I agree...this is one of the few times I agreed with Siskel over Ebert. This movie changed the game for action movies. I didn’t care about the LAPD in this movie, except for Reginald Vel Johnson, who did a great job. Of course, Willis and Rickman (RIP) were stellar.
I find the more i look back at their reviews the more i think they were clueless. Die Hard, Predator, Jurassic Park, they seemed to always get it wrong.
Seen the first DH at least 20 times in full. On VHS. It started out by analyzing the take over sequences and how cleaver they are, and by the 20th time it was more about losing my ability to suspend disbelief, and spotting discontinuity etc. Still loved watching though.
Johnlindsey289 I watched Hard Boiled a few months ago, and while it was good, I have to say it’s a bit overrated, it has nothing on Die Hard or the Terminator. Lethal Weapon is good, but mainly works because of the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The only action movies that can compare to the first Die Hard are Terminator 1 or 2.
I know! Gene usually had a stick up his ass the size of a redwood and came off like a humorless, pompous jerk and Ebert seemed forgiving (not to mention he gets a pass for writing for Russ Meyer). But occasionally they could switch (makes me wonder if sometimes it wasn't just for show?). But honestly both were sticks in the mud (ever see their review of The Hitcher? They bashed it for being horrific! For doing it's job right!? Why not bash a comedy for being too funny too?) Honestly the show was fun to watch but I never took their reviews seriously.
@Kruppt808 Yeah definitely done to make more of a "show" of it. One thing I didn't know when I commented years ago is apparently they really didn't like each other or at least weren't "friends". Not really connected to my comment but certainly makes you realize their arguments probably had an undercurrent of hostility to them.
For those who were not there when this movie was released... No one expected this type of flick from Bruce Willis, as most of us knew him from 'Moonlighting' and had no idea about his action movie aspirations. It was enjoyable with some memorable scenes and lines.
yeah exactly big gamble taking a chance on a guy who had never made an action movie before this movie. and was a relative unknown in movies in general at this point. his only big movie before this was blind date.
i came here searching for one of them calling it a christmas movie but in this review they didn't say the word christmas one time which proves its not a christmas movie and also they didn't even mention christmas office party they just said office party which also proves this isnt' a cm bc if it was which means c is essential to the plot then they would have said christmas. and dont say oh well when it came out they were just focusing on on it being an action movie nope if it was a cm then one of them would have said it's a cm somewhere in their review. things dont change over the years in terms of movies being a cm or not so this whole stupid and invalid it's a cm talk that has only been around in the last 10 years needs to stop right now. if it was this then it would have been this immediately after it came out.
EXACTLY! The FBI and the dumb cop were the comic relief. If the cops had been smart they would have entered the building 10 minutes in to the story and ruined the plot
And its also THE FORMULA used for many action films since…recent films come to mind are: WHITE HOUSE DOWN and OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (which basically the same movie) but using that format/ formula for the plot.
Bruce Willis gave the performance of his life in this movie. Oscars are so unfair and biased against action performances this one deserved a nomination
Roger was almost always spot on with his reviews but there were times where he would gamble so that he would be correct. He reviewed Die Hard, arguably the greatest action film of all time, like it was Lethal Weapon because that's how he thought it would be perceived.
This film was groundbreaking. Those of you not old enough to remember its impact, this was the first film that had non-stop action and spectacular stunts.
@@4CardsMan.... I seriously hope you're joking. Because if you're not then I have to tell you.... you don't know what you're talking about. If you seriously think Die Hard is a "bad movie" then you're in a very low minority. Lol The vast vast majority of people who have seen the original Die Hard love it.
@@proguninc4080 The protagonist is a hopeless loser. His wife was smart to get rid of him. I don't want to see movies with heroes who can barely tie their shoes. It's one thing for the hero to start out behind, but it's entirely different when he starts out behind due to his own dumbitude. Bruce Willis is a good actor, but I just don't like him.
@@4CardsMan.... Again, I seriously hope you're joking because if not then you're in a very low number of people who actually don't like Die Hard. In which case I would have to ask you what you think IS a good action movie/action hero.
No way. If anything, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first film like that of the era. In fact, "Die Hard" was looked at as a Johnny-Come-Lately, as it came AFTER the Rambo films, AFTER the Schwarzenegger films, AFTER the first 2 Indiana Jones films and after a TON of "non-stop action" films. Which isn't to say that "Die Hard" isn't fantastic, it's a classic - but in absolutely NO way was it the "first". In fact, it was SO late into the "non-stop action" genre of movies of the 80's that people were surprised it was actually a good one. And yes, I was there, I was born in '75.
Terminator Terminator 2: Judgement Day First Blood Raiders Of The Lost Ark Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade Kill Bill Aliens Lethal Weapon Gladiator Are all better films and Predator 1 & 2, Face/Off & The Fugitive might be better as well.
Mr. GoodKat First Blood and Lethal Weapon are good, but not on the level of Die Hard. I like the Temple of Doom and Last Crusade, bu they aren’t even as good as Raiders. I can see an argument being made for Terminator 1 & 2, Alien, or Aliens, but not Gladiator either, and I like that movie too. Face/Off is not quite up there with the first Die Hard, Terminator, or Aliens either, but it is worth mentioning in the conversation. The Fugitive is very good. I didn’t think Predator was that great.
Die Hard is a classic. It makes no difference that Dwayne T Robinson is a pin head. He is. Die Hard is a Christmas staple for lot of action fans. Its right next to "Its a wonderful Life" on the Xmas movie program. You can't intellectualize it. The film has become legend.
Well, I don't call it a Christmas film, just an action film that takes place at that time of the year. I didn't have a problem with Dwayne T. Robinson-he was sort of funny, like when he says the body that fell out the window was a stockbroker who got depressed. That makes sense to me.
@@RubbinRobbin Old post, I know. No, the second film is not as good because it lacks the claustrophobic atmosphere that made drove the engine of the first film. Die Hard 2 is a good action film but it's a unremarkable one.
If anything Siskel hated everything and almost never met a movie that he liked. He was an oversensitive pussy and an arrogant contrarian who trashed countless classics like "Silence of the Lambs", "Se7en" AND "Taxi Driver". He couldn't see art like Roger which is why he is remembered by so few.
