.J. Cotrona
for the part of John McClane Jr. in the film.
Shooting begins in January 2012 in Budapest, Hungary.
is adapted from the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever
, by Roderick Thorp
. Nothing Lasts Forever is a sequel to the novel The Detective which was also adapted into a film
starring Frank Sinatra
. Both novels are about a private detective named Joe Leland. Die Hard 2
was adapted from the 1987 novel 58 Minutes, by Walter Wager
. Die Hard with a Vengeance was adapted from a script called Simon Says and Live Free or Die Hard
was based on the 1997 article "A Farewell to Arms" written for Wired
magazine by John Carlin
.
The original Die Hard has received substantial praise. Pete Croatto of FilmCritic.com called the film "a perfect action movie in every detail, the kind of movie that makes your summer memorable." James Berardinelli
wrote that the film "represents the class of modern action pictures and the standard by which they must be judged." The cast and crew also received much praise, as well. Critic Desson Howe wrote that "Willis has found the perfect vehicle to careen wildly onto the crowded L.A. freeway of Lethal Weapon
s and Beverly Hills Cop
s." Willis was also called "perfect as the wisecracking John McClane
" and "an excellent casting choice as a sardonic action hero." Alan Rickman
's portrayal of villain Hans Gruber was described as "marvelous" and "a career-making performance." Gruber also ranked 46 on the villain side of AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly
ranked Die Hard the greatest action film of all time.
The first sequel, Die Hard 2, received generally mixed reviews. Despite only giving the original film only two stars, critic Roger Ebert
gave the film three and a half stars and called it "terrific entertainment." James Berardinelli
called the film "somewhat-muddled but still entertaining." On the other hand, Peter Travers
wrote that "however impressively made, Die Hard 2 begins to wear thin."
The third film, Die Hard With a Vengeance, received even more mixed reviews. The action was praised more than the plot. Owen Gleiberman
of Entertainment Weekly stated that while "McTiernan
stages individual sequences with great finesse... they don't add up to a taut, dread-ridden whole." James Berardinelli thought that the explosions and fights were "filmed with consummate skill, and are thrilling in their own right." Samuel L. Jackson
was also praised in the film. Desson Howe
of the Washington Post thought that "the best thing about the movie is the relationship between McClane and Zeus," saying that Jackson was "almost as good as he was in Pulp Fiction
." James Berardinelli, said that Jackson "rises above the material."
The most recent entry in the series, Live Free or Die Hard, has been praised as being as good as the original. Mick LaSalle
of the San Francisco Chronicle
claimed that the film "is the best in the series, an invigorating return to the style of blockbuster that dominated summers back in the early 1990s." USA Today
film critic Claudia Puig said that the film "delivers when it comes to kick-butt, action-packed mayhem," but "as a convincing techno-thriller, it doesn't really work."
between or after the series.
announced that they would be releasing an ongoing Die Hard comic series that would serve as a prequel to the first movie. Its story is set in 1976 and follows John McClaine as a rookie cop in the NYPD, and is scripted by Howard Chaykin
. The first issue of Die Hard: Year One was released on September 30, 2009. Eight issues have been released, with the eighth released on April 12, 2010.
The official description read:
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
s beginning with Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
in 1988. All four films are centered around the character of John McClane
John McClane
John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis.-Development and description:...
(portrayed by Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
), a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
police detective who finds himself fighting a group of terrorists in each episode. There are also several video games based on the films, as well as a comic book series released in August 2009.
Die Hard (1988)
The first film begins on Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
when McClane is traveling to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to spend Christmas with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia
Bonnie Bedelia
Bonnie Bedelia Culkin is an American actress best known for her supporting roles in the action film Die Hard and the courtroom drama Presumed Innocent...
), who is living in Los Angeles with their two children and using her maiden name. They attend a party at the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. During the party, East German terrorists break into the building and take the partygoers hostage. McClane escapes detection and manages to hide throughout the building, gradually killing off the terrorist gang and learning that their real aim is to steal millions from the building's vault. When McClane meets the terrorist's leader, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
), a climactic battle ensues and McClane throws Gruber out the window
Defenestration
Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...
