DIE HARD (1988) Retrospective / Review

DIE HARD (1988) Retrospective / Review
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[@OliverHarper]

If you missed out on our Kickstarter to help fund my first feature-length documentary 'In Search of the last action Heroes', don’t worry! All of our fantastic and exclusive rewards are now available on IndieGoGo In-demand. igg.me/at/9fyznEhoWEY

[@imreplyingtothiscomment2378]

Oliver Harper please do the king kong remake in 2005 (i think)

[@racoonestevez7860]

Oliver Harper great video but and the others really classics Stakeout (1987) The Breakfast Club (1985) Young Guns (1988) Rain Man (1988) Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) Homeward Bound The Incredible Journey (1993) Police Academy (1984) The Journey of Natty Gann (1984) The Leyend of Lobo (1962) Point Break (1991) Tango & Cash (1989) Lethal Weapon (1987) Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) That's Darn Cat (1964) Roboco (1987) St. Elmo's Fire (1985) Repo Man (1984) Black Beauty (1994) Patriot Games (1992) The Lost World Jurassic Park (1997) Superman II (1981) Risky Business (1983) Freejack (1992) Aliens (1986) The Lost Boys (1987) Snake Eyes (1997) Blue City (1986) Bobby (2006)

[@RyanSpringer1984]

Oliver Harper I loved the Trilogy video game but found myself going to the 1st one a lot as well. Start in the garage & work my way up.

[@CybershamanX]

"You are dog now! No more table! Where are you going, pal?!" :P What an awesome movie. :)

[@JackassJunior627]

Oli what happened to your Let's Get Silly videos?! Went to show a friend your videos and they are gone.

[@weme06]

Alan Rickman's "off" American accent is perfect for the scene. I thought it was by design, actually..

[@nickm8874]

weme06 yes he’s doing an impression of a German doing an impression of an American. I agree with you

[@jacobadams5924]

It's so tense. We wonder...Does John really buy this accent? He seems to...

[@Labyrinth1010]

So good!

[@militaryhistoryguy827]

Ho-Ho-Ho.....I love how the terrorists are basically a German hair metal 80s band

[@dnasty312]

@@jacobadams5924 but gives him an unloaded gun

[@JoeVincentPresents]

Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are both Christmas movies in my home every year.

[@paulies5407]

Joseph! Love your boxing videos mate

[@tevon681]

Love your channel Joseph!

[@TheImaginator972]

Same goes with Batman Returns.

[@AnnoyingMoose]

Christmas is the central event of Die Hard. 1) Christmas is central to the premise (dozens of office workers need an reason to be partying in their office tower late at night); 2) Christmas is central to the romantic subplot (John and Holly were separated and living on opposite sides of the country so they need a sentimental reason to get together); 3) Christmas is central to the believability of the main plot (John needs to find a large amount of tape readily available so that Hans will let his guard down thinking that John is unarmed).

[@AdLamb]

Was released in the summer, being set at Christmas does not make it a Christmas movie. It’s not a Christmas movie.

[@happyspaceinvader508]

10:26 Surely the whole point of Rickman’s American accent is that he’s playing a German who’s trying to put on an American accent to try and con his way out of being caught? You wouldn’t expect the accent to be perfect. I don’t see this as a flaw in Rickman’s performance at all.

[@defender2222]

And here's the other thing to add on to your point. It wasn't like Hans planned to ever do that accent. Him encountering John is the first time he ever had something happen to him during the heist that he didn't have a strategy for. Every other time you can tell he quickly has a plan in place in case something like this had happened. Not when he stumbles upon John mcclane. As such she has to quickly think on his feet and the not quite right accent shows this. Honestly that's probably a lot better of an accent than anyone in the reverse situation could have done. Could you see John McClane pulling off even a semi-decent German accent if he had stumbled on to Hans and needed to pretend that he was not the man causing problems for him?

[@Kal_g]

Die Hard. Back when "F" Bombs were works of art.

[@606danco]

Why cant you type fuck f bombs so childish

[@edmontonboy99]

@@606danco Fuck

[@BadaBingPictures]

It isn’t Christmas without Die Hard.

