There was a time when every action movie was compared to Die Hard. For instance Speed (‘It’s Die Hard on a bus!’) and Air Force One (‘It’s Die Hard on a plane!’). When you think Bruce Willis, you think John McClane.
Of the 5 Die Hard movies, which ones are the best? Find out below:
#5: A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
Score:
4.5
On paper Die Hard 5 doesn’t sound so bad.
McClane travels to Russia to help get his son out of some trouble and they ultimately have to team up to take down some bad guys. Maybe this could be the Rocky IV of the Die Hard series. Maybe Bruce Willis will have some witty dialog with a younger version of himself, and his son will comment about how his dad is too old to be doing this shit.
We get all that, but the final product is somehow mediocre and forgettable. The spark is missing and I think the casting leaves something to be desired as both McClane’s son and the baddie come across as second rate.
On the other hand, it’s Bruce Willis making jokes and getting the job done, so it’s not all bad. Just mostly.
#4: Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
Score:
6.5
The first Die Hard may be the best action movie of all time and one of the greatest Christmas films to ever grace our screens, but don’t forget that the 1990 follow-up happens to also take place at Christmas and tries its best to be harder than the first!
The question is: does it deliver?
Well, by definition most sequels are just warmed up leftovers from the first movie – the same elements are rehashed and re-served, and the dish doesn’t taste as good as when it was fresh.
Director Renny Harlin is no John McTiernan, and bad guy William Sadler is no Alan Rickman (the infamous Hans Gruber of the first film). Plus, the Washington D.C. airport can’t measure up to the classic Nakatomi building.
Having said all that, Die Hard 2 works just fine as a B-level action movie, and it gets bonus points for finding interesting ways to integrate characters from the first film, for giving Bruce Willis plenty of opportunities to mow down bad guys, and for giving us another option when it comes to Christmas movies.
#3: Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Score:
6.5
Die Hard goes PG-13! This caused a bit of a stink when it was first announced, but I’ll be honest – the rating of a movie is the least of my concerns. The good news was that we were getting a new Die Hard movie after 12 years. The excitement was real. (Please don’t suck!)
I had a good time with this entry when it came out and I still like it. While no action villain can measure up to Hans Gruber, I was invested in the movie and there were a couple of memorable action sequences that still stick out in my mind today.
This being the highest budgeted Die Hard movie, the production value is top-notch. As time has gone by, Live Free or Die Hard doesn’t get many spins in the old Blu-Ray player, but I do revisit it every now and then, and it certainly is better than Die Hard 2.
#2: Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
Score:
7.5
The third entry in the saga of John McClane is a step up from the previous film, with director John McTeirnan returning and two fantastic actors (Samual L. Jackson & Jeremy Irons) joining the cast.
Rather than being stuck in one location, Bruce Willis and Jackson play a game of “Simon Says” which takes them all over New York in an effort to prevent various bombs from detonating. It’s a refreshing scenario and offers plenty of action, as well as a twist that calls back to the original Die Hard.
The first two-thirds of this movie is as exciting and awesome as the original Die Hard. It sort of peters out after that and the ending doesn’t quite measure up, but over-all this is a great action movie and comes in a strong second for the series.
#1: Die Hard (1988)
Score:
10
The action movie that every other action movie wants to be!
I was a kid when this film came out, and I remember wanting to see it sooo bad. However, the ‘R’ rating (and my parents) managed to keep my innocent little eyes from seeing it on the big screen. So, my first viewing of Die Hard was from renting it on VHS and eagerly drinking in every frame from the comfort of my own home. Man, was it awesome.
And then a magical thing happened. Die Hard gets better and better year after year and no matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old. This is the movie that saves millions of men everywhere from watching another sappy Christmas film.
“It’s my turn to pick the Christmas move… and I choose DIE HARD!”
It’s quotable, iconic and exciting. Bruce Willis nails it, Alan Rickman nails it, John McTiernan is a directing genius. Is there anything better than Die Hard? No, there is not.