Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia in the John McTiernan movie ‘Die Hard’

It’s not every day that an action and thriller movie is set against the backdrop of a holiday. It has become more common to see moves themed as romances or romantic comedies set against Christmas. The John McTiernan directed Die Hard (1988) managed to mix the action thriller against a Christmas gathering. Today, we look into the happenings at the fictional Nakatomi Plaza.

(Bruce Willis as John McClane, a New York City police detective in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

Die Hard is set in Los Angeles, where police officer John McClane hopes to reconcile with his wife during a holiday party hosted by the employer of his estranged wife, Holly Gennero-McClane. Bruce Willis portrayed John McClane opposite Bonnie Bedelia‘s portrayal of Holly Gennero-McClane. The employer is Nakatomi Corporation, which is due to be robbed during the very event where John hopes to reconcile with Holly.

(From left, Dennis Hayden as Eddie, Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, the leader of the terrorists and Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennero-McClane, a Nakatomi executive and John’s estranged wife in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

The movie quickly turns from a from a romantic comedy staged against a Christmas backdrop when the robbers with a violent streak, led by Hans Gruber, present the Nakatomi Plaza with a terrorist plot to rob the Nakatomi Corporation at their plaza, triggering the action thriller that we come to see. Alan Rickman portrayed Hans Gruber. Dennis Hayden portrayed one of Gruber’s henchmen, Eddie.

(From left, Alexander Godunov as Karl, Gruber’s second-in-command and Clarence Gilyard Jr. as Theo, Gruber’s tech specialist in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

Clarence Gilyard Jr. and Alexander Godunov serve as a pair of Gruber’s henchmen, portrayed from early in the story of Die Hard in setting the thievery and underlying action in motion. The Los Angeles Police Department joins the response to the plot in motion, supported first by sergeant Al Powell and later by deputy chief Dwayne T. Robinson. Paul Gleason portrayed Robinson as Reginald VelJohnson portrayed Powell.

(From left, Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell, an LAPD sergeant and Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson, the LAPD Deputy Chief in the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

John McClane had arrived at Nakatomi Plaza in a limousine driven by a man named Argyle. Argyle, portrayed by De’voreaux White, agreed to wait for John as he went to reconcile with his wife Holly. He waits on scene as the events of the movie progress, offering humor through miscommunication with McClane accompanied by other opportunities to support the story.

(De’voreaux White as Argyle, John’s limousine driver in John McTiernan‘s Die Hard).

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) plays a part in seeking to respond to the terrorist robbery plot of the movie, offering a jurisdictional power play with the Los Angeles Police Department that was the first formally requested responding agency on scene. FBI actions geared at ending the plot actually advance the plot, with the actions of Argyle, Al Powell and John McClane each championing a decisive under current that is championed throughout Die Hard. Grand L. Bush portrayed FBI Special Agent Little Johnson as Robert Davi portrayed FBI Special Agent Big Johnson in the movie.

(From left, actor Grand L. Bush, Director John McTiernan and actor Robert Davi on the set of the John McTiernan movie Die Hard).

The central appeal for the movie Die Hard is first and foremost the action, intrigue and thriller qualities of the story. The compelling undercurrent of humor juxtaposed against incompetence as roadblocks to the central robbery succeeding or failing, both externally to stopping the robbery and internally to the stealing, add substantially to what works well. I grant Die Hard as directed by John McTiernan 4-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin and the movie ‘The Hunt for Red October’

The franchise built around characters Jack Ryan and James Greer started for many with the book made movie of the same name called The Hunt for Red October (1990). The Tom Clancy book The Hunt for Red October that inspired it all was first published in 1984, and told the story of a new class of Soviet Union nuclear submarine using a hypothetical magnetic propulsion system with crew intent headed towards the United States with intent unclear. The ensuing thriller packed with suspense subsequently started a popular book, movie, and television series.

(From left, Sean Connery as Red October Captain Marko Ramius, Alec Baldwin as CIA Analyst and former Marine Jack Ryan, and Scott Glenn as Dallas Captain Bart Mancuso in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

As our focus here is the movie adaptation of The Hunt For Red October, we first are introduced to the launching of the Soviet Nuclear Submarine Red October with Captain Marko Ramius, as played by Sean Connery, as the ship’s captain. We learn that Ramius’ wife has died a year before the launching of the submarine, and that Ramius has chosen a crew of single men with a crew loyal to him with the political agenda of seeing this new creation for making war kept from the hands of the leadership of the USSR.

(Courtney B. Vance as Seaman Ronald ‘Jonesy’ Jones in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

A sonar expert aboard the USS Dallas named Seaman Ronald ‘Jonesy’ Jones, as played by Courtney B. Vance, gives USS Dallas Captain Bart Mancuso the first ability to track the Red October. Scott Glenn portrays Bart Mancuso. At the initial point of contact, neither man understands neither the significance of the capabilities of Red October nor the intention of the ship’s crew to defect. Something even more significant further eludes them.

(From left, Alec Baldwin as CIA Analyst and former Marine Jack Ryan and James Earl Jones as CIA Deputy Director and Admiral James Greer in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

It is the combination of CIA Deputy Director Admiral James Greer and CIA Analyst / former Marine turned stock analyst Jack Ryan that discover hints of the larger stakes underpinning the defection. James Earl Jones plays Greer, the boss to Ryan as played by Alec Baldwin. The Soviets were quicker to determine the intent of the crew of the Red October, so they have sent the naval fleet of the Soviet Union to sink the boat that launched to start the movie. Sam Neill as Red October Captain and second in command Vasili Borodin serves Ramius in an important role through the course of the film.

(Sam Neill as Red October Captain Vasili Borodin in the movie The Hunt For Red October).

An appealing and redeeming quality of the film The Hunt for Red October was that the movie kept largely to the story of the source novel from which it was drawn. Larry Ferguson, Donald E. Stewart, and David Shaber wrote the screenplay that called for roles for Fred Thompson, Tim Curry and others of note in crafting what worked as a story. The intrigue of the story coupled with the quality unfolding of the intrigue make this a movie that I can watch again and again. The film The Hunt for Red October scores a 4-star rating on a scale of one-to-five from my corner.

Matt – Saturday, May 23, 2020