[@ydcee3123]

It is for me. Why do people always have to be right and argue a point to the ground these days?

[@roquefortfiles]

One of my new Holiday traditions. Picking just the right "Time" is crucial. The week before Christmas feels right. Preferably with a snowstorm out.

[@megashillyshally]

It isn’t Die Hard without Christmas.

[@afrog2666]

@@ydcee3123 Maybe he was speaking for himself.. "oh you have an opinion and I don`t agree so I`ll whine and bitch about it"

[@marcgardner9865]

Darn right. Best Christmas movie ever.

[@therantingboy]

I always think Rickman's american accent is perfect. Because it isn't "Alan Rickman" doing American, it's Hans Gruber doing American. I always felt this was Hans improvising. I also thought perhaps an imperfection in the accent is one of the clues that helps McClane realise who he is, so it actually makes sense to be an imperfect accent.

[@nickmattio3397]

“I’m An Excellent Thief! And Since I’m moving up to kidnapping you should be more polite. >:•\”-Hans

[@SA80TAGE]

exceptional thief*

[@nickmattio3397]

I know I forgot to change it after finding out it was “exceptional” not “excellent” lol

[@livinginvancouverbc2247]

Deputy Chief Dwayne T. Robinson was annoying but he did have the funniest line in the movie, after the helicopter explodes... "We're gonna need some more FBI guys."

[@scottyclayton5604]

In your opinion.

[@JK_Clark]

Ha ha, yeah that deadpan line is perfect

[@acelyasummer422]

Arguably the best action movie ever made, and the most direct representation of the genre as a whole.

[@amostlyreasonableguy]

ZeroWolf Both movies are directed by John McTiernan which is no coincidence. The man knows how to make action movies.

[@happyspaceinvader508]

It’s good in many ways, but as Ollie says in his review, there are some goofy characters which, for me, break the suspension of disbelief.

[@LinkMarioSamus]

@@happyspaceinvader508 You know, the more times I see this film (watched it again last December), I have a better understanding of the issues Roger Ebert had with it at the time. But to be honest, I feel like there's not only too much good surrounding this film's relatively few flaws, but that this is one of the best and most influential blockbuster movies of all time, and possibly one of the most important films of the post-Star Wars landscape. I watched Con Air two months later and that film reminded me of Die Hard in so many ways it helped me appreciate this film even more. It feels like something truly special.

[@happyspaceinvader508]

LinkMarioSamus So true... while I was watching Con Air, all I could think about was how good Die Hard was.

[@happyspaceinvader508]

LinkMarioSamus The “too much good surrounding it” is, in my opinion, the performances of Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. They make the movie... we wouldn’t even be talking about it today if the casting had gone differently.

[@Doongie4ever]

You know it's going to be a great day when Oliver drops a new Retrospective / Review.

[@Corca]

Die Hard (1988) is easily the best action movie of all time + first true "modern era" genre classic. Solid script and story, superbly directed/edited and thanks to its involded cast, always highly engaging and suspensfull to watch after all these years. Die Hard is one monumental study on how to make a perfect action movie. 5/5 stars!

[@roquefortfiles]

We saw Die Hard on a midnight screening in 88 when it got released. I have loved it since. Now a new Christmas tradition.

[@silas1414]

T2: “hold my liquid nitrogen”

[@JoelCraike]

Die Hard is the best movie ever

[@oldmanpence4803]

This makes me miss the amazingly talented Alan Rickman even more. What a great performance, a great movie, and definitely peak action-star Bruce Willis. This movie still holds up. Cheers, all.

[@roquefortfiles]

I saw this the week it was released on a midnight screening with a full house. It was fabulous. Loved it ever since and yes it has become a Xmas favourite. It might sound stupid but the scene where Mclane and Al finally meet can nearly get me to tears. How they just magically "know" who each other are. The bromance of it all.

[@IzzyTheEditor]

Been watching this every christmas for 25 years:)

[@damienmb2365]

Been watching this every February 29th for 4 years ;)

[@frankblack676]

Izzy Long HELL YEA!

[@roquefortfiles]

25 years? you're ahead of the curve. It only became a Christmas staple a few years back. This is destination viewing during the Holidays.