.
Die Hard 2 (1990)
The second film takes place one year after the events of the first film, once again on Christmas Eve. The setting for the film is Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, McClane is at Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
awaiting the arrival of his wife. Meanwhile a group of mercenaries led by former U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Stuart (William Sadler
William Sadler (actor)
William Thomas Sadler is an American actor who works in film and television. His television and motion picture roles have included Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller in The Pacific, Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sheriff Jim Valenti in Roswell, convict Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption,...
), take over the airport's communication systems, stranding several planes in the air, including the one McClane's wife is on. Colonel Stuart's plan is to free a captured Latin American dictator (Franco Nero
Franco Nero
Franco Nero is an Italian actor.-Early life:Nero was born Francesco Sparanero in San Prospero Parmense , the son of a sergeant in the...
) who is en route to the airport. McClane discovers the plan, including a conspiracy between Stuart and an Army counter-terrorist unit sent to stop him. He foils their plans and provides a visual landing signal for the circling aircraft by exploding the plane the villains were using for their getaway.
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
In the third film, McClane is back in New York City, and is now separated from his wife, suspended from the police force, and a borderline alcoholic. A terrorist who goes only by the name "Simon" (Jeremy IronsJeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
) threatens to blow up various locations in the city unless McClane will play his twisted version of Simon says
Simon says
Simon says is a children's game for three or more players where one player takes the role of 'Simon' and issues instructions, to the other players, which should only be followed if prefaced with the phrase 'Simon says', for example 'Simon says jump in the air'...
. McClane must solve a number of riddles and challenges in order to keep the bombs from going off. He receives the reluctant help of Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
), a shopkeeper from Harlem who had saved McClane after the first challenge "Simon" had put him through. The FBI finally reveal that "Simon" is in fact Simon Peter Gruber, the brother of Hans Gruber, who is attempting to kill McClane in revenge for his brother's death in the first film. In a subsequent revelation, McClane discovers that revenge is only a timely and clever cover story to conceal the true purpose behind his terrorist activities: the forced depletion of New York's Federal Reserve. With the help of Carver, McClane tracks Simon to the Canadian border. There, in a decisive final confrontation with the latter in a helicopter, McClane puts an end to Simon's plan with a handgun and a power line.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
The fourth film begins over a decade after the events of Die Hard with a Vengeance with McClane now divorced from his wife and estranged from his daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth WinsteadMary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
). A group of cyber-terrorists
Cyber-terrorism
Cyberterrorism is the use of Internet based attacks in terrorist activities, including acts of deliberate, large-scale disruption of computer networks, especially of personal computers attached to the Internet, by the means of tools such as computer viruses....
begin hacking into the computers of the FBI, who sends McClane to bring in computer hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
Matthew "Matt" Farrell (Justin Long
Justin Long
Justin Jacob Long is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Galaxy Quest, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard, He's Just Not That into You, Drag Me to Hell, and Youth in Revolt, and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a...
) to question him about the cyber-attack. In the process, a group of assassins, hired by terrorist mastermind Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant
Timothy Olyphant
Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik...
), attempts to kill McClane and Farrell. Farrell tells McClane that the terrorists are actually in the middle of performing a crippling cyber-warfare
Cyber-warfare
Cyberwarfare refers to politically motivated hacking to conduct sabotage and espionage. It is a form of information warfare sometimes seen as analogous to conventional warfare although this analogy is controversial for both its accuracy and its political motivation.Government security expert...
attack on the infrastructure of the country, disrupting all power, public utilities, traffic, and other computer-controlled systems. The terrorists later take Lucy and Farrell hostage. In the end, McClane saves them and foils the terrorists' scheme.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
On May 5, 2010 it was announced that X-Men Origins: WolverineX-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American action film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009...
and The A-Team
The A-Team (film)
The A-Team is an American action film based on the television series of the same name. It was released in cinemas in the United States on June 11, 2010, by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Stephen J. Cannell and the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony...
writer Skip Woods
Skip Woods
Skip Woods, is an American screenwriter, producer and film director. He is best known for writing the screenplay for Swordfish and the film adaptation of the Hitman video game series...
was in negotiations to script a fifth Die Hard movie and that the film will be produced by Alex Young
Alex Young (studio executive)
Alexander Morgan "Alex" Young is an American studio executive. He is co- president of production at 20th Century Fox.- Early life :Young was born in London and grew up in Cooperstown NY and New York City...