@@ZeeGnarly Siskel still recommended Se7en for the directing and style but said it was too needlessly grotesque and it didn't need to be because it had everything else going for it. But yes, he was wrong most of the time. Ebert will definitely be long remembered for his film criticism, Siskel won't be.
skinnypuppy95 I think that’s what made Se7en so unique though. It’s rare that a movie so dark and disturbing could garner so much box office appeal. You might not like what you see but you can’t take your eyes off of the screen. Also I think Die Hard has got to be one of the most overrated actions movies ever made.
Bad Writing, Loopholes, fuck that shit. Movie is fucking awesome, my dad taped it, when I was young, I watched it over and over, 20 years later still a classic, Pure enjoyment
+Bossman C'mon. Die Hard is one of my faves but no movie is flawless. The points Roger made were more than credible if you meticulously look at the movies. Granted, the overall story and everything does prevent any detraction from the entertainment. He was right about the dialog(stupidity) of the deputy of police. I mean for instance he thinks the guy who was thrown on the hood of reginald veljonson's car could have been a suicidal stockbroker yet the body had bulletholes on it. He is right about the logical errors. I'm not saying this movie isn't one of the best of all time(cuz it is one of the best) but if u look for flaws if will find them
The entire point of the character, and the FBI guys, was to show how totally alone John McClane was in the situation. He had no choice but to fight these guys himself, because even when the police that he'd been trying to contact got there they were too inept, stubborn, and outright stupid to help the situation. He truly was the only guy who could do anything about the situation and save his wife. And the characters on the outside are hilarious in their ineptitude which is part of the fun of it
Ebert's caveat is based entirely on the fact that he is a 'script uber alles' critic. Everything has to made sense on paper, the characters have to be believable and act consistently. That's an admirable position. A lot of people will accept any action movie no matter how ludicrous the plot holes for the sake of the enormous thrills. Ebert is not one of those people. It's a classicist perspective and he's right to defend it.
These reviews are great, two guys who really got me interested in movies, and thanks to my computer when dvd's started coming out. I loved watching their reviews after watching a movie, they usually had it right, and both lived too short of lives. We need a show like this again,...
Ebert's suggestion that the inclusion of an incompetent police deputy was unrealistic to the point of being stupid is, itself, a thoroughly stupid assertion.
Considering the “wrong-headed” actions of some, I said some, cops caught on video over the last several years, their actions in this movie no longer seem so crazy. For that or maybe just other reasons, it’d be interesting to see if Elbert changed his view of this movie before he died. It’s certainly a classic now, and, in many cases, the action movie to which all others are now compared to. For instance, I saw Skyscraper this weekend. It was fun, and Rock is certainly a worthy action star, but Jesus it couldn’t hold a candle to this film.
One supporting character. One intentionally stupid supporting character almost ruined what is probably the greatest action movie ever made. What the shit, Roger. What the shit.
Well, there`s one thing they didn`t know....Die Hard became a classic High-Tech action/thriller and a place in the top 250 movies of all time. This movie made a standard for lots of other action films. And ofcourse, this is my all time favorite movie........because, it has everything a man needs.
Logan Cracraft Your right. How could he not like this movie. Its freaking Die hHard!!! Its funny because back then it was just some new action movie with that guy from moonlighting. LOL
A while ago I saw Ebert on a talk show in a debate with someone from the film industry - I can't remember who or what the show was. The exec asked, "What credentials do you have to make you a film expert?" Ebert said, "I wrote the screenplay for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls." So basically Ebert's responsible for what might be the Worst Film of All Time.
I know that and I mentioned that but here a lot of the hate is because he didn't like Die Hard. Here they're attacking him because he doesn't share the same opinion as them. That's just typical Twilight/Justin Bieber fan mentality. I thought Die Hard fans would be better than them.
Die Hard is the best pure action thriller ever made. Don't really understand Ebert's objection to a character that's obviously meant to be comic relief from all of the violent nonstop action, as well as serving to isolate McClane more in the skyscraper without official support.
@@Xayjohns I know he said Thumbs Up, but at the same time, when I heard him talk about it, I wasn’t all that convinced that he liked it. It kinda felt like a forced thumbs up.
This is the only time where I absolutely didn't agree with Ebert on a film review. Yes they're were other films that I liked, and he didn't, but I understood his criticisms. This one I don't know where the hell he's coming from, sure the character of deputy chief Robison was dumb, but not to a crippling effect in terms of success or failure of the film.
"This is the only time where I absolutely didn't agree with Ebert on a film review." - Really? The man gave a negative review to nearly every Stanley Kubrick film
Imagine Roger Ebert being upset, because a movie is unrealistic. It’s a GD movie! There is nothing real in the movies. And the cops were written silly on purpose.
Ebert is way off on this. The character he’s talking about is like the 7th or 8th lead. He’s got maybe 5 minutes of total screen time. He’s not that important. Even if he is a dumb character, he’s not dumb enough or in it long enough to offset the other amazing things about this movie. I’d have loved to have seen Ebert re-review this one years later. No way he’d agree with his original take. It’s Die Hard after all. A huge and important movie - I’m sure he saw it again at some point before he passed. RIP Roger and Gene!! You are missed
i loved it when it was first released and i love it still - it IS a nouveau CHRISTMAS classic [of sorts]...i'm sure there are other S&E reviews like this that miss the mark. i found their review retro-refreshing. thanks for posting!