[@bananaempijama]

The pinnacle of action movies. Thanks Oliver.

[@jameshughes7947]

Totally agree.

[@gdodson69]

Always thought it was a shame that Alan Rickman was not even nominated for an Academy Award (which he should have won) for his role.

[@matthewcarroll2533]

Seriously, Rickman was brilliant in this and honestly he's brilliant in almost everything he is in.

[@one7decimal2eight]

One of the best movie villains of all time.

[@MikeMJPMUNCH]

I know the oscar don't appreciate the performances in action, horror or comedy movies enough it is a real shame because when you look at what are considered some of the best characters/performance in movies most of them weren't even nominated.

[@JK_Clark]

1989 / 1990 there was serious and experienced talent for leading man and supporting role; Marlon Brando, Alec Guinness, River Phoenix, Tom Hanks, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Daniel Day Lewis, Morgan Freeman, Robin Williams, Denzel Washington, Martin Landau.

[@LoftOfTheUniverse]

@Alooof23 what was better that year?

[@IndyCrewInNYC]

The perfect template for action movies to this day. As we saw all too clearly this weekend with Skyscraper. Another wanna-be which failed miserably. This film to me, in its particular genre, is perfect. A 10! And I rarely if ever give those out. Spot on as always, Oliver. Cheers!

[@damienmb2365]

Bit off-topic however the title "Skyscraper" screams "lazy Dwayne Johnson movie for dimwits". Johnson may be a 'great guy' but I feel like I'm losing brain cells just reading his filmography, haha.

[@davidjames579]

Next he's starring in 'Action Movie'. Can't wait for that.

[@TheMylittletony]

Skyscraper was great. And we all know that's not because of the story, the writing, the acting, or the action.

[@LinkMarioSamus]

A film like this is the kind of blockbuster knock-out that studios wish they could deliver. While it isn't flawless (that police chief has to be one of the most idiotic cops ever put on film), it's still something that the stars aligned on that particular day to create this wonderful flick, which then went on to be imitated numerous times. I came to appreciate this film even more when I watched Con Air a few months later and took issue with how that film seemed to be going through the motions of a Die Hard-type story at times, even down to having John Cusack realize he has an ally on the plane and a scene where the army shows up and gets owned. Hardly a bad movie, but it just doesn't come close. Sometimes I feel like watching lesser movies can help you to appreciate your favorites even more. I had that again recently with Captain Marvel in relation to Robocop.

[@chuckselvage3157]

We were spoilt in the eighties for good action films and this was one of the best.

[@JoelCraike]

Die Hard is my number one favourite film of all time

[@mp5362-i1p]

I dig Bruce Willis ever since his Moonlighting days. But him coming out recently saying Die Hard is NOT a Christmas movie is just a slap to the face. He'll yeah it's a Christmas movie, the best one ever.

[@keithspringston9283]

One of my favorite movies of all time period! It may be old but it still holds up incredibly well, love it!!!

[@JoelCraike]

Die Hard is my number one favourite film of all time

[@GameplayandTalk]

Aw man, perfect timing, I just came back with dinner. :)

[@steerpike66]

I never knew Alan did his own fall for Gruber's demise. I've always admired his excellent facial acting as the Rolex comes loose, and the lighting changes across his face as he pulls away from the camera are magnificent. You can really tell he's not just dangling from a harness waiting to be blue-screened into an aerial shot. It is quite simply a perfect villain fall. God bless him.

[@scottknode898]

Alan Rickman also did the stunt where jumps off the ledge as Hans before runs into John McClane after checks the bombs. Rickman broke his leg doing the stunt and had to the scene where he talks to Willis on one leg.

[@scottknode898]

Hornytoad actually they pulled the harness early so that’s why got the genuine shocked reaction from Rickman as he was falling.

[@AlexThe1Menace]

I'm always amazed at how well all your retrospectives turn out. They rival some of the features found on Blu-Rays and DVDs with how much time and effort you put into them.

[@Dev_olution]

Christmas came early :) Thanks for another great retro.

[@oscarstainton]

It cannot be overstated how likeable an actor Bruce Willis was when he was a younger man. Its always a good day when Oliver reviews an action film classic, great stuff!!

