Upon its release, Die Hard became an instant classic. On top of being a well-made action flick in itself, the film defied action conventions at the time by placing a relatable hero placed in a situation far over his head. As a result, it left viewers on the edge of their seats. As a weirder accolade, it also became many people's favorite Christmas movie.
Of course, that immense popularity spawned a franchise. Several Die Hard sequels have come and gone over the years, but none of them measure up to the standard set by the original. Though most entries have some redeeming qualities, the first film was self-contained lightning in a bottle. Anything that comes after just extends a simple concept well past its potential. With the series currently available on Hulu, now is a great time to revisit this iconic action franchise.
5 A Good Day To Die Hard
It's the last film in the series for a reason: A Good Day to Die Hard is truly the lowest of the low. Any magic once associated with the property is long gone. Instead, viewers must endure a boring plot, even more boring characters, and superhuman antics took to an unbelievable extreme. Despite these amazing feats, Bruce Willis is clearly checked out. It's hard to blame him given the script, but he makes no attempt to channel the sassy energy that people love about John McClane.
The only one trying here is Jai Courtney as his son. Unfortunately, he's always been stronger as a character actor than a leading man. He can't carry a blockbuster action flick on his shoulders, let alone one this sloppy. Needless to say, this nixes any plans the filmmakers had to pass the torch.
4 Die Hard With A Vengeance
The third Die Hard flick is the first to change up the formula, but that change is not a welcome one. It throws McClane into a buddy adventure with Samuel L. Jackson. Unorthodox team-ups like this can be immensely entertaining, but this dynamic is just annoying. They yell at each other throughout the whole movie, arguing about every random topic under the sun for the sake of "comedy." However decent the action may be, it's undermined by how grating the characters are.
This is even more frustrating given the potential behind them. Jeremy Irons plays a villain bent on revenge. That alone should have been a tour de force, but he's barely a presence. What could have been a deeply personal struggle for McClane boils down to a repetitive scavenger hunt. Maybe it would have been better as the Lethal Weapon sequel that the filmmakers originally intended.
3 Die Hard 2
Considering the massive success of the first film, the studio would obviously want a follow-up regardless of whether the story called for it. As a result, Die Hard 2 is indicative of typical blockbuster sequels. It copies its predecessor's plot, right down to the same beats. The filmmakers try to be clever about this with jokes about how "it's all happening again."
Sadly, this self-awareness can't hide the fact that they repackage the original product and sell it back to viewers. The plot, characters, and action are all reasonably engaging, but none of them are as strong as the last time around. Granted, some of that comes down to the different team. Director John McTiernan, for example, was replaced by Renny Harlin. However, most of the mediocrity stems from the once-novel premise having grown stale.
2 Live Free Or Die Hard
This belated fourth entry presents an older McClane. With that comes plenty of comedy about him being out of the loop. More importantly, though, the story ably tackles the drama inherent in his lifestyle and the effect it has on his family. This is personified in Mary Elizabeth Winstead's endearing edge as his daughter. This all may sound like a recipe for killjoy, but the film doesn't dwell on John's obsolescence; he's still good at what he does. In fact, he's too good.
Live Free or Die Hard exemplifies director Len Wiseman's penchant for serviceable-yet-toothless action flicks. It stages spectacles that, while accomplished on the surface, severely strain one's suspension of disbelief. It's hard to take any of this seriously when McClane walks away from a collapsing highway with nary a scratch. Further hammering home that lack of tension is the villains. These cyber terrorists are more annoying than threatening, and they're made more unbearable by a miscast Timothy Olyphant as their leader. These issues keep this revival from the triumph it aims for, but it's still much better than the other sequels.
1 Die Hard
The one that started it all, the original Die Hard would obviously take the top spot. Easy competition aside, it's a rock-solid action extravaganza that stands out in a crowded market. One can attribute most of that to its compelling setup, which the creators follow through with skill and precision. Plenty of gun-toting stars had gone up against armies of bad guys, but few were beat down against such insurmountable odds as John McClane was. The tension that naturally arises from such an underdog scenario holds fast for the whole film. Hammering it home are the impactful action set pieces that are contained enough to maintain their credibility.
Fallibility, after all, is what makes John McClane such a likable protagonist. He's an imperfect guy whose frustration and blue-collar sensibilities audiences can easily relate to. What's more is that it creates an electrifying dynamic with an imposing villain, played with calculating menace by Alan Rickman. Arguably more intriguing, though, are the heartfelt conversations with a fellow police officer played by Reginald VelJohnson. He provides an emotional core which gives this movie the most humanity of any entry in the series. Granted, this all runs a little longer than necessary, but it's hard to discount how much Die Hard gets right, especially compared to its peers and even its own series.