Christmas movie with a twist: my thoughts on Die Hard

Die Hard pits Bruce Willis as LAPD Officer John McClane in an all-or-nothing fight to the death against 12 ruthless and intelligent German thieves. Director John McTiernan ups the budget from his 1987 success Predator, however we see the same tongue-in-cheek humour and explosive action sequences. Willis delivers one of his greatest performances as the cynical McClane, each set piece rounded off by a typical quip or one-liner.

The tension caused by the David vs Goliath situation of Die Hard provides the perfect feeling of unease as the audience follows the unfolding plot of the band of villains. Their swift use of force and efficient team work seats the audience amongst the hostages, unaware of the true nature of their intentions. Michael Kamen's score twists and darkens Beethoven's 9th Symphony as well as a number of Christmas hits, and is a wonderful accompaniment to the developing game of cat and mouse between McClane and Gruber.

It is Willis' characterisation that earns Die Hard's status as a necessary classic in any action film collection. Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger's macho, swollen commando in Predator, Willis' McClane is a character we can all associate with in some way or another. He is a father of two, he is in the midst of a difficult separation from his wife, he's jet-lagged and he is at an office party he doesn't want to attend. Take your pick, there is something in his character for everyone. He displays selfishness, irritation and cynicism and is a human being guiding the audience through his extraordinary situation.

There is an underlying light-heartedness to Die Hard that secure its place, in my opinion, under the Christmas genre. Alan Rickman's caraciture of a villain Hans Gruber, the Agents Johnson and McClane's interaction with bumbling 'sidekick' Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald Veljohnson) all provide the much needed comic relief from this otherwise ruthless orchestra of bullets and blood. And panning across the final set, frosty trees, bearer bonds fluttering from the sky like snowflakes, and small fires burning like bright lights certainly cap the film off with poignancy and a heart-warming final joke.

I expect you all to have seen Die Hard, and I'm not attempting to formulate or change any preconceived opinions. I have decided to review films because I am interested in hearing another viewpoint, so I have sought to provide others with such an opinion.