[@scottknode898]

He wasn’t exactly a likable person as he became famous and leading actor he was cocky and hard to work with due to his demands. Directors and actors have said how they didn’t like working with him like Richard Gere from starring with Willis in The Jackal they hated each other and Director Kevin Smith. Even Stallone and Willis had falling out for sometime after Willis’s demands for more pay for a cameo in The Expendables 3 which Stallone and producers turned down his demands and Willis angrily walked out of production of The Expendables 3 and had to be replaced

[@oscarstainton]

Scott Knode I agree with that assessment; stories about his difficult and abrasive personality were known to me as well. It’s more that when he was younger he had a sort of everyman’s laidback charm that translated well to Die Hard, even if he wasn’t really like that.

[@Harri927]

I would love a retrospective of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

[@jamstonjulian6947]

That may be your best intro yet. Awesome editing. One quibble: Alan Rickman is playing a German pretending to be an American in that scene, so his accent wouldn't be convincing anyway, which John picks up on.

[@tripbreaker]

Bruce was in his prime at 34 when he shot this. Did Fox decide to go with a late 20’s wife? HELL NO. How about 41 year old Bonnie Bedilia? Way to go, Bonnie!

[@davidjames579]

She's also Macaulay Culkin's Aunt. So they've both been in iconic Xmas films made by Fox, and their first sequel only.

[@steerpike66]

Good point, and Bedilia really hits it home as a genuinely decent woman trying to balance a burgeoning career with her kids welfare and a relatively useless ball-and-chain of a selfish husband. Part of the movie's charm is that McClane is a moaning, selfish dick (and he knows it) and she's quite right to steer clear of him.

[@scottknode898]

Lee Smith also Alan Rickman was 41 when made his feature debut in film in Die Hard as he was primarily a stage actor before.

[@SuperWolsey]

@@davidjames579 interesting

[@hypnos9336]

34? he looks way older to me

[@muggs5574]

Absolutely love this movie! Just 5 minutes into this video & I already can't stop thinking about how much I need to watch it again. One of those rare films that I can't stop grinning about whenever it flits through my mind. Obviously I'm way late to this, but good video. I appreciate how you so often go the extra mile by looking into things like the videogames, production cycle, soundtrack releases, and more. You always have something I've either never heard of or never even considered in the first place.

[@rockdesu]

Oliver makes me love every movie he reviews.

[@Eternaldarkness3166]

It's amazing on how the casting worked for this movie

[@bacountess]

One of the best movies of the 80s action wise. And whether anyone wants to say it or not a great Christmas movie.

[@reidycruise]

Lethal weapon

[@FutureExitsMedia]

Waking up to a new Harper review is like Christmas morning, and even more so when it's DIE HARD! Ace!

[@testpattern23]

just this last Christmas, sat down with my brother and my nephews (13 and 15) on Christmas Eve and watched this, their first rated R movie. Was a great experience. We may not be the typical family, but it was magical none the less :)

[@StCerberusEngel]

Most will remember him as Karl from Die Hard, but I'll always remember Alexander Godunov as Max Beissart from The Money Pit. :)

[@scottknode898]

He was also known to action fans as Daniel in Witness with Harrison Ford in 1985 as an Amish farmer.

[@rorschach36]

No one could say the word Detonators in a more epic way than Alan Rickman

[@scottknode898]

Or I am going to count to 3, Rickman definitely had some of the best lines.

[@blimblamblob]

Your quality and capabilities in regards to composition and editing is solid and it's great to have seen it evolve over the last 5 years or so... Keep up the great work Olly...

[@OliverHarper]

Thanks a lot Scott!

[@Modenut]

I saw this glorious piece of art five times in the theaters back in the day. EASILY the best action movie ever made. =D

[@StephenLuke]

Andreas Wisniewski previously appeared in The Living Daylights (1987), and Robert Davi later appeared in License to Kill (1989).

[@M1lesJames]

Love your retrospectives Oliver, I learn so much from them about the movies I love and grew up with.

