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TOP FIVE: John McTiernan Movies – Page 4 – ManlyMovie

TOP FIVE: John McTiernan Movies

2) Die Hard (1988)


Die Hard has the post-modern eye and coolness of Michael Mann without being too still. It has the gusto of Rambo, yet retreats just before overkilling. It knows when and how to avoid going OTT, yet it’s not low key. It’s not laughable, yet it’s funny. It’s the small considerations that elevate it. The fact that the recoil-less anti-tank rifle needs to be bolted to the ground, that was McTiernan’s idea. He even designed that weapon. Die Hard is probably the first action movie where its villains flashbang their enemies, and this was in the 80’s. It’s a movie where ammo must be taken into consideration. Yes, John McClane was the vulnerable everyman, but to use a quote from another movie, its villains were also equally the ‘not fucking around crew’. It’s easy to say Die Hard is peerless, but it does have one other competitor…

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