@@lukejbarnett1 john mcclean is visiting his wife in LA at CHRISTMAS. But i get it there are a lot of explosions; bullets flying; bodies dropping so i get why it may not seem like Christmas-like…its antithetical. That makes sense….however, Hints that, although it may not have been the intention of the creators of this movie (which I would find hard to believe) it IS indeed a CHRISTMAS movie: 1: see above; 2: mrs mcclean aka: holly gennero calls her daughter lucy and says “we’ll see what SANTA and mommy can do” re: john staying with them for the holiday; 3: on the ride to nakatomi bldg he asks argyle to play some CHRISTMAS music which argyle exclaims: THIS IS CHRISTMAS MUSIC while CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS by RUN DMC is blasting on the tape deck; 4: the first terrorist that mcclean encounters gets sent back down dead to HANS and the gang with a message: NOW I HAVE A GUN. HO HO HO. The dead terrorist is also wearing a santa hat; 5: the only people in the building besides the terrorists are employees at the company CHRISTMAS party; 6: theres a CHRISTMAS tree at the main entrance near the elevators where the CHRISTMAS party is taking place; 7: at the climatic scene when john has to rescue his wife from Hans, he tapes his gun to his back with CHRISTMAS decorated tape; 8: The last line in the movie which argyle delivers: if CHRISTMAS IS LIKE THIS I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT NEW YEARS IS LIKE. Obviously these are not direct quotes but i think you get the drift. In addition, DIE HARD2 is also a CHRISTMAS movie as both holly and john are meeting up at Dulles international airport to visit her folks for CHRISTMAS and for atmosphere, it’s snowing.
you're wrong bc if you took out all the christmas elements would you still have a movie? and the answer is yes which disqualifies it as a cm. christmas movies are the movies where it is essential that they have christmas elements in them this doesn't have that.@@qoqopepper
@@lukejbarnett1 So by your explanation, the movie WHITE CHRISTMAS could just be called WHITE, if you remove: 1. the scene at the beginning when during the war bing sings White Christmas to the troops accompanied by danny who winds up a toy music box; 2. the reason they go to VT and; 3. the last scene in the movie where the stage performers and the audience of soldiers sing WHITE CHRISTMAS. You would still have a movie about 2 privates who want to help out their general with his failing ski lodge business. The elements of WHITE CHRISTMAS: 1. The movie’s title 2. The titular song 3. The humungous Christmas tree center stage 4. The ballerina’s dressed in red velvet w/white fur trim 5. The main characters dressed like misters and misses’ santa clauses 6. During the finale they open the stage door and the audience sees that it is FINALLY snowing The elements that would go along with your position to make DIE HARD not a Christmas movie: 1. The movie is basically about an east coast, married couple on the rocks bc the wife accepts a job on the west coast. The husband comes to the west coast to try to persuade her to return to their old life. While he’s there trouble ensues. The elements that make it a Christmas movie I have already shared with you. PLUS, Hans' encouragement, IT'S CHRISTMAS, THEO. BUT, that’s not the story. The DH story takes place during the Christmas holiday. Mcclean arrives at LAX with a teddy bear Xmas gift for his [daughter/wife?]. Time & place are set as the company party begins and the CEO wishes everyone Merry Xmas and a HNY. Eggnog is mentioned; and Holly even tries to talk her colleague down from persuading her to sleep with him by reminding him of a few elements of the season. So the audience knows it’s the Christmas holiday and its very obvious by the time Mcclean arrives to the party. Although, the movie’s original release date was in the spring (or summer), it was also the same time of year that It’s a Wonderful Life was released. In that film, there’s no discussion of Christmas until Clarence the angel comes on the scene to help George and very little after that, until George is transported back to his life and Christmas celebrations. And at the very end when Juju exclaims: “Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” The ‘bell’ she referred to is the one hanging from a Christmas tree she and her mommy and daddy are standing next to. Taking Christmas out of this film would make it a movie about how adored George is by his community, and how they would come to his rescue whenever he needed bc he is a good and decent person. All of this is placed inside of a Christmas theme and sentiment. The fact is that one can write any type of element in a script whether it is Christmas-themed, the 4th of July, or Valentine’s Day. The basis of these stories are beyond the holiday they feature. The holiday is just the backdrop for the characters. Stories are about relationships - whatever element one uses to embellish/enhance/enchant the audience. For instance, Jaws takes place over the 4th of July holiday weekend and this is the time when Amity Island’s main source of revenue is “summer dollars”. However, Jaws is essentially about a man running away from his fears. He’s a policeman who moves his family from NYC because of the crime and takes a job on an island where he’s afraid of water. Ultimately, he has to face and overcome those fears for his family. The story is placed inside of the holiday’s theme because if it wasn’t for the 4th the beaches would be presumably empty. The holiday is only mentioned a few times before the big day and after that, it’s all about LET’S SEARCH AND DESTROY THE REALLY BIG SHARK. The holiday is what draws us into the story where we get to meet all of the important people and those relationships that occur. But let’s agree to disagree since you clearly think I'm "wrong". Happy Holidays!
Still my favorite action movie ever and possibly my favorite movie of all time, seen it so many times. Christmas wouldn't be the same without this movie.
One character destroying a whole movie? I've seen it happening in other films but not in Die Hard. Too bad Ebert overlooked one of the greatest action films ever made.
The standard by which all other action movies are judged and Ebert doesn't get that and is instead complaining about the police chief's idiotic behavior. Who woulda thunk? I saw Die Hard four times in a theater and one time the place was packed and people were jumping out of their seats, pumping their fists and going nuts at every turn. It was insane. I loved it. Oh yeah, and he loved Die hard 2. Aye yi yi!
I think Siskel's point about the story is true. It really is ultimately about two guys stuck in a building fighting it out. To create that dynamic, you need to isolate Bruce Wilson's character from his natural allies -- his fellow cops -- so you need the Deputy Chief to doubt him and therefore to come off as a bit of an idiot.
Amen to that. This is one of the few things people should learn with film critics: to rewatch and have a different view of a movie. I just wished he could do the same with Brazil and Dead Poets Society (he gave thumbs down to those).
First R-rated movie I saw in the theater. Of all people, my SISTER is the one who told me I'd love it. Saw it 4 times in the theater. When it came out on VHS, I rented it pretty much every weekend for a year solid.
I think the best thing about these guys is how they both have constructive things to say, and often argue against each other. Movies are very subjective, and they weren't afraid to show that, instead of just giving the movies a flat out score from 1-6, 1-10 or 1-100. These kinds of reviews, unlike most, are actually entertaining to watch
Kinda sad to see what Die Hard once was to how it is now... Still holds up 25 years later compared to what the last 2 Die Hard are now just laughing parodys.
Perhaps, but that doesn't devalue the entire movie. Not saying that he had to like it and clearly he didn't, but I disagree with his basis for disliking it. Roger even admitted that there were plot holes in Die Hard 2 but he liked that one more than the original. So logic didn't seem to matter then.
