Another week and another blog post; on time too boot as well. So what now? With John McClane’s latest adventure in theatres being horrible I figured now would be a great time to talk about the original Die Hard. I have never kept it secret that I consider the 1988 film Die Hard the greatest Christmas movie of all time. It is in fact the only film I make sure I see on Christmas every year. I also consider it the greatest action film of all time. This film is older than me and damn does it still hold up.

  Unlike other action movies of the time the hero is not invincible. John slowly gets more and more beat up throughout the movie. By the end of the film John is a limping bleeding wreck. This is not a movie where the hero fearlessly moves forward barely taking any sort of serious injury (looking at you Arnold.) We see actually see McClane feeling fear throughout this movie, especially when he uses a fire hose to escape off of the roof. He has to use quick thinking and dirty tactics to survive and save the day. This is a hero who despite getting his ass handed to him keeps going despite the improbable odds.

  To be honest the acting in the film is fantastic, especially between Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman. Bruce Willis is very believable as a cop in the wrong place and at the wrong time and desperately trying to save the day. Alan Rickman puts in a magnificent performance in his role as the evil and intelligent Hans Gruber who is more than just a common thief.

  This film will always be one of my absolute favorite films. Well choreographed action scenes, smart and clever dialogue, realistic and well thought out characters, and it is an underdog movie. What more can you want?