Hello and welcome to another edition of Vintage Media Millennial. We’re crossing the streams today, as I present something I made for another project.
This is a rewritten version of an episode of Dyer’s Daily, first released in early 2023. It details my first impressions of the movie Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman.
In the years since I recorded this episode, I have become a huge fan of action movies of the 80s and 90s!
Recently, I finally sat down with Disney+ and watched the first Die Hard movie, starring Bruce Willis. It’s been over two hours of my life well spent. Back then, 35 years ago, Willis was mainly a TV actor, known for Moonlighting. Taking the lead role in Die Hard was a bit of an outside choice, especially since their first pick—believe it or not—was Frank Sinatra. Yes, you heard that right. Go look it up if you don’t believe me.
So, I watched the movie after hearing all these things about it for years. You know some of the sequences, the famous lines—like “Yippee Ki Yay”—that people quote endlessly without fully understanding their context. But that’s the thing: all those references mean nothing until you’ve actually seen the movie. Now that I have, here are my thoughts, as a first-time viewer in 2023.
Die Hard was absolutely awesome. I’m not usually into action movies—comedy and drama are more my speed—but this film is packed with memorable sequences. Years ago, just one of those scenes would have been the climactic set piece, but this movie had one after another: explosions, elevator shafts, you name it. Every action movie trope we recognize today was in this film, and it was groundbreaking for its time.
And it’s funny, too. Bruce Willis’ character, John McClane, delivers one memorable line after another, laced with expletives. His banter and reactions are what make the action sequences even better. I now understand the full context of “Yippee Ki Yay,” and it added to the humor for me. The relationship that develops between McClane and Al, the police officer played by Reginald VelJohnson, is both heartwarming and hilarious. These are the two guys you’d want to grab a drink with after everything wraps up.
I also have to mention the late, great Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, the lead villain. Most people probably know him from Harry Potter, but his performance in Die Hard is just as intense. Even in this 1988 film, you can feel the depth and charisma he brings to the role. Every moment with him had me on the edge of my seat, not knowing when or how any of the famous sequences would play out.
Sure, the storyline of terrorists taking over a building and a lone cop trying to stop them might feel a bit dated now. We’ve seen countless movies with similar premises since, but Die Hard stands out. It’s drenched in ’80s style, but somehow still feels timeless. And honestly, I loved it. I didn’t think I would, but I did.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s available on Disney+ here in the UK—catch it while it’s still up! And I can’t wait to dive into Die Hard 2 next because I haven’t seen that either. Maybe 2023 is my year for action movies! If the sequel is even half as good as the original, I’m in for a great time.
So, what do you think of Die Hard? And no, I’m not asking if it’s a Christmas movie—let’s not go there. I’m just curious to hear your thoughts on the film itself. Let me know!