Born in 71, so was 17 when this hit theaters. I seen the late showing with my buddies Buzz and Little Man, and we were tokin up in the back row not paying too much attention at first. But then the action started and we didn’t say a peep until the credits started rolling. I still remember the shock to the system. This is the greatest action movie ever made. No other action movie comes close. None. Don’t be stupid dnd try and challenge that statement. McTiernan did three classics in a row… Predator. Die Hard. The Hunt for Red October, which is in and of itself a masterpiece…
Yep, people are arguing with me above. You have to have been there when it happened to have real sense of it. When people watched Die Hard in 1988, we were blown away by the non-stop action and huge stunts. We'd never seen anything like it.
Roger.... (in regards to the LA Police dept... that was the whole point!). :-) RIP Roger. Gene and Roger will always be the greatest movie reviewers of all time.
Ebert paraphrased:Oh, I hate the L.A.P.D. depute-chief. His dialog makes me mad and I don't like him. You're not supposed to like him. Ebert's response is exactly the response he is supposed to have. There is this naysayer cop on the ground and the audience/hero know the real deal. It makes you root for the good guy more when there is a character like this, who in the end looks stupid, with the audience/hero being right all along and in the end vindicated.
Ebert is going down a ridiculous rabbit hole with the "idiotic cop", writing him like that was intentional and actually injected a little bit of comedy, he couldn't have been more wrong on that.
To: Tacom4ster. Yes, Paul Gleason was both in Die Hard and also Breakfast Club. Check IMDB and there is even a discussion of which movie he was better in.
I never understood why Roger Ebert wasn't a fan of this awesome movie, but he (along with Gene Siskel) gave Speed 2: Cruise Control "two thumbs up." That would be like me disliking The Dark Knight, but praising Batman & Robin. Just absolutely absurd.
I agreed most often with Ebert, but I believe he's wrong here - Die Hard is a classic.
Nostalgia Critic is a mixture of Siskel and Ebert, and those 3 critcs are the main reason I can't stand movie critics.
You want better critics who are honest than them see ocpcommunications and ramboraph4life here on TH-cam
He hates dead poets society too. Because it wasn’t politically correct. Smdh
Ebert was wrong about a LOT of movies.
he has a point with the stupid detective though. It's a bit cliché with the smart street cop and dumb detective
I agree with Ebert maybe, 85 percent of the time. This is the other 15 percent.
We need more comments like yours, that disagree but say so in a civil way.
I agree...this is one of the few times I agreed with Siskel over Ebert. This movie changed the game for action movies. I didn’t care about the LAPD in this movie, except for Reginald Vel Johnson, who did a great job. Of course, Willis and Rickman (RIP) were stellar.
I agree. Ebert missed this one just because Clarence Beaks cop character. He had maybe 5 minutes of screen time.
I find the more i look back at their reviews the more i think they were clueless. Die Hard, Predator, Jurassic Park, they seemed to always get it wrong.
Agreed. He also trashed masterpieces like The Untouchables. It's like he didnt bother to listen to the dialogue or follow the story
Probably the best R rated action movie ever. I never get tired of watching it.
+Starshine Frost
What about terminator 2, Robocop, Hard Boiled, The Rock, The Killer, Lethal Weapon, Ninja Scroll, Shogun Assassin, First Blood etc.?
Seen the first DH at least 20 times in full. On VHS. It started out by analyzing the take over sequences and how cleaver they are, and by the 20th time it was more about losing my ability to suspend disbelief, and spotting discontinuity etc. Still loved watching though.
Johnlindsey289 I watched Hard Boiled a few months ago, and while it was good, I have to say it’s a bit overrated, it has nothing on Die Hard or the Terminator. Lethal Weapon is good, but mainly works because of the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The only action movies that can compare to the first Die Hard are Terminator 1 or 2.
@@HugoSoup57 - Alien and Aliens too!
T2?
For one time Gene wasn't uptight, where as Roger is!
I know! Gene usually had a stick up his ass the size of a redwood and came off like a humorless, pompous jerk and Ebert seemed forgiving (not to mention he gets a pass for writing for Russ Meyer). But occasionally they could switch (makes me wonder if sometimes it wasn't just for show?). But honestly both were sticks in the mud (ever see their review of The Hitcher? They bashed it for being horrific! For doing it's job right!? Why not bash a comedy for being too funny too?)
Honestly the show was fun to watch but I never took their reviews seriously.
@@brandonhendrix7223I think it was for show sometimes. But that's OK, they probably got pressure to spice up it up for the ratings sometimes
@Kruppt808 Yeah definitely done to make more of a "show" of it. One thing I didn't know when I commented years ago is apparently they really didn't like each other or at least weren't "friends". Not really connected to my comment but certainly makes you realize their arguments probably had an undercurrent of hostility to them.
For those who were not there when this movie was released... No one expected this type of flick from Bruce Willis, as most of us knew him from 'Moonlighting' and had no idea about his action movie aspirations. It was enjoyable with some memorable scenes and lines.
yeah exactly big gamble taking a chance on a guy who had never made an action movie before this movie. and was a relative unknown in movies in general at this point. his only big movie before this was blind date.
i came here searching for one of them calling it a christmas movie but in this review they didn't say the word christmas one time which proves its not a christmas movie and also they didn't even mention christmas office party they just said office party which also proves this isnt' a cm bc if it was which means c is essential to the plot then they would have said christmas. and dont say oh well when it came out they were just focusing on on it being an action movie nope if it was a cm then one of them would have said it's a cm somewhere in their review.
things dont change over the years in terms of movies being a cm or not so this whole stupid and invalid it's a cm talk that has only been around in the last 10 years needs to stop right now. if it was this then it would have been this immediately after it came out.
Rest in Peace Alan Rickman
+MrJCTONE 69 IS YOUNG
CANCER KILLS
EAT HEALTHY FRUITS,VEGGIES BUDDY
Honestly--can you (or anyone) name a single thing he was bad in? I can't. He was even good in the interviews I've seen with him.
And Alexander Godunov. Another favorite of mine - especially in this film. :))))
Yes.
I can watch this film over and over again, it never gets boring.
I Have.
Yeah same here Die Hard is my favourite movie for life
Calm down, Roger! It's just a popcorn movie and a great one at that. Rip to him and Alan Rickman.
