The original Dire Hard with Bruce Willis was really a trend setting movie. Today, dozens of movies rely on computer generated special effects and unrealistic stunts. The great thing about Die Hard is that the plot is very simple and the action is fast and furious, but low tech. In other words, it is completely believable. To me, that makes a difference in a movie.
Willis is a New York cop going through a divorce. While trying to see his ex, he gets unwittingly involved in a high stakes robbery/kidnapping. Terrorists have taken over a sky scraper with a well orchestrated plan to steal millions of government bonds kept in a vault in the building. Their plan was to get into the building, take hostages to serve as a distraction, and then get out with the money. What they didn't count on was a lone cop stuck in the building who finds out about their plans.
Everyone ends up rooting for Willis, the ultimate underdog as one by one he gets rid of the bad guys and brings the odds down to an acceptable level. What is really gripping is the way he nabs one of the terrorists radios and calls the head of the ring every time he has killed one of the gang members. "Hey Hans, Wolfgang can't come to the phone. He's dead." All the time, he is taunting the terrorists so that they get overcome with a desire for revenge and lose sight of their plan. Amazingly, his idea works.
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