The 1988 film "Die Hard," directed by John McTiernan, started a series of five movies so far. It centers on New York City police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis), who travels to Los Angeles for Christmas to be with his wife and children. While visiting Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her workplace’s holiday celebration, a group of criminals seizes control of the building where she works. Alan Rickman portrays the villain behind the scheme, while Reginald VelJohnson plays a police officer on the ground who connects with McClane through a radio. Paul Gleason appears as a frustrating police chief. If you're looking for straightforward action entertainment, this series delivers. A considerable amount of effort goes into these kinds of movies, and it requires skill to create them effectively. When I say "dumb," I mean that the emphasis is on unbelievable action sequences instead of exploring more complex ideas beyond the notion that decent people can have faults, be arrogant and use inappropriate language, but still demonstrate bravery and perseverance when confronting evil. The “Die Hard” movies are similar to earlier films like 1977’s "The Gauntlet," where the action is so exaggerated it becomes comical and enjoyable. Filmmakers must carefully balance things with these big-budget productions because they can easily become excessive, as seen in something like 2001's "The Mummy Returns." Fortunately, “Die Hard” avoids that pitfall because it isn’t too extreme and provides engaging heroes and villains, funny lines, worthwhile character development, and a captivating story reminiscent of a comic book. Although all five “Die Hard” films share the same level of action, I tend to like the later installments better; this one is largely confined to a skyscraper setting, which isn’t my preference compared to the broader locations featured in the sequels. The film has a runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes and was filmed entirely in Los Angeles. GRADE: B/B+

Source on TMDB