[@BrainScratchComms]

The issue with Stephanie Gennaro as a character in this film is that in the book she actually had a reason to exist without necessarily being an active force in the plot: she was "in the know" regarding Klaxxon Oil Company's illegal arms deals and Joe Leland had to cope in the end with not only his daughter's death alongside Tony Gruber, but also the discovery at that time that she was not ignorant of the company's darker side and was in fact complicit in its crimes. This left the reader with the question of whether or not she deserved to die, and colored Leland's grief as the novel ended with a very emotionally confused tone, something that fits with the general theme of Leland's character and story arcs in both Nothing Lasts Forever and its predecessor, The Detective. A lot of the movie's strengths come from the serious nature of the novel it was based on, but in a weird way, some of its most awkward elements are born from the absence of elements from that book. You can talk about how the overall tone of the movie was improved by the "oh, they're not REALLY terrorists" twist, but the fact is it was a story adapted from a novel in which they WERE really terrorists, and not every element in that novel made the transition unscathed when the terrorist plot thread was removed for McClane's version of the skyscraper siege incident. Fortunately it all balances out to a net positive result, but still: it's worth pointing out every plus and every negative, and determining their source, I think. - Lewis

[@mikeyp2277]

These retrospectives are so good.

[@cinematicworldofbenji9311]

I just watched Die Hard tonight and I really liked it. I don’t know if it’s my favorite action movie of all time, but it’s definitely a great movie.

[@JoelCraike]

Die Hard is definitely my favourite movie of all time

[@Truthseeker1515]

I remember watching this at the end of term at school in June 1990, a friend had hired the video from rental, our English teacher was appalled by the cursing and the violence. We had not been able to watch the last half hour because of this! Alan Rickman made this movie. One of the few movies I regret not having seen in theatre but I do not recall much marketing for it....

[@sisyphus8870]

I love this film, I'm a 42 year old man so it might be nostalgia. I always found it amusing that the Christmas miracle at the end is cop regains his ability to kill people. Also die hard trilogy air port with the light gun was the bollocksl!

[@mccuegreene8157]

Excellent work on this one as per usual subscribed about 8 months ago and have done nothing but enjoy all of your retrospectives your attention to detail and trivia are my favorites in particular

[@frankchukwumah9477]

Love this film. Oliver needs to make a classic retrospective on older films from the 50, 60s,

[@jamesbrian9828]

Surprised you hadn't done a Retrospective Review on this yet - glad you did! Love your work, Oliver and I love this movie - was my go-to in college to watch and is always my Christmas Movie. In fact, my buddy and I just watched Die Hard to celebrate 4th of July, LoL

[@Johny40Se7en]

This retro review is your best yet Ollie, it's got a magic to it just like Die Hard has, absolutely wicked, nice one. I always said that if I had a kid and they wanted to know what an action film is, I'd just put Die Hard on and we'd watch it together, wouldn't need to say anything ☺ Best action film forever and I feel like it's a Christmas film because I saw it one magical lovely Christmas eve and like you said about Michael Kamen's score, there's Christmasy cues that are so nice.

[@mikesutton381]

Do Die Hard 2! Best reviews on the whole of KZbin

[@rockmusicforever90]

Oliver mention in his Die Hard with a vengeance review/ retrospective that he's not a fan of Die Hard 2 even tho I also would like to see a Die Hard 2 review from him. I still enjoy it more then Live free or Die Hard

[@damienmb2365]

Oliver could elaborate why he's not a fan of it / what about it "doesn't work". In a nutshell I'd say Die Hard 2 feels "tacky" compared to McTiernan's films. However it remains an enjoyable "golden age" action film on it's own and as a sequel it is closer to the mark than the last 2 cash ins.

[@williamg3165]

BRAVO, OLIVER, BRAVO INEED! I got to admit, I was kind of flabbergasted that you had not covered this film in all this time. In my opinion this might be the premiere 80's action "shoot em up" film. I know you had done, Die Hard 3, but that seemed like an odd entry point to cover this series from. Hopefully, you will get around to covering Die Hard 2, as well, at some point in the future. Overall, awesome job! I hate to bother you, but there is one quandary I have to make, if you will indulge me:When are you going to start covering the Lethal Weapon series? This was one of the foremost 80's action series and is among the few series that stands right up there with the big ones like Rambo, Terminator, and Die Hard, as mentioned. I'd really like to see your unique impressions on this film, not only as a huge 80's action franchise, but as a pioneer of the "Buddy Cop" sub-genre of action films. Anyway, just a suggestion. Hopefully, we'll see you reminisce on that franchise in the not too distant future. In the meantime, keep up the spectacular work!