. Bruce Willis will again return as John McClane, and Willis said that he would like to see Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"...
director Len Wiseman
Len Wiseman
Len Ryan Wiseman is an American film director best known for his work on the Underworld series and Live Free or Die Hard. His latest project, Total Recall, is set for release in summer 2012...
return and even wishes to see the story take place outside of the United States of America, with a tentative title of Die Hard 24/7.
On October 5, 2010, Willis announced during a MTV interview that a first draft of the script was finished and that the shooting should begin in 2011. Regarding a possible Die Hard 6, Bruce Willis told ShowbizSpy, "for me, I want to do Die Hard 5, then one final Die Hard movie—Die Hard 6—before finally hanging that white vest up for good". Noam Murro was set to direct the film scripted by Woods and continue to develop the script, but he left to direct the 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
prequel, 300: Battle of Artemisia, instead. Irish-born director John Moore is now signed on to direct. The film is said to involve John McClane and his son heading to Russia.
On 13 October, 2011 the studio announced exclusively on The Jim Rome Show that the film would be called A Good Day to Die Hard and would be released on Valentine's Day 2013. On the same day sources at FOX Studio's indicated that Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
is under strong consideration for the film's main villain, a disgraced Russian general who plots the assassination of the visiting U.S. President. The Studio are looking at Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth is an Australian actor. He took the role of Josh Taylor in the soap opera Neighbours and as "Marcus" on the children's television series The Elephant Princess and appeared in the American film The Last Song, released on 31 March 2010...
, Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul
Aaron Michael Paul is an American actor. After appearing in several roles in American television, including a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, Paul came to prominence in the late 2000s for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series Breaking Bad, for which he...
, James Badge Dale
James Badge Dale
James Badge Dale is an American actor who starred in the AMC drama series Rubicon. He is most famous for his role of Chase Edmunds in the third season of 24 and Robert Leckie in the HBO miniseries The Pacific.-Early years:...
and D.J. Cotrona
D.J. Cotrona
Donald Joseph "D.J." Cotrona is an American actor.-Early life:Cotrona was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father works for a recycling company and his mother is a teacher. He was studying to be a lawyer at Northeastern University in Boston; however, after doing a summer internship at a law...
for the part of John McClane Jr. in the film.
Shooting begins in January 2012 in Budapest, Hungary.
Development
Die HardDie Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
is adapted from the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever
Nothing Lasts Forever (1979 novel)
Nothing Lasts Forever is a 1979 thriller novel by Roderick Thorp. It is mostly known through its film adaptation, Die Hard.-Plot introduction:...
, by Roderick Thorp
Roderick Thorp
Roderick Mayne Thorp, Jr. was an American novelist specializing mainly in crime novels.As a young college graduate, Thorp worked at a detective agency owned by his father...
. Nothing Lasts Forever is a sequel to the novel The Detective which was also adapted into a film
The Detective (1968 film)
The Detective is a 1968 film directed by Gordon Douglas, produced by Aaron Rosenberg and starring Frank Sinatra, based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Roderick Thorp.Co-stars include Lee Remick, Jacqueline Bisset, Jack Klugman and Robert Duvall....
starring Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. Both novels are about a private detective named Joe Leland. Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...
was adapted from the 1987 novel 58 Minutes, by Walter Wager
Walter Wager
Walter Herman Wager was an American novelist.-Early life:Walter Wager grew up in the East Tremont section of The Bronx, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants; his father, Max, was a doctor, and his mother, Jessie, was a nurse...
