When the name Bruce Willis is mentioned, very few would remember or even think of him playing lighthearted character roles. The first thing people normally think of is either him just as an action star or the film Die Hard (1988). Like so many other movie stars, it only takes one popular film to cement one’s name for the rest of history. Plus, according to Willis it is still his favorite film taking part in. Before this, it was hard even for him imaging that being a thing since all he played before that were more comedic aimed roles. However, that pigeonholed reputation would no longer hold water after seeing Willis perform in this picture. Not mentioning the sequels that would spawn afterward, the film itself has become another staple of the 1980s as time has gone on.
The story takes place in what feels like the real world where New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is headed to Los Angeles to visit his separated wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her new company’s Christmas party. Unbeknownst to anyone, the holiday gathering has a set of uninvited guests. Enter Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his followers who are intending to take over the floor and get what they came for. Originally conceived in a novel by Roderick Thorp, the screenplay would be tweaked by Jeb Stuart in his first writing credit and Steven E. de Souza who wrote Commando (1985) a couple years before. Directing the film was John McTiernan, who a year before directed Predator (1987), the only film in a slew of sequels people feel legitimately deserves existing.
Honestly what works in this movie is Bruce Willis playing what feels like a real person. The character of McClane is about as human as one can get. He’s trying to amend his relationship with his wife, he doesn’t have a high paying job, nobody else thinks real highly of him, nor does he fit into this whole holiday bash that’s going on. Add to that the violent criminals now taking over the building, man is his luck just fantastic? It’s not only the setup that makes McClane a lead audiences can back, but the lines written for Willis. Quips that are just the right blend of deadpan and sarcasm lighten the mood just enough not to feel like an action comedy but to point out there’s got to be a way to cope with the issues going on at the moment.
Helping the audience relate to McClane is local cop Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) who is called to the scene by a fire alarm. While Powell does not get involved physically like McClane, the character also has his moments of relatability when it comes to taking orders and other things that get tied up bureaucratically. VelJohnson would shortly thereafter play the father in Family Matters. Of course one cannot talk about these two characters without covering Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Despite his hesitations, Rickman’s performance even in his first theatrical film was impressive as an antagonist. Gruber is crafty and merciless. Enough said. Aside from these three, other actors like Paul Gleason, William Atherton, Hart Bochner, James Shigeta, Robert Davi and Grand L. Bush make appearances too.
The only parts that may disappoint is the action. Some may think before seeing that it’ll be a high octane action romp; not so. Additionally, because this film feels so much like it takes place in real life, some scenes that occur would likely not be able to happen in real life. That’s where the realism is a bit over the top. Camerawork nonetheless though was proficient shot by Jan de Bont. The action set pieces and slower moving scenes all work in showing the surroundings they take place in. Finally, the music composed by Michael Kamen was interesting. The film score surprisingly does not include a main theme but he does manage to incorporate various holiday and classical related tunes in his tracks. Now with a final album in 2018, fans of Kamen can listen to three hours of music. That’s a lot.
The story feels so grounded in the real world, that anything crazy may feel unrealistic. That and it’s not a mindless blow ‘em up kind of film. The music and camerawork help along with Bruce Willis and his supporting cast members giving very authentic performances that any viewer could enjoy.
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