[@jonastiger1000]

Nice timing for a 30 anniversary of this Action Classic

[@Starlightean]

Great actors, great direction, and even with a very simple setting, it's rewatchable and still funny. Willis did a fantastic job with adding charisma, humor and assertiveness that's quite the opposite for the subdued actor himself.

[@isaaczimmerman1911]

I’ve been waiting for SOOOOOO long for this! I’m so excited Oliver! This is my favorite movie hands down.

[@DerHeimatlose1]

Die Hard is no Christmas movie ?!? Die Hard I and Lethal Weapon I is a must on every Christmas !!!

[@MlninPricl]

I'm still perplexed as to why Harper doesn't have millions of subs. He goes above and beyond anything I've ever seen reviewing movies, their soundtracks and even any videogames based on said movie. He's the most thorough Movie reviewer on the entirety of youtube and his production is grade SS. Is youtube somehow keeping him off recommended lists so new viewers can't find him?

[@sonnycroc]

Never knew Die Hard had that many video game adaptations :)

[@WrecklessEating]

Hell yeah! Watching now. :)

[@pho3nix-]

Matt are you also a fan of this dude?? Lmao small world

[@BooshmanLee]

Big congrats on exceeding the kickstarter goal Oliver.

[@MasterDecoy1W]

I'm such a sucker for Ode to Joy that your re-cut trailer got me hyped beyond reason. Good job with that editing.

[@OliverHarper]

Thank you very much!

[@Oh6Torch]

Die Hard was truly one of the best action movies of the 80s. I remember going and not expecting much from it. I sat there finding myself more and more involved in the movie thinking, “Wow! What an awesome flick!” No superpowers, no fancy effects just a pretty normal guy in a very extraordinary situation..

[@RyanSpringer1984]

I loved the Trilogy video game but found myself going to the 1st one a lot as well. Start in the garage & work my way up.

[@CBT5777]

I was 11 when this came out. Best Christmas movie ever. (Until Bad Santa) Hell, probably the best action movie ever. Loved this and Predator. I don't remember anyone disliking Die Hard. Must have missed Siskel & Ebert that year.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I was gutted to hear about the recent departures as I loved all your work but hey, life goes on. Good luck with the documentary and the future of the channel. Keep up the great work

[@liamdawson6129]

Happy trails, Hans. Watching this makes me feel like I'm drunk at Christmas.

[@spiderjerusalem100]

Great, detailed and entertaining retrospective. Movies like Die Hard are why i love 80's and 90's action thrillers so much. They're movies which are made for adults and aren't toned down in order to reach a wider audience or for the sake of raking in more money. The comedy is these movies isn't goofy and comes across as something real people would say in stressful situations and the action is tense and bloody. Also a lot of 80's action thrillers are kind of small in scale. Die hard is one guy fighting bad guys in a skyscraper so it feels more realistic and grounded, nowadays it would be a guy fighting to save the world with horrible looking CG blood effects and explosions. Even the last 2 Die Hard movies are everything which is wrong with so many modern action movies. They're toned down and the action is ramped up to a ridiculous degree with Willis being chased by a fucking fighter plane while the city explodes around him. Thank God for movies like John Wick and Atomic Blonde which are getting action movies back to what they used to be.

[@hteekay]

1.Die Hard 2.Die Hard with a Vengeance 3.Die Hard 4 4.Die Hard 2 The other one didn't happen

[@kalreeve]

No freaking way Live Free or Die Hard is better than Die Hard 2. The plane ejection scene in Die Hard 2 alone is better than all of Live Free. Die Hard 2 is sickeningly underrated. It's nonstop action beautifully executed.

[@saxbend]

I need to watch 4 and 2 again. Only seen them once each. Actually I should just watch all four again in order.

