3 - Die Hard
When so many film pitches have started with "Die Hard on a....." you begin to wonder if Die Hard is just about the most formulaic action movie there is. Well it's not so much formulaic as the rule book baby! One man vs many men? CHECK! An enclosed environment, perfect for killing? CHECK! Smart ass quips while blowing people away in slow motion? CHECK!!! Die Hard works because it is just about the most simple story every written, leaving you all this room for awesome action and fantastically hammy Alan Rickmanisms. So many directors forget that all action films need, and I do mean all, is a lovable hero and a sensible excuse for amazing action. Everything else is peripheral. I'm not saying you can't have smart action movies, but having dull ones is unforgivable. Die Hard isn't high brow, it isn't art house and you wont have pretentious discussions about the symbolic meaning of John McClane's bare feet in a film studies class. You will enjoy every god damned second of it though.
Best bit: Dropping a dead bad guy on a cop car, you know, for the attention.