It's much more than a popcorn movie. This is one of the best action movies ever.
“Looks like we’re gonna need some more FBI guys.” ... C’mon Roger! It’s funny! A little comic relief.
EXACTLY! The FBI and the dumb cop were the comic relief. If the cops had been smart they would have entered the building 10 minutes in to the story and ruined the plot
Die Hard is still one of the best action movies ever after 23 years and all the CGI these days. That's a hell of an accomplishment.
Die Hard is my favourite film of all time
And its also THE FORMULA used for many action films since…recent films come to mind are: WHITE HOUSE DOWN and OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (which basically the same movie) but using that format/ formula for the plot.
Bruce Willis gave the performance of his life in this movie. Oscars are so unfair and biased against action performances this one deserved a nomination
He did not deserve a nomination for this.
@@filmbuff2777 Alan Rickman sure did.
"The performance of his life" is a stretch.
@blondia1999 Bruce no, pero si mel Gibson por arma letal, en la escena donde el intenta suicidarse
@@nahup944 Totally agree, That scene was incredible and actually led to Mel being cast as Hamlet.
I cannot believe that, regarding this movie, I actually agree with Siskel for once in a situation where Siskel and Ebert have different opinions.
Totally agree. It was usually Siskel who got it wrong.
Yeah I'm stunned that Ebert failed to appreciate this classic.
Siskel wins this round.
Ebert always wanted every film he reviewed to be an academy award winner.
And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer.
Alan Rickman, one of my favorite actors. Hope he ended up in heaven, truly I hope so....
Roger was almost always spot on with his reviews but there were times where he would gamble so that he would be correct. He reviewed Die Hard, arguably the greatest action film of all time, like it was Lethal Weapon because that's how he thought it would be perceived.
Agreed, Shawshank Redemption comes to mind.
Ebert's review is ludicrous and frankly stupid. The ineptitude of the police chief in question is precisely one of the thematic points of the movie.
This film was groundbreaking. Those of you not old enough to remember its impact, this was the first film that had non-stop action and spectacular stunts.
The protagonist was a loser. The mandatory helicopter scene was a big turn off. Bad Movie.
@@4CardsMan.... I seriously hope you're joking. Because if you're not then I have to tell you.... you don't know what you're talking about. If you seriously think Die Hard is a "bad movie" then you're in a very low minority. Lol The vast vast majority of people who have seen the original Die Hard love it.
@@proguninc4080 The protagonist is a hopeless loser. His wife was smart to get rid of him. I don't want to see movies with heroes who can barely tie their shoes. It's one thing for the hero to start out behind, but it's entirely different when he starts out behind due to his own dumbitude. Bruce Willis is a good actor, but I just don't like him.
@@4CardsMan.... Again, I seriously hope you're joking because if not then you're in a very low number of people who actually don't like Die Hard. In which case I would have to ask you what you think IS a good action movie/action hero.
No way. If anything, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the first film like that of the era. In fact, "Die Hard" was looked at as a Johnny-Come-Lately, as it came AFTER the Rambo films, AFTER the Schwarzenegger films, AFTER the first 2 Indiana Jones films and after a TON of "non-stop action" films. Which isn't to say that "Die Hard" isn't fantastic, it's a classic - but in absolutely NO way was it the "first". In fact, it was SO late into the "non-stop action" genre of movies of the 80's that people were surprised it was actually a good one. And yes, I was there, I was born in '75.
Ebert, that's how the LAPD operates...
Greatest American action movie of all time.
+Project1174 Hats off to you Sir/Mam for adding the word "American". Most people are just too ignorant or arrogant. :)
what are some of the best 'foreign' action movies?
R G the raid series, the bond films (technically) Oldboy, enter the dragon, I’m probably missing a few.
Terminator
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
First Blood
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom
Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade
Kill Bill
Aliens
Lethal Weapon
Gladiator
Are all better films and Predator 1 & 2, Face/Off & The Fugitive might be better as well.
Mr. GoodKat First Blood and Lethal Weapon are good, but not on the level of Die Hard. I like the Temple of Doom and Last Crusade, bu they aren’t even as good as Raiders. I can see an argument being made for Terminator 1 & 2, Alien, or Aliens, but not Gladiator either, and I like that movie too. Face/Off is not quite up there with the first Die Hard, Terminator, or Aliens either, but it is worth mentioning in the conversation. The Fugitive is very good. I didn’t think Predator was that great.
Best Christmas movie of all time.
+dgisgd Damn right
+dgisgd It's a wonderful life
Not a Xmas movie. Never was a Xmas movie.
Hemalatha Vegi Agreed, that is my favorite movie of all time. Die Hard is still great though.
Try again. This movie takes place during a Christmas party and was released in the Christmas season.@@timothyivey5497
Die Hard is a classic. It makes no difference that Dwayne T Robinson is a pin head. He is. Die Hard is a Christmas staple for lot of action fans. Its right next to "Its a wonderful Life" on the Xmas movie program. You can't intellectualize it. The film has become legend.
The thing is that its very easy to make your hero and villain be smart by simply making everyone else stupid. Thats cheap writing.
BlackSwordChronicles
You're over intellectualizing it. The film is a classic flaws and all.
Well, I don't call it a Christmas film, just an action film that takes place at that time of the year. I didn't have a problem with Dwayne T. Robinson-he was sort of funny, like when he says the body that fell out the window was a stockbroker who got depressed. That makes sense to me.
Christopher Stuart in my opinion i would choose Die Hard over Lethal Weapon
*****
I was in junior high dick head.
I used to love when Siskel and Ebert were in disagreement. I miss these two guys. Even when Roeper was on ... he was awesome too, with Ebert.
Best fucking die hard.
great story.
great plot .
great acting.
+Jesus Alvarado The 2nd is little better
@@RubbinRobbin Old post, I know. No, the second film is not as good because it lacks the claustrophobic atmosphere that made drove the engine of the first film. Die Hard 2 is a good action film but it's a unremarkable one.
And a favorite holiday classic lol. Siskel missed the stupidity of the TV reporter who doubled down in Die Hard 2
Siskel had this face like "Why do you have to hate everything?!"