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

H Raa Die Hard 2 was a disappointment to the majority as I love William Sadler but he's no Alan Rickman and die hard 2 just seemed a bit too similar to the original in regards to the situation John finds himself in that he felt the need to acknowledge it with that tagline of lightning striking twice. It just had the reek of a studio cash in rather than wait for a better script. Die hard with a vengeance was a return to form and I vaguely remember the one after that with Kevin Smith and Justin Long. By the last one I didn't even make it through it. John McClain used to be a wisecracking hero who actually laughed and smiled but by the end it was dour faced old man Willis and a ridiculous plot. Maybe someone can resurrect Die Hard but with Bruce's age and ego I really hope they don't

[@rs52594]

Switch Die Hard 2 and 4 and I agree.

[@Hexley_Vexley]

Bleh Gtfo with that crap. Die Hard 4 should not be anywhere near that list, it's barely even credible to call it a Die Hard movie.

[@2543016]

Brilliant review Oliver! Love your videos!

[@DDaSilva1980]

I'd love to see reviews for The Last Boy Scout, Striking Distance and Last Man Standing.

[@TheTuubster]

"Die Hard" looks like a 2D version of a 3D movie. The cinematography looks like it was made for 3D.

[@SA80TAGE]

That's not the impression I ever got from watching it. If that were true we'd have shit flying at the camera all the time, every gun barrel or pointy object would also be distractingly "in your face" mere millimetres from the camera.

[@TheTuubster]

Bullshit.

[@davidjames579]

TheTuubster That's interesting. What makes you think that?

[@coys77]

The first time I saw Die Hard was on TV around 1993. I thought it was amazing, and it's clearly one of the best action films. A nice mix of humour in there and strong performances. I like the fact films like Commando and Rambo were highlighted as being films that were dumbed down (you may as well watch the A Team) that Die Hard is more serious, and that's why it's in a different league.

[@RandomZombie412]

This is one of my absolute favorite films ever made, it’s right under 12 Angry Men for my favorite of all time. A genuine near flawless classic.

[@happyspaceinvader508]

3 things about the movie never sat very well for me: 1. Why does Gruber not know what Takagi looks like if he’s read so many articles about him in magazines? 2. Where does the ambulance escape vehicle come from? You can clearly see at the beginning of the movie it’s not there in the truck as the terrorists get out. 3. How the heck does Karl survive being hanged, to come back to have another go at the very end?

[@deviantrat6001]

*Ollie, please do Assault on Precinct 13!*

[@allendean9807]

0.74 a gallon... wow

[@jamesanderson6373]

I remember .45¢ a gallon

[@T.R.R.Jolkien]

slappy sam gas prices everywhere else was .49 at the same time...

[@julien8629]

But it IS a Christmas movie

[@willd6215]

Julien why wasn't it released at Christmas then?

[@Astrotrain78]

No, it's not.

[@Cyborganna]

John's wife is called 'Holly', Holly, as a Yuletide decoration, represents the wreath Jesus wore (thorns) and the blood He spilt (berries). He's literally saving Christmas, it is a Christmas Movie. 🎅"Ho, ho, ho!" 😉💖

[@happyspaceinvader508]

It was released as a Summer blockbuster in July. I’ve no idea why they out all the Xmas elements in, as they don’t serve the plot. Maybe it had originally been intended for an Xmas release but pushed back?

[@alfa01spotivo]

@@willd6215 if its set during christmas its a christmas movie for me

[@markbennettjr]

"Head master" lol , oh how you brits cheer me up.

[@OliverHarper]

haha I should've said principal.

[@9493waltbabyluv]

He was actually the assistant principal. A head principal wouldn’t be caught dead monitoring Saturday detention.

[@worlocked777]

Yes! One of the best action movies! One of the my farite scenes that dont have John Mclane in it: Sergeant Al Powell: Excuse me, sir! But what about the body that fell out the window? Dwayne T. Robinson: Well, who knows? Probably some stockbroker, got depressed.

[@WelhamGaming]

What a classic. My favourite action movie next to T2.

[@Greydevil82]

Yes. Thank you Ollie, was waiting years for this one

[@OliverHarper]

Sorry it took so long.

