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: ?
Up 23% 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:
(246 articles)
The Flickcast – Episode 32: Eclipse
 (From The Flickcast. 18 November 2009, 9:00 AM, PST)
The Sunday Movie Quiz – The Answers
 (From HeyUGuys. 16 November 2009, 12:33 PM, PST)
User Comments:
One of the best action pictures *ever*. 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
Color:
Color
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:
In the conversations between Officer McClane (Bruce Willis) and Sgt. Powell, there are many references to "Roy Rogers" (e.g. McClane addressing Powell as Roy and shouting to the terrorist, "Happy Trails", Roy Roger's popular TV theme song). However, the "Yippee i-oh-----" to Hans, which references a well known line from the standard Country Pop hit "Ghost Riders In The Sky", is attributed more to 'Gene Autry' than to Roy Rogers. This was the title song, and a single by Gene from his feature Riders in the Sky (1949). Actually, Autry bought the rights to the song from composer Stan Jones, a friend and Forest Ranger, before using it in his film. more
Goofs:
Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Theo and Karl first enter the Plaza Lobby, and Karl shoots the security guard, Theo says into his walkie-talkie "Okay we're in!". The next shot shows Heinrich in the truck in the basement car park replying but nothing is heard. 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:
Featured in Analog Hero in a Digital World: Making of 'Live Free or Die Hard' (2007) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Jingle Bells more

FAQ

Is this movie based on a novel?
What is the origin of "Yippee kai-yay"?
Why exactly did Holly punch the TV reporter Dick Thornberg at the end?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
125 out of 146 people found the following comment useful.
One of the best action pictures *ever*., 4 January 2004
9/10
Author: Scott LeBrun from Winnipeg, Canada

On the night that John McClane (Bruce Willis), an NYC cop, is visiting his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) in a 40-story skyscraper, terrorist thieves seize control of the building. McClane manages to slip away unnoticed and singlehandedly works to take out the terrorists and save 30 or so hostages.

Fantastic! This ought to get anybody out of their seat and make them take notice! Once it gets going there is non-stop action and violence, and even entertaining exchanges between McClane and terrorist leader Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). The picture offers some good dialog, good thrills, some impressive special effects, and some good performances. I think this movie and its equally macho sequels would be a must for any action fan's video/DVD library.

McClane does sort of turn out to be a one-man army, but he's not exactly superhuman. He suffers wounds and injuries just like any normal human being, and he talks quite a bit. McClane's efforts are not appreciated by either the L.A.P.D. *or* the F.B.I., and his only support outside the building is from weary street cop Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson). The relationship between McClane and Powell is a well-developed one, and Willis and VelJohnson have good dialog as Powell offers McClane words of encouragement.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the superb performances by Rickman and Russian ballet dancer Alexander Godunov as the primary bad guys. These are thoroughly entertaining action movie villains, and Hans is actually more than one-dimensional. On the one hand, he's cold-blooded and cruel, yet he also enjoys dressing well and seems very cultured.

The only sour note is the abundance of the F-word (although, in retrospect, I might be swearing a blue streak if I were in the same frustrating situation) and the variety of truly moronic supporting characters in the film (the self-serving, coke-snorting yuppie Ellis (Hart Bochner), the foolish and brain-dead deputy police chief Robinson (Paul Gleason), the equally self-serving and pompous TV news reporter Thornburg (William Atherton), and the ignorant and overconfident FBI men (Robert Davi, Grand L. Bush).

But what a film it is. Entertaining for over two hours. While on the surface it seems like a real "Guy's" film, Bonnie Bedelia, as the estranged wife, has a decent role, although hers is the only prominent female role in the picture.

9/10

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Order the Die Hards, best to worst.... ollie-rocks
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