. Die Hard with a Vengeance was adapted from a script called Simon Says and Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"...
was based on the 1997 article "A Farewell to Arms" written for Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
magazine by John Carlin
John Carlin
John Carlin is a journalist and author, dealing with both sports and politics. His book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation about former South African president Nelson Mandela is the basis for the 2009 film Invictus.-Personal life:Carlin was born to a Scottish father...
.
Box office
| Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | ||||
| Die Hard | July 15, 1988 | $83,008,852 | $57,759,104 | $140,767,956 | #548 | $28,000,000 | ||
| Die Hard 2: Die Harder | July 6, 1990 | $117,540,947 | $122,490,147 | $240,031,094 | #323 | #300 | $70,000,000 | |
| Die Hard with a Vengeance | May 19, 1995 | $100,012,499 | $266,089,167 | $366,101,666 | #442 | #143 | $90,000,000 | |
| Live Free or Die Hard | June 27, 2007 | $134,529,403 | $249,002,061 | $383,531,464 | #238 | #124 | $110,000,000 | |
| Total | $435,091,701 | $695,340,479 | $1,130,432,180 | $298,000,000 | ||||
Critical reception
The Die Hard series as a whole has received generally mixed to positive reviews.The original Die Hard has received substantial praise. Pete Croatto of FilmCritic.com called the film "a perfect action movie in every detail, the kind of movie that makes your summer memorable." James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
wrote that the film "represents the class of modern action pictures and the standard by which they must be judged." The cast and crew also received much praise, as well. Critic Desson Howe wrote that "Willis has found the perfect vehicle to careen wildly onto the crowded L.A. freeway of Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary...
s and Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop
Beverly Hills Cop is a 1984 American comedy-action film directed by Martin Brest and starring Eddie Murphy, Lisa Eilbacher, John Ashton, Judge Reinhold, and Ronny Cox...
s." Willis was also called "perfect as the wisecracking John McClane
John McClane
John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis.-Development and description:...
" and "an excellent casting choice as a sardonic action hero." Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
's portrayal of villain Hans Gruber was described as "marvelous" and "a career-making performance." Gruber also ranked 46 on the villain side of AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
ranked Die Hard the greatest action film of all time.
The first sequel, Die Hard 2, received generally mixed reviews. Despite only giving the original film only two stars, critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film three and a half stars and called it "terrific entertainment." James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
called the film "somewhat-muddled but still entertaining." On the other hand, Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
wrote that "however impressively made, Die Hard 2 begins to wear thin."
The third film, Die Hard With a Vengeance, received even more mixed reviews. The action was praised more than the plot. Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
of Entertainment Weekly stated that while "McTiernan
John McTiernan
John Campbell McTiernan, Jr. is an American film director and producer, best known for his action films and most identifiable with the three films he directed back-to-back: Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt for Red October, along with later movies such as Last Action Hero, Die Hard with a...
stages individual sequences with great finesse... they don't add up to a taut, dread-ridden whole." James Berardinelli thought that the explosions and fights were "filmed with consummate skill, and are thrilling in their own right." Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
was also praised in the film. Desson Howe
Desson Thomson
Desson Patrick Thomson is a speechwriter in the Obama Administration and a former movie critic for The Washington Post.-Biography:Thomson attended boarding schools in England from the age of 7 until 17. He went to the Abbey School in East Grinstead, Sussex, and the City of London Freemen's School...
of the Washington Post thought that "the best thing about the movie is the relationship between McClane and Zeus," saying that Jackson was "almost as good as he was in Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
." James Berardinelli, said that Jackson "rises above the material."
The most recent entry in the series, Live Free or Die Hard, has been praised as being as good as the original. Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
claimed that the film "is the best in the series, an invigorating return to the style of blockbuster that dominated summers back in the early 1990s." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
film critic Claudia Puig said that the film "delivers when it comes to kick-butt, action-packed mayhem," but "as a convincing techno-thriller, it doesn't really work."