If anything Siskel hated everything and almost never met a movie that he liked. He was an oversensitive pussy and an arrogant contrarian who trashed countless classics like "Silence of the Lambs", "Se7en" AND "Taxi Driver". He couldn't see art like Roger which is why he is remembered by so few.
@@ZeeGnarly Siskel still recommended Se7en for the directing and style but said it was too needlessly grotesque and it didn't need to be because it had everything else going for it. But yes, he was wrong most of the time. Ebert will definitely be long remembered for his film criticism, Siskel won't be.
skinnypuppy95 I think that’s what made Se7en so unique though. It’s rare that a movie so dark and disturbing could garner so much box office appeal. You might not like what you see but you can’t take your eyes off of the screen. Also I think Die Hard has got to be one of the most overrated actions movies ever made.
I usually agree more with Roger, but not this time. Die Hard is one of the best action movies ever made. I could watch it right now.
And now many years later, it's not really Christmas until Hans Gruber has fallen from the Nakatomi Tower.
Bad Writing, Loopholes, fuck that shit. Movie is fucking awesome, my dad taped it, when I was young, I watched it over and over, 20 years later still a classic, Pure enjoyment
Agreed 100% best movie ever
I was shocked. I thought Siskel would be the thumbs down. I want what Roger was smoking that day I bet it was good shit.
+Bossman C'mon. Die Hard is one of my faves but no movie is flawless. The points Roger made were more than credible if you meticulously look at the movies. Granted, the overall story and everything does prevent any detraction from the entertainment. He was right about the dialog(stupidity) of the deputy of police. I mean for instance he thinks the guy who was thrown on the hood of reginald veljonson's car could have been a suicidal stockbroker yet the body had bulletholes on it. He is right about the logical errors. I'm not saying this movie isn't one of the best of all time(cuz it is one of the best) but if u look for flaws if will find them
Roger is an idiot anyway.
roger was wrong here... the idiotic burecraut character is the mainstay of the genre... but may they both rest in peace... and alan rickman too
+Kalle Saarinen DEPUTY CHIEF R.I.P PLAYED ON THE BREAKFAST CLUB TOO
And R.I.P. Alexander Gudunov.
Apparently, Siskel actually understood this flick.
Well done, Gene.
The entire point of the character, and the FBI guys, was to show how totally alone John McClane was in the situation. He had no choice but to fight these guys himself, because even when the police that he'd been trying to contact got there they were too inept, stubborn, and outright stupid to help the situation. He truly was the only guy who could do anything about the situation and save his wife. And the characters on the outside are hilarious in their ineptitude which is part of the fun of it
Exactly, excellent point.
Ebert's caveat is based entirely on the fact that he is a 'script uber alles' critic. Everything has to made sense on paper, the characters have to be believable and act consistently. That's an admirable position. A lot of people will accept any action movie no matter how ludicrous the plot holes for the sake of the enormous thrills. Ebert is not one of those people. It's a classicist perspective and he's right to defend it.
These reviews are great, two guys who really got me interested in movies, and thanks to my computer when dvd's started coming out. I loved watching their reviews after watching a movie, they usually had it right, and both lived too short of lives. We need a show like this again,...
So Eggbert doesn't get that the cops were comic relief? This isn't a movie to be taken too seriously.
Ebert's suggestion that the inclusion of an incompetent police deputy was unrealistic to the point of being stupid is, itself, a thoroughly stupid assertion.
This is so funny. Die Hard is STILL a favorite action movie and none of the sequels or imitators have come close.
Considering the “wrong-headed” actions of some, I said some, cops caught on video over the last several years, their actions in this movie no longer seem so crazy. For that or maybe just other reasons, it’d be interesting to see if Elbert changed his view of this movie before he died. It’s certainly a classic now, and, in many cases, the action movie to which all others are now compared to. For instance, I saw Skyscraper this weekend. It was fun, and Rock is certainly a worthy action star, but Jesus it couldn’t hold a candle to this film.
One supporting character. One intentionally stupid supporting character almost ruined what is probably the greatest action movie ever made.
What the shit, Roger. What the shit.
Well, there`s one thing they didn`t know....Die Hard became a classic High-Tech action/thriller and a place in the top 250 movies of all time.
This movie made a standard for lots of other action films.
And ofcourse, this is my all time favorite movie........because, it has everything a man needs.
wow ebert. Die Hard is hard to stay interested in?
wow.
Ebert is a moron. Can't he just have fun watching a movie?
Logan Cracraft Your right. How could he not like this movie. Its freaking Die hHard!!! Its funny because back then it was just some new action movie with that guy from moonlighting. LOL
Both are fucking idots
the film itself is overrated and while there are some good scenes the characters are pretty awful and the whole family sub plot went nowhere
Arrowtonge But it was fun to watch. Sometimes that's enough
Saw Die Hard again after 35 years with my 17 year old son… I was blown away on how entertaining it is. Truly a classic!!
Still one of the best action movies ever made
Die Hard is my favourite film of all time
A while ago I saw Ebert on a talk show in a debate with someone from the film industry - I can't remember who or what the show was.
The exec asked, "What credentials do you have to make you a film expert?"
Ebert said, "I wrote the screenplay for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls."
So basically Ebert's responsible for what might be the Worst Film of All Time.
Luckily he rewatched it years later and considers the 1st Die Hard a classic now before he passed.
One of the best Christmas movies ever
BUT... Did they consider it a Christmas movie?😊
I know that and I mentioned that but here a lot of the hate is because he didn't like Die Hard. Here they're attacking him because he doesn't share the same opinion as them. That's just typical Twilight/Justin Bieber fan mentality. I thought Die Hard fans would be better than them.
Is it "Shoot the glass"?
ebert doesn't know but that cop was supposed to be dumb
Die Hard is the best pure action thriller ever made. Don't really understand Ebert's objection to a character that's obviously meant to be comic relief from all of the violent nonstop action, as well as serving to isolate McClane more in the skyscraper without official support.
Still one of the best straight action films ever made, if not the best.
Die Hard is my favourite film of all time
I've always liked Siskel more, and this is one of the reasons why.
Siskel is usually a pansy. He didn´t like Aliens, probably the greatest action film ever, with this and Die Hard.
ElSpewtardo Ebert didn’t like Aliens either.
