Christmas in March. Let’s have at it.
I’ve always wanted to watch Die Hard (Dir: J. McTiernan) if only because of Detective Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99 (which is also a fun and glorious watch despite recent media disdain for the police profession) idolizing it and the trailer being pretty funny in spite of the serious tones.
It’s a long movie. 2 hours and 12 minutes kind of long. I usually don’t like movies over 2 hours that require ass-to-chair-where-I-collapse-into-a-bored-jelly-like-substance, but this movie was definitely ass-teetering-on-edge-of-chair and after enough time, that sure gets spicy.
We got our boi John McClane (Bruce Willis) who’s having some marital problems with his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) but wants to spend Christmas with his family regardless.
There’s the entire subplot about why their marriage is strained and how John’s ideals of manhood and family are strained because of it. All of that is peppered in nicely with the hostile, terrorist takeover of Nakatomi Corporation and the eventual explosion-riddled escape attempts.
It’s wonderfully paced where the action sequences are intense but are followed by brief moments of respite. 2 hours of just intense action does get boring and monotonous (too many explosions make for a dull experience because you get *gasp* used to it) but there’s enough ebb and flow so it doesn’t feel too slushy.
The best part is that every character has motivation and goals. And oftentimes, those differing things conflict with each other and we get actually decent story encapsulated in an action/thriller movie.
High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war.
One man has managed to escape… An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside.
He’s alone, tired… and the only chance anyone has got.
—Movie Poster for Die Hard (1988)
What a godawful long tagline. I think the tag is actually “40 stories of sheer adventure!” but like why do they have a little obituary on the cover that’s so weird to me.
The stakes are high (potential death) and just keep getting higher (potential death of loved ones because of protagonist) that no matter how absurd and ridiculous and downright fanatical the fight sequences are, we are rooting for John and hoping that no matter how many bullets he takes, he’ll make it out alive.
If not for us, then for his kids.
Action Sequences
I love the action here because it does 3 things:
It looks so badass.
It shows off John’s abilities and hardcore cop spidey sense.
It raises the stakes.
The third reason is my favorite reason because the action doesn’t randomly cause explosions or kill people. Every action has a reaction and a consequence that further moves things along and intensifies what they are fighting for.
In a theatrical landscape of action=explosion, the everyman details Die Hard showcases for the plot cements its status as the action/thriller movie to define its genre.
Lulls
The Premium Beat explain what pacing is and how to develop that feel in your work, but pacing to me is whether or not a movie bores me. Of course this varies for everyone, but it’s realistically the rate at which the plot moves, and that can be slow or fast, or a mix of both, so that the tension of attention the screen demands doesn’t snap or go slack.
I hate when I’m watching a movie and something onscreen reminds me that this is just a movie. That suspension of disbelief to accept that whatever nonsense is happening, is allowed to happen, is vital to enjoy movies, without getting too caught up in the technicalities.
The action isn’t a strong 2 hours in the film where it’s nonstop and monotonous. It’s broken by believable and reasonable pauses as the characters ponder their next move and find pockets of respite for themselves away from the action.
Don’t get me wrong, something is always happening, but it’s not at the same speed of suspenseful action so we are led along at a decent pace.
MacGyvering
I really like how McClane doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing. Like for sure he’s a good NYPD cop, he knows in general that the building is under hostile takeover, and he knows the protocols to follow. But at the end of the day, he can only rely on himself so he does because he has to.
This is a “1 v. Many” fight and boy does it deliver. He takes all of his enemies out methodically and brilliantly. He uses their weapons against them and crafts his own out of the random shit he finds lying around.
This is only possible because of his skillset going in and his ingenuity under duress.
I know for a fact that if I was placed in a situation like this, I would be the first to go. Not because I’d try to be a hero and fight back but because I’d probably sneeze and get killed for being annoying.
McClane doesn’t have the benefit of massive resources or weaponry as he orchestrates the demise of Hans Gruber (RIP Alan Rickman), head of the terrorist group. He doesn’t have unlimited ammo or even the support of the LA police force.
What he does have is his wit and his muscles and that is a deadly combo for enemies of the protagonist.
Yippee-ki-yay
-John McClane
This is definitely one of the greatest action movies of all time. One thing the film does really well—and something that seems to be missing in a lot of action movies these days—are perfect set-ups and pay-offs. Every bit of information that is established in the first act becomes a significant part of the film later—even the seemingly small details (the bare feet, Holly's decision to not use McClane as her last name, the picture frame she lays facedown, etc). It's brilliant, and it's what sets this film apart. The action is great, but the storytelling is what makes it a classic.