Product Description
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All four films from the popular 'Die Hard' franchise. In 'Die
Hard' (1988) on Christmas Eve, New York cop John McClane (Bruce
Willis) is visiting his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) in
Los Angeles, where she works. They are attending a party at
Holly's high-rise office block when terrorists, led by the suave
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) break in, taking everyone hostage.
McClane manages to evade capture, however, and sets out to rescue
his wife and the other prisoners. It is not long before he is
running barefoot over shattered glass in a sweaty vest, muttering
'Yippy kay aye' as he dispatches the baddies with bullets and a
certain earthy wit. In 'Die Hard 2 - Die Harder' (1990), Los
Angeles cop John McClane is set to meet up with wife Holly on
Christmas Eve, this time at Dulles airport in Washington DC.
However, when terrorists take over the airport in an attempt to
rescue dictator Esperanza (Franco Nero) from his incoming flight,
it is up to McClane to restore order and ensure that Holly's
plane lands safely. Get that sweaty vest out, and put some shoes
on this time. In 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' John McClane becomes
involved in a twisted game of Simon Says when an evil terrorist
(Jeremy Irons) sends him dashing all over the city in an effort
to find a series of explosive devices. Teaming up with
electrician Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), McClane soon
discovers that the bombs are an elaborate ruse intended to
provide cover for a billion dollar bank job. Finally, 'Die Hard
4.0' (2007) finds McClane routinely asked to bring in a computer
hacker, Matt Farrell (Justin Long) for questioning. In transit,
events overtake them as they witness a full-scale cyber attack on
the country's infrastructure led by mystery attacker Thomas
Gabriel (Timothy Oliphant), who plans to systematically shut down
or destroy the nation's major networks over three days. With time
running out, McClane and his hacker friend have to stop the
mastermind before it's too late.
.co.uk Review
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Now joined by a hit fourth instalment, the Die Hard Quadrilogy
is, bluntly, an essential set for any self-respecting fan of
action cinema.
The gold, of course, is the original Die Hard, a flat-out five
star classic pretty much without equal. Introducing Bruce Willis
John McClane as an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation,
its littered with great lines, great characters, and
genre-defining moments. Plus, in Alan Rickman, it has one of the
finest cinematic villains of the past few decades.
Die Hard 2: Die Harder inevitably dilutes matters, this time
sw the action to Washingtons Dulles International
Airport. But with Willis and a good number of characters
returning from the original, its a fun--if at times
brutal--ride, that scores highly in the entertainment stakes.
Die Hard: With A Vengeance, the third film in the series, pretty
much strips away the bulk of the supporting cast, and replaces
them with the not-significant figure of Samuel L Jackson. It
changes the dynamic of the film into a buddy-buddy movie, albeit
a good one. And again, its a ride thats hard not to enjoy, with
Jeremy Irons giving good measure as McClanes chief foe.
Finally, Die Hard 4.0 is a real surprise. Given the fact that it
arrived over a decade after the third film, it finds Willis and
relative newcomer Justin Long shouldering an entertaining, old
fashioned action film, that papers over its occasional cracks by
asking its lead actor to ramp things up a gear when necessary.
And watching John McClane do what he does--even when any hint of
reality is thrown out of the window near the end--is endlessly
entertaining.
So while none of the sequels have matched the peerless original,
the Die Hard Quadrilogy nonetheless delivers one classic, and
three very enjoyable action movies. And you cant argue with that
kind of hit rate. Always, always bet on McClane... --Simon Brew