@@brianrose8772 He recommended Aliens
@@Xayjohns I know he said Thumbs Up, but at the same time, when I heard him talk about it, I wasn’t all that convinced that he liked it. It kinda felt like a forced thumbs up.
This is the only time where I absolutely didn't agree with Ebert on a film review. Yes they're were other films that I liked, and he didn't, but I understood his criticisms. This one I don't know where the hell he's coming from, sure the character of deputy chief Robison was dumb, but not to a crippling effect in terms of success or failure of the film.
"This is the only time where I absolutely didn't agree with Ebert on a film review." - Really? The man gave a negative review to nearly every Stanley Kubrick film
This film is and always will b my favorite film in any genre ever. Can u imagine anyone other than Willis in this role ?
Imagine Roger Ebert being upset, because a movie is unrealistic. It’s a GD movie! There is nothing real in the movies. And the cops were written silly on purpose.
Die Hard is the BEST Christmas movie ever
And its also the best movie ever made too
Ebert is way off on this. The character he’s talking about is like the 7th or 8th lead. He’s got maybe 5 minutes of total screen time. He’s not that important. Even if he is a dumb character, he’s not dumb enough or in it long enough to offset the other amazing things about this movie. I’d have loved to have seen Ebert re-review this one years later. No way he’d agree with his original take. It’s Die Hard after all. A huge and important movie - I’m sure he saw it again at some point before he passed. RIP Roger and Gene!! You are missed
what football game is on your pic?
well now that Ebert brought that up, that character really does ruin the whole movie...
i loved it when it was first released and i love it still - it IS a nouveau CHRISTMAS classic [of sorts]...i'm sure there are other S&E reviews like this that miss the mark. i found their review retro-refreshing. thanks for posting!
its not a christmas movie
@@lukejbarnett1 john mcclean is visiting his wife in LA at CHRISTMAS.
But i get it there are a lot of explosions; bullets flying; bodies dropping so i get why it may not seem like Christmas-like…its antithetical. That makes sense….however,
Hints that, although it may not have been the intention of the creators of this movie (which I would find hard to believe) it IS indeed a CHRISTMAS movie:
1: see above;
2: mrs mcclean aka: holly gennero calls her daughter lucy and says “we’ll see what SANTA and mommy can do” re: john staying with them for the holiday;
3: on the ride to nakatomi bldg he asks argyle to play some CHRISTMAS music which argyle exclaims: THIS IS CHRISTMAS MUSIC while CHRISTMAS IN HOLLIS by RUN DMC is blasting on the tape deck;
4: the first terrorist that mcclean encounters gets sent back down dead to HANS and the gang with a message: NOW I HAVE A GUN. HO HO HO. The dead terrorist is also wearing a santa hat;
5: the only people in the building besides the terrorists are employees at the company CHRISTMAS party;
6: theres a CHRISTMAS tree at the main entrance near the elevators where the CHRISTMAS party is taking place;
7: at the climatic scene when john has to rescue his wife from Hans, he tapes his gun to his back with CHRISTMAS decorated tape;
8: The last line in the movie which argyle delivers: if CHRISTMAS IS LIKE THIS I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT NEW YEARS IS LIKE.
Obviously these are not direct quotes but i think you get the drift.
In addition, DIE HARD2 is also a CHRISTMAS movie as both holly and john are meeting up at Dulles international airport to visit her folks for CHRISTMAS and for atmosphere, it’s snowing.
you're wrong bc if you took out all the christmas elements would you still have a movie? and the answer is yes which disqualifies it as a cm. christmas movies are the movies where it is essential that they have christmas elements in them this doesn't have that.@@qoqopepper
@@lukejbarnett1
So by your explanation, the movie WHITE CHRISTMAS could just be called WHITE, if you remove:
1. the scene at the beginning when during the war bing sings White Christmas to the troops accompanied by danny who winds up a toy music box;
2. the reason they go to VT and;
3. the last scene in the movie where the stage performers and the audience of soldiers sing WHITE CHRISTMAS.
You would still have a movie about 2 privates who want to help out their general with his failing ski lodge business.
The elements of WHITE CHRISTMAS:
1. The movie’s title
2. The titular song
3. The humungous Christmas tree center stage
4. The ballerina’s dressed in red velvet w/white fur trim
5. The main characters dressed like misters and misses’ santa clauses
6. During the finale they open the stage door and the audience sees that it is FINALLY snowing
The elements that would go along with your position to make DIE HARD not a Christmas movie:
1. The movie is basically about an east coast, married couple on the rocks bc the wife accepts a job on the west coast. The husband comes to the west coast to try to persuade her to return to their old life. While he’s there trouble ensues.
The elements that make it a Christmas movie I have already shared with you.
PLUS, Hans' encouragement, IT'S CHRISTMAS, THEO.
BUT, that’s not the story. The DH story takes place during the Christmas holiday. Mcclean arrives at LAX with a teddy bear Xmas gift for his [daughter/wife?]. Time & place are set as the company party begins and the CEO wishes everyone Merry Xmas and a HNY. Eggnog is mentioned; and Holly even tries to talk her colleague down from persuading her to sleep with him by reminding him of a few elements of the season. So the audience knows it’s the Christmas holiday and its very obvious by the time Mcclean arrives to the party.
Although, the movie’s original release date was in the spring (or summer), it was also the same time of year that It’s a Wonderful Life was released.
In that film, there’s no discussion of Christmas until Clarence the angel comes on the scene to help George and very little after that, until George is transported back to his life and Christmas celebrations. And at the very end when Juju exclaims: “Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” The ‘bell’ she referred to is the one hanging from a Christmas tree she and her mommy and daddy are standing next to.
Taking Christmas out of this film would make it a movie about how adored George is by his community, and how they would come to his rescue whenever he needed bc he is a good and decent person. All of this is placed inside of a Christmas theme and sentiment.
The fact is that one can write any type of element in a script whether it is Christmas-themed, the 4th of July, or Valentine’s Day. The basis of these stories are beyond the holiday they feature. The holiday is just the backdrop for the characters. Stories are about relationships - whatever element one uses to embellish/enhance/enchant the audience.
For instance, Jaws takes place over the 4th of July holiday weekend and this is the time when Amity Island’s main source of revenue is “summer dollars”.
