One of the most influential action movies ever made, Die Hard gave the world a hero that ignored the genre's musclebound 1980's archetype, instead presenting an ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances. New York police officer John McClane arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve in an attempt to reconnect with his estranged wife, without knowing that what follows will be the longest night of his life. Most of the action takes place within the fictional Nakatomi Plaza, and director John McTiernan makes expert use of the location by staging the set-pieces all over the building, which almost becomes a character in itself; offices, elevator shafts, the lobby, the roof and the parking garage are all part of the story as McClane sets about eliminating the terrorists led by Alan Rickman's iconic villain Hans Gruber. Featuring explosive action, memorable supporting characters and endlessly quotable dialogue, in over 25 years there have been very few action movies as universally loved as Die Hard. Made for just $28m, McTiernan makes the most of his budget to deliver a series of thrilling action scenes, with the movie greatly enhanced by a tight script, expertly-paced editing and top-quality sound design. Die Hard has so much excitement crammed into two hours that it's easy to forget that it only takes place over one night. Thankfully, four sequels of gradually declining quality have failed to diminish the movie's legendary impact on action cinema. Like this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
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