[@Greydevil82]

It was worth it

[@jasonnelson5251]

Oliver Harper appreciate all that you do. You do great work. Don't laugh but your voice puts me to sleep at night. Please do lethal weapon next, or a Seagal movie.

[@syxx7wun]

Good job as always, Oliver

[@LesiureBoy]

Excellent movie. I pass by this infamous building pretty often being as I'm a Uber driver and there is not a single time I don't think of this movie. In fact I go out of my way to always point out to my passengers the connection to the building. I love it!

[@scottknode898]

R.I.P. Alan Rickman who played one of the best villains in American Cinema Hans Gruber.

[@indytim]

I was fortunate enough to see this film upon its initial UK release at the cinema. I had been keenly waiting for its release after reading all of the hype coming out of the USA. It did not disappoint. One of my all-time greatest cinema-going experiences. I feel sorry for people who did not get to experience this film for the first time in a cinema as a lot of its impact is lost watching it in your living room on a TV. The one moment in this film that best illustrates this is the huge ground floor explosion after McClane tips the chair of explosives down the elevator shaft. In the cinema this looked and sounded genuinely amazing. It literally had me ducking down in my seat. Watching at home that visceral sensation is lost. The Hunt for Red October is another example of this. The impact of the scale of the visuals is lost on small screens and lackluster sound systems. Always watch movies like this in cinemas, if you can. Your experience watching films will be all the richer for doing so.

[@scyyyy]

Fun Fact: the Movie has become THE example for the impression of US-American carelessness and indifference of foreign cultures in Germany, mainly due to the German villain being unable to even speak the easiest sentences imaginable. The used line "Schieß dem Fenster" is an all-time trope here, comparable to a false preposition like "I'm on Central Park".

[@PaganFall]

I love these Retrospective reviews.

[@stevegeorge6880]

I came here because of Minty, and, holy crap, you're the best damn thing on KZbin.

[@BennieJett85]

One of my favourite 80's action movies of all time. Nice review

[@maxtubb8560]

Paul Gleeson was also in another one of my favorite Christmas movies, Trading Places (1983).

[@Jay.McCarty]

"'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except... the four assholes coming in the rear in standard two-by-two cover formation." Love that line. Also, Grand L. Bush is one of the helicopter pilots who flys John Spartan in to confront Simon Phoenix at the beginning of Demolition Man. I caught it while watching your Demolition Man retrospective just yesterday.

[@steamofbennett8748]

Great movie great review! Thx mate One little thing...Gruber was heartless as he planned to blow up all the hostages.😵 he pretended to be polite and civil...with a ruthless undertone

[@OliverHarper]

well true but he flip flops in showing some compassion.

[@probablymelgibson2344]

You should make movie trailers, these intros are gold

[@coldscooter]

Oh yes, I've been waiting for you to do Die Hard. Excellent quality retrospective as always. I loved this film so much when I was a kid.

[@jessliaudin1004]

I heard just about everything about this film over the years and yet nobody ever spoke about that Sinatra story. Thanks for another great video.

[@jonbolton3376]

i think this is my fave movie of all time. i first saw it when it premiered on british tv in about 1990 when i was 10

[@JoelCraike]

Die Hard is also my number one favourite movie of all time too

[@LLHgames]

You know it’s crazy, I just literally watched your Die Hard 3 review yesterday for the 2nd time and started binging on Die Hard clips, especially as number 3 is my favourite. I open KZbin on my work break and this came through my sub box, a fantastic surprise, albeit quite creepy considering 😅 Another fantastic video, best movie reviewer for sure

[@OliverHarper]

Thanks for your feedback dude!

[@everydaygear3730]

Annnnnnnnd subscribed! I appreciate your depth, and your ability to explain the details of your opinion. This was my favorite movie growing up as a kid, and JM's character was a role model growing up.

[@SageofSorrow]

9:33 Another missed connection between two actors. Grand L. Bush and Clarence Gilyard would reunite on an episode of Walker Texas Ranger as estranged brothers. Bush at first appearing to have grown to become a criminal but later revealed to have been an undercover cop.