However, Jaws is essentially about a man running away from his fears. He’s a policeman who moves his family from NYC because of the crime and takes a job on an island where he’s afraid of water. Ultimately, he has to face and overcome those fears for his family. The story is placed inside of the holiday’s theme because if it wasn’t for the 4th the beaches would be presumably empty. The holiday is only mentioned a few times before the big day and after that, it’s all about LET’S SEARCH AND DESTROY THE REALLY BIG SHARK. The holiday is what draws us into the story where we get to meet all of the important people and those relationships that occur.
But let’s agree to disagree since you clearly think I'm "wrong".
Happy Holidays!
The movie is not about the LAPD. It's about a guy in a building trying to save his own life and the lives of 30 hostages with no help from the LAPD.
What's it stand for?
Still my favorite action movie ever and possibly my favorite movie of all time, seen it so many times. Christmas wouldn't be the same without this movie.
Die Hard is my favourite film of all time too
Way to go Siskel, disagree with Ebert but I love the man.
The greatest action movie ever made!!!!!
Die Hard is my favourite film of all time
One character destroying a whole movie? I've seen it happening in other films but not in Die Hard. Too bad Ebert overlooked one of the greatest action films ever made.
I miss these guys......
I love this movie, what the hell was Ebert smoking?
Ebert must of been on drugs when he was talking about this movie
"Looks like we're gonna need some more FBI guys"..
The standard by which all other action movies are judged and Ebert doesn't get that and is instead complaining about the police chief's idiotic behavior. Who woulda thunk? I saw Die Hard four times in a theater and one time the place was packed and people were jumping out of their seats, pumping their fists and going nuts at every turn. It was insane. I loved it. Oh yeah, and he loved Die hard 2. Aye yi yi!
I think Siskel's point about the story is true. It really is ultimately about two guys stuck in a building fighting it out. To create that dynamic, you need to isolate Bruce Wilson's character from his natural allies -- his fellow cops -- so you need the Deputy Chief to doubt him and therefore to come off as a bit of an idiot.
Ebert misses the point alot...he's not someone who should be listened to when it comes to movies.....
Ebert was wrong here. It's an action film worthy of countless viewings, don't overthink it.
Amen to that. This is one of the few things people should learn with film critics: to rewatch and have a different view of a movie. I just wished he could do the same with Brazil and Dead Poets Society (he gave thumbs down to those).
Has anyone done an edit where there are little to no cops?
Alan Rickman (Hans Gruber) RIP
He was such a legendary actor
First R-rated movie I saw in the theater. Of all people, my SISTER is the one who told me I'd love it. Saw it 4 times in the theater. When it came out on VHS, I rented it pretty much every weekend for a year solid.
The review on Ebert's website for Die Hard 5 was written by Richard Roeper.
This is a great action movie. One of the best ever. Ebert missed the ball on this one--which he usually does not.
The best Xmas movie ever made....period
And best movie ever made too
Is ebert for real this movie is a classic, end of story
WELL SAID
Die Hard is the best movie ever Ebert must of been on drugs when he was talking about this movie
I think the best thing about these guys is how they both have constructive things to say, and often argue against each other. Movies are very subjective, and they weren't afraid to show that, instead of just giving the movies a flat out score from 1-6, 1-10 or 1-100.
These kinds of reviews, unlike most, are actually entertaining to watch
Kinda sad to see what Die Hard once was to how it is now... Still holds up 25 years later compared to what the last 2 Die Hard are now just laughing parodys.
Ebert is 100% right about the things he is criticizing, those kinds of characters never need to be in movies.
Perhaps, but that doesn't devalue the entire movie. Not saying that he had to like it and clearly he didn't, but I disagree with his basis for disliking it. Roger even admitted that there were plot holes in Die Hard 2 but he liked that one more than the original. So logic didn't seem to matter then.
I feel like if Ebert reviewed a Godzilla movie he would complain about the Traffic lights not working during the destruction scenes
Die Hard is considered the greatest action movie of all time.
Best Christmas movie ever made. A tradition every year in my home
Born in 71, so was 17 when this hit theaters. I seen the late showing with my buddies Buzz and Little Man, and we were tokin up in the back row not paying too much attention at first. But then the action started and we didn’t say a peep until the credits started rolling. I still remember the shock to the system. This is the greatest action movie ever made. No other action movie comes close. None. Don’t be stupid dnd try and challenge that statement. McTiernan did three classics in a row… Predator. Die Hard. The Hunt for Red October, which is in and of itself a masterpiece…
Yep, people are arguing with me above. You have to have been there when it happened to have real sense of it. When people watched Die Hard in 1988, we were blown away by the non-stop action and huge stunts. We'd never seen anything like it.
Roger.... (in regards to the LA Police dept... that was the whole point!). :-)
RIP Roger. Gene and Roger will always be the greatest movie reviewers of all time.
Ebert paraphrased:Oh, I hate the L.A.P.D. depute-chief. His dialog makes me mad and I don't like him.
You're not supposed to like him. Ebert's response is exactly the response he is supposed to have. There is this naysayer cop on the ground and the audience/hero know the real deal. It makes you root for the good guy more when there is a character like this, who in the end looks stupid, with the audience/hero being right all along and in the end vindicated.
Ebert is going down a ridiculous rabbit hole with the "idiotic cop", writing him like that was intentional and actually injected a little bit of comedy, he couldn't have been more wrong on that.
To: Tacom4ster. Yes, Paul Gleason was both in Die Hard and also Breakfast Club. Check IMDB and there is even a discussion of which movie he was better in.
I never understood why Roger Ebert wasn't a fan of this awesome movie, but he (along with Gene Siskel) gave Speed 2: Cruise Control "two thumbs up." That would be like me disliking The Dark Knight, but praising Batman & Robin. Just absolutely absurd.
Gotta disagree. This movie is epic.
Boy did Ebert get this one wrong big time
A bloody-footed hero trumps all shortcomings in a film. Thanks, Bruce!
Ugh.... these are all in IRRITATING 240p lol I feel like I'm watching Tetris blocks talk about movies! 👎
Die Hard is one of the greatest films ever made
Die Hard is my favourite film of all time
I am surprised they didn't talk about how everyone thought that Huey Lewis played one of the bad guys . . .