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... |
Metacritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... (DVD) |
Yahoo Movies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | |||
| Die Hard | 94% (50 reviews) | 63% (8 reviews) | 70% (13 reviews) | B+ (7 reviews) |
| Die Hard 2: Die Harder | 65% (45 reviews) | 63% (7 reviews) | B- (6 reviews) | |
| Die Hard with a Vengeance | 50% (43 reviews) | 55% (10 reviews) | 58% (19 reviews) | |
| Live Free or Die Hard | 82% (198 reviews) | 79% (39 reviews) | 69% (34 reviews) | B (13 reviews) |
Characters
| Characters | Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Die Hard Die Hard Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which... |
Die Hard 2: Die Harder | Die Hard with a Vengeance | Live Free or Die Hard Live Free or Die Hard Live Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"... |
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| John McClane John McClane John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis.-Development and description:... |
Bruce Willis Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles... |
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| Holly Gennero | Bonnie Bedelia Bonnie Bedelia Bonnie Bedelia Culkin is an American actress best known for her supporting roles in the action film Die Hard and the courtroom drama Presumed Innocent... |
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| Al Powell | Reginald VelJohnson Reginald VelJohnson Reginald VelJohnson is an American actor of film, stage and television, well known for his role as Carl Winslow on the sitcom Family Matters, where he was the only cast member to appear in every single episode. He also portrayed LAPD Sgt... |
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| Richard Thornberg | William Atherton William Atherton William Atherton , born William Atherton Knight II, is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Atherton was born in Orange, Connecticut, the son of Roby and Robert Atherton Knight... |
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| Hans Gruber | Alan Rickman Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company... |
Alan Rickman Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company... (flashback) |
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| Karl | Alexander Godunov Alexander Godunov Alexander Borisovich Godunov was a Russian-American ballet danseur and film actor, whose defection caused a diplomatic incident between the USA and the USSR.-Biography:... |
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| Harry Ellis | Hart Bochner Hart Bochner Hart Matthew Bochner is a Canadian film actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.-Life and career:Bochner was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ruth , a concert pianist, and actor Lloyd Bochner... |
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| Deputy Dwayne Robinson | Paul Gleason Paul Gleason Paul Xavier Gleason was an American film and television actor, known for his roles on TV series such as All My Children and films such as The Breakfast Club, Trading Places and Die Hard.-Early life:... |
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| Argyle | De'voreaux White De'voreaux White De'voreaux White is an American actor who performed in many films. He is probably best known for his role in Die Hard in which he plays a limousine driver named Argyle... |
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| Colonel Stuart | William Sadler William Sadler William Sadler may refer to:*William Sadler , Irish landscape painter*William Sadler , American sailor and Medal of Honor recipient*William Sadler , American film and television actor... |
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| Captain Lorenzo | Dennis Franz Dennis Franz Dennis Franz is an American actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a hard-boiled police detective in the television series NYPD Blue. He previously appeared as Lt... |
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| Major Grant | John Amos John Amos John Amos is an American actor and former football player. His television work includes roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, the miniseries Roots, and a recurring role in The West Wing. He has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous motion pictures in a career that spans four decades... |
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| Leslie Barnes | Art Evans Art Evans Arthur James "Art" Evans is an American actor who has made multiple film and television program appearances over the span of three decades.... |
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| Zeus Carver | Samuel L. Jackson Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,... |
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| Simon Peter Gruber | Jeremy Irons Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the... |
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| Walter Cobb | Larry Bryggman Larry Bryggman Larry Bryggman is an American actor.-Early life:Bryggman was born in Concord, California of Swedish descent; his father worked for a neon sign company and his mother was a piano teacher. Bryggman attended the City College of San Francisco as well as the American Theatre Wing in New York... |
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| Joe Lambert | Graham Greene Graham Greene (actor) Graham Greene is a Canadian actor who has worked on stage, and in film and TV productions in Canada, England and the United States.-Early life:... |
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| Connie Kowalski | Colleen Camp Colleen Camp Colleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp... |
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| Matt Farrell | Justin Long Justin Long Justin Jacob Long is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Galaxy Quest, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard, He's Just Not That into You, Drag Me to Hell, and Youth in Revolt, and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a... |
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| Thomas Gabriel | Timothy Olyphant Timothy Olyphant Timothy David Olyphant is an American actor whose notable roles in television drama series include Deadwood as Seth Bullock, Justified as Raylan Givens, The Office as Danny Cordray, and Damages as Wes Krulik... |
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| Lucy Gennero-McClane | Taylor Fry Taylor Fry Taylor Fry is an American actress. She played the role of John McClane's estranged daughter Lucy in the first Die Hard film, and had regular roles on the television series Nightingales, Get a Life and Kirk.-Filmography:... |
Mary Elizabeth Winstead Mary Elizabeth Winstead Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing... |
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| Frederick 'Warlock' Kaludis | Kevin Smith Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob... |
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| Miguel Bowman | Cliff Curtis Cliff Curtis Clifford Vivian Devon "Cliff" Curtis is a New Zealand actor who has had major roles in film, including The Piano, Whale Rider, and Blow, and most recently has appeared in NBC's television series Trauma. He is also co-owner of independent film production company Whenua Films... |
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| Mai Linh | Maggie Q Maggie Q Margaret Denise Quigley , professionally known as Maggie Q, is an American-born actress and former fashion model. She currently stars as the titular character on the action-thriller TV series Nikita.-Early life:... |
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| Trey | Jonathan Sadowski Jonathan Sadowski Jonathan Sadowski is an American actor. He is best known for playing Viola Hasting's best friend Paul Antonio in the movie She's The Man, Trey in Live Free or Die Hard, and Blake in the 2009 film The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. In July 2010, he joined the cast of the CBS comedy $#*! My Dad... |
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Video games
A number of video games based on the successful movie franchise Die Hard have been released over the years, ranging from beat 'em ups to first-person shooters. While some of the games are based directly on the movies, a few further detail the adventures of John McClaneJohn McClane
John McClane is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Die Hard film series, portrayed by Bruce Willis.-Development and description:...
between or after the series.
Titles
- Die HardDie Hard (video game)Die Hard is a video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Commodore 64 by Activision . Its gameplay is based on the 1988 movie Die Hard...
for Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment SystemThe Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987... - Die Hard for MS-DOS
- Die Hard 2: Die Harder for Commodore Amiga
- Die Hard ArcadeDie Hard ArcadeDie Hard Arcade is the licensed North American, European and Australian version of the Japanese videogame . The game is a beat 'em up with loose ties to the Die Hard movie series of the same name....
for arcadeVideo arcadeAn amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
and Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe... - Die Hard TrilogyDie Hard TrilogyDie Hard Trilogy is a video game based on the first three installments of the Die Hard series of action movies. Die Hard Trilogy features three games in one, each based on a movie installment and featuring a different genre and game play style respectively. The game was well received and would...
for PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, and Saturn - Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas for PC and PlayStation
- Die Hard: Nakatomi PlazaDie Hard: Nakatomi PlazaDie Hard: Nakatomi Plaza is a first-person shooter for PC made by Piranha Games. The game originally used a modified Build engine, later the GoldSrc engine, before it was finally moved to the Lithtech engine...
for PC - Die Hard: VendettaDie Hard: VendettaDie Hard: Vendetta is a first-person shooter video game that was exclusive to the Nintendo GameCube. It has since been released for both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and is not to be confused with the PC-exclusive Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza, also a first-person shooter.Taking place after the first...
for Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
Comics
In May, 2009, BOOM! StudiosBoom! Studios
BOOM! Studios is an American comic book company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States. The "BOOM!" in BOOM! Studios is always capitalized by the company.-History:BOOM! was founded June 22, 2005 with Zombie Tales #1....
announced that they would be releasing an ongoing Die Hard comic series that would serve as a prequel to the first movie. Its story is set in 1976 and follows John McClaine as a rookie cop in the NYPD, and is scripted by Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
. The first issue of Die Hard: Year One was released on September 30, 2009. Eight issues have been released, with the eighth released on April 12, 2010.
The official description read: