The Wing Kong Exchange (feat. Inferno)

[Cyrus Riddle]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

As long as Nymphadora didn't use her metamorph to change faces during sex I would definitely go for that too

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Commando

​

John Matrix once led an elite squad of military men but has since retired to live up in the mountains with his young daughter Jenny. When Jenny is kidnapped, Matrix is brought to the home of Arius, an evil General who asks Matrix to assassinate the current leader of his country in order to take over. Matrix refuses, but when Arius tells him his daughter will die if he doesn't do it, he reluctantly accepts. He soon escapes his captors and realizes that he's only got a short amount of time to take out the entire Arius organization...or his daughter is as good as dead.

​

1985's Commando could arguably be seen as the film that solidified Arnold Schwarzenegger's place as the top action star of the 1980's. While the previous years "The Terminator" firmly cemented his spot as a box office draw, it was in playing the heroic character of John Matrix that sent notice to the world that Arnold was here to stay. A gloriously excessive film in nearly every facet, Commando holds up well to this day and is a reminder of the great action films of the 1980's. With more over the top violence and cartoon-like action than you can shake a stick at, Commando never fails to deliver. Though there may have been better action films in the 1980's, including several starring Schwarzenegger himself, Commando nevertheless holds a special place of importance for all of the above reasons. To make matters even better, its simply a kick ass experience and a great snapshot of the decade that it was released in.

"Real men feed deer...before killing 1000 people."

​

Directed by Mark L. Lester (the underrated Class of 1984 and Firestarter) and written by Steven E. de Souza (48 Hrs.) from a story by de Souza, Matthew Weisman (Teen Wolf) and Jeph Loeb (who is quite well known for writing excellent Batman comics such as The Long Halloween), the film was clearly designed as an action vehicle for its lead, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and definitely works well on this level. Lester's direction is for the most part stable, though he tends to spend a lot of time dwelling on set-up's, which is fine because he does manage to provide an adequate pay off most of the time. He isn't the greatest director of all time, but he works well in this field and manages to corral all the action quite nicely. The script is pretty pedestrian stuff as well, but then we can't really expect much out of a film that's simply designed to move from one action showcase to the next. In comparing it to some other action films of the 80's, I find it comes off completely inoffensive and does its job properly, which is really all I could ask for. Once you add in the plethora of memorable characters that populate it, Commando really starts to come together nicely.

"He's back...well that didn't take long."

​

Schwarzenegger plays Matrix as best he can, though his limitations as an actor are still noticeable. He does manage to come across quite believable in the scenes with his daughter, played by a young Alyssa Milano, which in turn makes him a more sympathetic character that we can root for. Well not that we weren't going to root for him to blow the crap out of the multitude of bad guys he eventually does, but its nice to see a more human side to this killing machine as well. Dan Hedaya portrays the evil General Arius and does a nice job being a venom spewing bad guy with only limited screen time. Bill Duke (who would later star with Arnold in Predator) has a nice turn as another tough guy, Cook, while David Patrick Kelly totally owns as the weasel-like character Sully. His line about the bar formerly being a nice place to hunt "slash" as he puts it is hilarious and another reason why he rocks. Rae Dawn Chong (daughter of Tommy) adds some humour as a woman swept up in Matrix's affair while Vernon Wells totally owns in the role of Bennett, Matrix's former right hand man who has turned against him. Bennett looks like a psychotic Freddie Mercury, but for some reason he makes it work, and even rocks out a chain mail vest like nobody has been able to since. For a standard, paint by numbers action film, the cast is quite strong and all do their jobs very well.

"Momma, just killed a man....."

​

As I mentioned earlier, there is a literal ton of action in this film and all of it is shot quite well. From the opening car chase featuring Matrix driving a car with no brakes down a steep hill to the great car chase between he and Sully a little later, everything is pretty tight and cohesive. There's also a great fight between Matrix and Duke and another awesome one between Matrix and Bennett at the end. In between there is also a great scene where Matrix robs an army surplus store and steals virtually every gun under the sun. This will become important later as he single-handedly assaults Arius' compound and manages to kill his entire legion of troops. Yes, one man kills about 100, but its Arnold, and he's so much more than one man right? I love the over-the-top level of violence during this scene as it really screams 1985 to me, and that's always a good thing. Trust me, if you want explosions and shooting and even a bazooka taking out a police truck you can look no further than Commando, because its got all of it in spades. Even though the outcome of the film is never in doubt, Lester still manages to keep up a little suspense, particularly in a scene where Matrix is trying to avoid Sully in a shopping mall. Of course he also gets to beat up the requisite number of mall cop's for all you anti-authoritarian's out there, which is just another highlight in a film full of them.

"Arnold's quite the cut up in this film."

​

Outside of the action, there's a noticeable jump in the humour here, and one can say this film is the true dawn of Arnold's foray into the world of quick quips. While "The Terminator" certainly gained him fame for the "I'll be back" line, Commando serves up such gems as "I let him go" after he drops Sully off a cliff and the all-time classic "I eat Green Beret's for breakfast and right now I'm very hungry." This film also has a pretty rocking soundtrack from the great James Horner and some nice camera work from Cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti. One other thing in this film that always makes me laugh is the incredibly blatant continuity error when Arnold knocks Sully's Porsche off the road. After "letting him go", Arnold flips the car up and damage can be seen down the driver's side. That is until the car drives off, when magically all the damage disappears. I absolutely love how bad that is and how nobody either noticed or cared. It's kitschy I know, but its nice to see some flaws in a film from time to time, especially if they provide me with a laugh which this one definitely did. Commando isn't going to set the world on fire, but as a pleasant distraction for 90 minutes of action, you could do a hell of a lot worse.

"Man that maid is looking hot, time tor an affair, someone hide Maria."

​

Commando was shot on a budget of $10 million and ended up grossing over $57 million during its release. It's survived for years on home video and was actually the first DVD and Blu Ray film that I purchased when the formats debuted. That's partially due to my love for it but also because as I say, its a great film that allows you to turn your brain off and just enjoy it for what it is. After the success of this film, Arnold would go on to star in Red Sonja (his final sword and sandal picture) before heading off to play a man who infiltrates the mafia in order to help out an old friend. That film is Raw Deal, and we'll be looking at it in depth tomorrow (I reviewed it previously in the Action Film's thread but I'm giving it a do over because it sucked) but for today its time to get down to brass tacks and give Commando a solid 7.5/10. If you haven't seen it before, you might as well check it out because it is definitely awesome and a solid example of Arnold's early, more uncomfortable acting work.

"Let's get this fight over Freddie, Raw Deal is coming up tomorrow."
​

 

[Wang Chung]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Great review Fujiman. I would lean towards an 8/10 because this is one film that comes on I have to sit and watch. Plus no one lets off steam like Bennett, people riding in planes are dead tired, Arnold is just all kinds of awesomeness in this film like swing accross a mall on a plastice tube thing and rips a phone booth out of a wall like he is king Kong and he was not even the Terminator in this movie just a mortal man trying to save his daughter. Get them Arnold and kill them in any order you want, Sully doesn't have to be killed last.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Great review Fujiman. I would lean towards an 8/10 because this is one film that comes on I have to sit and watch. Plus no one lets off steam like Bennett, people riding in planes are dead tired, Arnold is just all kinds of awesomeness in this film like swing accross a mall on a plastice tube thing and rips a phone booth out of a wall like he is king Kong and he was not even the Terminator in this movie just a mortal man trying to save his daughter. Get them Arnold and kill them in any order you want, Sully doesn't have to be killed last.

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it. I guess it could be an 8/10 but that continuity error with the car was pretty bad. :

 

[Wang Chung]

Thanks man, glad you enjoyed it. I guess it could be an 8/10 but that continuity error with the car was pretty bad. :

That continuity error is in a lot of movies. Twister I don't know how many times the windsheild gets busted out.

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[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

That continuity error is in a lot of movies. Twister I don't know how many times the windsheild gets busted out.

I believe the same hubcap goes flying off of Steve McQueen's car in Bullit about 7 times. :

 

[Wang Chung]

I believe the same hubcap goes flying off of Steve McQueen's car in Bullit about 7 times. :

Wasn't there an obvious one on the bus in Speed too.

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[Krisis]

I always remeber the wheel coming off of the taxi in die hard with a vengence and then suddenly reappearing a second later.

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[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Predator

A crack commando team is sent into a foreign country to rescue a cabinet minister who was trapped there after his helicopter was shot down. After destroying the guerillas responsible and finding the minister dead they head for home. But something else is following them, an unseen enemy that can kill in a heartbeat. Now they have to band together before they are all eliminated by this predator.

I can honestly say that Predator is not only one of the absolute best sci-action films ever made but it is also among my all time favourites. I've probably watched it more than nearly every other movie on that list, and it never fails to grab my attention as if watching it for the first time. There's just something really special about how everything came together in it to create the perfect balance of action, suspense and intrigue. It may come across as a simple, paint by numbers action film, but the truth is there is so much more to it than that. When you consider that the assembled cast was not known for their acting talent, the antagonist was a man in a rubber suit and the director's last film was a total bomb, the prospects don't sound that good. Amazingly, Predator laughs in the face of these shortcoming's and proves that any movie can be great if the people behind it are giving forth their best efforts. A 1980's action masterpiece and the beginning of great things for its star and director, Predator should be required viewing for any action fan.

"So what you're saying is I can't be Governor if I blew a load in Marilyn Chambers mouth?"​

Directed by John McTiernan and written by Jim and John Thomas, the film is yet another vehicle for its lead, but at the same time manages to transcend past that level into the realm of truly great popcorn entertainment. Considering McTiernan hadn't exactly shocked the world with his first film, Nomads (though I thought it was a good movie), my mind is literally blown with how well he handles this one. It's like night and day with his pacing and sense of execution, and he really pulls out all the stops in making this an absolute balls to the wall classic. Of course McTiernan would next shoot Die Hard, forever cementing his place as one of the top action directors of all time, but I feel that its his work on Predator that showed the real transition from amateur to professional. There isn't a shred of wasted time in this film and even the dialogue and exposition are kept to the bare minimum for the majority of it. The Thomas brothers (who would eventually go on to write Wild, Wild West and Mission to Mars, hey they can't all be winners) do wonders with the story and screenplay, and its nice to see them show as much restraint with the villain as they do. A film like this could have easily gotten out of hand if they'd shown the alien too quickly, but Predator follows the Jaws formula and holds it off for quite awhile. That anticipation, coupled with the solid cast, creates a seamless blend of action and spectacle, something that is rare at the best of times.

"You can't see me."​

Arnold Schwarzenegger takes the lead as Dutch, the leader of this group of rag tag soldiers that just happen to be one of the most elite fighting forces in the world. How else can you explain how they could annihilate that many bad guys in the first 20 minutes alone? Oh yeah, never mind, Arnold could have done that himself. After all, he killed more than that in Commando in less time too! Arnold is pretty good here though, and gets his usual one-liner's to work with. A special mention has to be made to the line "stick around" after he throws a knife into a bad guy that pins him to a post because it's too damn awesome. As a young Fuji, I actually wrote Arnold a piece of fan mail telling him just how much I liked that line. His response? "You can't prove I'm your daddy so forget the paternity suit. I've got too many other ones to deal with." I didn't understand it at the time, but NOW I know what he was talking about, and I'm still considering filing that suit by the way. Back to the real world here as the film also stars Carl "Apollo Creed" Weathers, Bill "Cook" Duke, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Sonny "The Pornstar" Landham, Shane "I wrote Lethal Weapon which is why I am in this movie" Black, Richard "Busted up pretty bad ribs" Oh yeah, there's a chick in it too (Elpidia Carillo) but she doesn't get naked which is unfortunate. Of course this film wouldn't be complete without the performance of one Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator itself. Hall (who also played the Helicopter Pilot at the end of this film) was a great big man who also played Harry in "Harry and the Henderson's" and the Predator in the sequel before passing away at the young age of 35 due to contracting HIV from a blood transfusion (f*ck that, RIP bro).

"Wrestler Alert. He ain't got time to bleed."​

Before I get on to all the awesome stuff here I wanted to mention that the old WWF Magazine had a blurb in the September 1987 issue (with Honky Tonk Man on the cover) that mentioned all fans should check out Jesse Ventura in the summer blockbuster film "The Predicator". Not sure how they totally got the title wrong but its always made me laugh. Anyhow, you didn't come for my fond childhood recollections (or maybe some of you did), you came for the action and lucky for you, there's a ton of it. You want shooting and explosions? Then this is definitely the movie for you as about 20 minutes of it is spent featuring just that. There is an extended slaughter of some "half ass mountain boys", a scene where Arnold's guys blow up an entire forest which features an epic minute of mini-gun mayhem. I don't know about you guys, but when I was a kid, that mini gun was probably about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Aside from that there is a pig sticking (you just don't see enough of those in films) and a guy getting his arm blown off and it still firing his gun. Yep, you heard it right, the GUN STILL FIRES!! Damn Apollo Creed was the man, or at least he was until he took on Drago and got broken. This all leads to Arnold (surprise) being the last man standing and realizing that if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself. However, before this happens, Arnold also gets to deliver another of the all-time great lines in the history of cinema with this magical gem.....

[video=youtube;eNr0WXQ3Ho4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNr0WXQ3Ho4[/video]​

"If it bleeds, we can kill it" indeed. That line just gets better every time I hear it, and before the film is over, it does in fact bleed. That brings me to another great element of this film, the tension towards the end. When it finally comes time for Arnold's showdown we are aware that he has derived a way for himself to appear invisible to the creature that is stalking him. That doesn't mean the creature can't walk right past him while he quakes in his boots wondering if it will notice. Right from the beginning of their final confrontation we see this being put into play with it going past him and then later jumping right in front of him which leads Arnold to run for cover and somehow hang on to the underside of a tree trunk as it walks by. That stuff is great, as is the scene where Arnold is in the tunnel waiting quietly and the creature's blood starts slowly dripping onto the wall, showing that it is right behind him. I cannot overstate the importance of how good this is. and it really makes the scene work perfectly. Arnold eventually gets the best of the creature and kills it, but not before proclaiming that its "one, ugly motherf*cker" in another classic line. One more funny story before I go, when I was a kid, we had a station here that would play Predator all the time, but they would edit out the swearing. For some reason, they took out the word "mother" but left in the word "f*cker" which always caused great laughter among my friends and I. Perhaps its that I have so many fond memories of the film that I rank it so high, or perhaps its just that good. One thing's for sure, if you haven't seen Predator, you really haven't lived.

"Dude, you are so lucky I'm wearing this helmet because my breath f*cking stinks!"​

That being said, I would be shocked if anyone on here has not seen Predator. In fact I would be shocked if anyone on here has not seen all the films featuring a Predator character. It is just one of the most iconic action film bad guys of all time bar none. This film also featured TWO future US Governors (Arnold and Ventura) and Landham ran for the seat in Kentucky but was pushed out due to his porno past. Predator was shot on a budget of $15 million and ended up grossing over $98 million at the box office, a well deserved gain for an excellent film. I figure you know what's coming so I'll just get it out of the way and say that Predator is an easy 10/10 for me and I doubt anyone would really disagree if they've seen it. If you happen to be one of those rare few that I mentioned above, please do yourselves a favour and watch this movie as soon as you can. After all, not many films give you the chance see a character kick a bird and not get in trouble by PETA or the ASPCA, which should be enough to get anyone to check it out.

"As you can see here, Anti-Freeze is NOT a healthy dietary supplement."​

 

[Wang Chung]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Lets go roll in mud and kicks some ugly looking aliens ass. I love this fucking movie Fuji and agree it is a 10/10 just because is was so awesome and different at the time and the Predator just looks so cool when his invisible suit breaks.

Great Review.

 

[Rewind]

I can't say I remember that movie all to well, but I'm gonna go watch it now. Ty Mr rice

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

I can't say I remember that movie all to well, but I'm gonna go watch it now. Ty Mr rice

Glad you're going to check it out, and its Mr. Vice, not Mr. Rice. I was Mr. Rice last week. :

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Cocoon

Three seniors steal away from their retirement home and begin swimming in a pool at an abandoned property. Unfortunately for them, they soon discover that some strangers have bought the home and are using the pool to put giant shells in. The men return to the pool undaunted and swim in it even though they don't know what the shells are. Soon they find that swimming in the pool has a miraculous effect on them, as it seems to reverse their aging process and even cures diseases they previously had.

Cocoon is a film that I had not watched for some time until I discovered I had it on Blu Ray yesterday. I felt as I was getting a little older I might identify with it more than I did when I was younger, and so eagerly popped it into the player to see what it was all about. Suffice to say, this movie does indeed get better with the wisdom of your years added, and I can imagine it will continue to do so in the future as well. Not only is it blessed with excellent performances from all of its cast and tight direction from one of the greats, there is something pure and human about this film. Though it is about aliens and other worlds, there are many important lessons taught in it and while the idea may seem a little hokey the underlying messages brought about in the film most certainly are not. Truly a film that people of all ages can appreciate, Cocoon manages to rise nicely above its slightly inane premise and becomes a fascinating character study, full of truth and reality. That's high praise for your standard science-fiction film, but I believe Cocoon is much more than standard.

[video=youtube;aYOm7PntvEE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYOm7PntvEE&feature=related[/video]

"Please press PLAY and listen to the awesome James Horner soundtrack while reading."​

Directed by Ron Howard (who had already begun carving out his niche in Hollywood with films like Night Shift and Splash) and written by Tom Benedek from a story by David Saperstein, Cocoon seems on the surface to be a light-hearted comedy about the trials and tribulations of aging. However, once the film starts to peel back its layers, much like the aliens themselves, we see that there is so much more emotion and depth underneath. Howard manages this incredibly strong cast with the poise of a champion and never does anything less than allow each of them to shine. The subdued style of direction serves this film well and really lets us develop feelings towards each of the main characters, something that is a rarity these days. The script is a little corny towards the start, but by the end it too has managed to reveal more of itself than would be expected. Initially working with comedy buy moving seamlessly into high drama, the story is never anything but engaging and the writers should be commended even though they haven't gone on to much notoriety outside of this film.

"At least its not slam dancing, I don't think their bones would hold up pool or not."​

Don Ameche anchors the cast as Art and won a well-deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the character. Though it was more of a "lifetime achievement" award, its hard to argue that he didn't deserve it because he's absolute magic in the role. Wilford Brimley brings his jovial nature as Ben while Hume Cronyn adds some much needed pathos in the role of Joe. In fact, the best thing about this film is the numerous performances by actors who were well into their years when it was shot. The eight major players ranged from 51-77, mostly nearer to 77 than younger, which is to be expected. They are all solid and not just the men either. The women, played by Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon and Herta Ware are all spectacular as well, particularly Ware's sensitive portrayal of a woman suffering from Alzheimer's. There's a younger cast too, led by a very strong Brian Dennehy and Steve Guttenberg, who is remarkably restrained here, most likely thanks to Howard's influence. Tahnee Welch also has a role as a sort of alien love interest for Guttenberg's character (as if you wouldn't nail her even if she was an alien) and is smoking hot. Actually, I'd forgotten how hot, but with shot's like the one below, you'll soon see that I'm not wrong.

"I could stop now and you'd have all the reason you need to watch this movie."​

There's a lot of fun to be had in this film, particularly in the cute scenes involving the rejuvenated seniors at play. Even their implied sex is not as disturbing as I thought it might have been initially. It's actually kind of sweet to see old people enjoying their twilight years, and of course the actors do a great job conveying those emotions. There's a hilarious scene where the women are playing Mah-Jong and three of them have a "radiance" to them that is quite amusing. As well, the scenes of the men enjoying their time in the pool are great and of course there's also the awesome Michael Sembello song "Gravity" which fits the scene perfectly. I hope you're still listening to the soundtrack as well, because its just another part of what makes this movie great. James Horner is always up to the task of crafting simple yet powerful pieces that perfectly compliment the movies they are featured in and his work here is no exception. In fact, I consider this one of the most perfectly scored films I've ever seen, it really is that good.

"How do you know the alien isn't cheating?"​

Outside of the light hearted nature, there is that depth that I mentioned earlier. I found it refreshing to watch these real-life characters confess their real-life fears as if they were indeed real-life people. The simple conversation between Brimley and Stapleton about being afraid of death, not because of dying but because of having to live without one another is quite touching. There is another wonderful scene between Cronyn and Tandy (married in real life by the way) where she confesses to him that she's known he's cheated on her in the past and he admits it. He mentions that he'd rather live on Earth for six months (the time he would have left to live) with her than an eternity without her. I realize that on paper this sounds corny, but the emotional range Cronyn brings to the scene is so strong you cannot help but feel what he's feeling. As I mentioned earlier, getting older does tend to put a different type of perspective on this film, and with that being said I cannot wait to watch it again in about 10 years, and another 10 after that. I believe it's one of those fine wine films that will always age gracefully. Cocoon is a wonderful experience that I think everyone should have at least once, to allow them the opportunity to reflect on things that are really important to them. It just doesn't get much better than that at the movies as far as I'm concerned.

"You can tell their aliens, they all look too perfect."​

Cocoon was shot on an estimated budget of $10 million and ended up making over $76 million in its theatrical run. It met with mixed criticism, but over the years many have re-assessed their opinions of the film, much as I have done. When I was younger, I thought it was a fun movie and nothing more. As I've aged, I realize that its a portent of the future for myself and others my age, and the film gives me hope that I too will be able to find the magic within to face those days, because unfortunately there are no real magic pools. Perhaps a little deep, but I think I'm allowed to be introspective once in awhile, so yeah, that's me being introspective I guess. There's issues, so I cannot go higher than 8/10 but I strongly suggest you all give it a look because it is well worth seeking out. Hopefully you do, because we all need a little more positive energy in our lives, and Cocoon delivers it nicely.

"Thankfully they aren't the Independence Day aliens."

[video=youtube;Ytas17Y2yyU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytas17Y2yyU[/video]

"You just can't beat the 80's for tunes."​

 

[Wang Chung]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

cocoon. was a great film. I don't remember much of it but liking the movie. I think this was movie was done at the height of Steve Guttenburgs popularity as I believe he had done a couple Police Academy's and Short Circuit. Brian Denahey was good and I always ask my self what would Brian do. Wrong Brian. This isn't Brian Boitano.

 

[Fuji Vice]

Re: The Wing Kong Exchange

Die Hard

A New York cop heads to Los Angeles for a Christmas party hosted by his estranged wife's company. Once there he gets into an argument with her and contemplates leaving but before he can do so a gang of criminals seize control of the building. Managing to escape from them, this cop soon realizes that nobody is going to come and help him. If he wants to save his wife and get out of the building alive its up to him alone to stop this ruthless group of villains. Will he be able to or will he die trying?

Quite simply put, Die Hard is the pinnacle of 1980's action films and the basis by which all others are measured. It raised the bar for the entire genre to near unreachable heights while catapulting its lead into the Hollywood A-list forever. More than that, it proved that deviating from the standard formula action film could indeed work if it was in the right hands. Relying on a brash anti-hero as a protagonist was nothing new, however making him vulnerable and human was. Too often in the past, action films had relied on heroes who were virtually impervious to pain and impossible to kill. Die Hard changed all of that by forcing its hero to be almost too human at times, and the end result is a compelling character that anchors a flawless film. From a top notch script to brilliant casting, from a director who was really hitting his stride to a perfect balance of action, suspense and humour, Die Hard really does have it all, and it has it in spades. There had been thousands of action films made before and there have been thousands since, but none have the impact or the staying power that Die Hard does, and for that alone it has to be considered perhaps the greatest of all time in the genre.

"With explosions like this you know its gonna' rock!"​

Directed by John McTiernan (who did the previously reviewed Predator) and written by Jeb Stuart (also wrote Leviathan and underrated Stallone film Lock Up) and Steven E. de Souza (wrote Schwarzenegger vehicles Commando and The Running Man), the film was based on a book by Roderick Thorp entitled "Nothing Lasts Forever". Thankfully this film will, as the technical merits alone make it one that will forever stand the test of time. McTiernan's direction in Predator was impeccable, here it is even more so. His sense of pacing is second to none in the action genre and no greater example of that sense exists than his work on this film. I would also like to point out how awesome things like not cutting away from shots is (such as the scene where an elevator opens and the bad guy continues to walk into the room so we cannot see where our hero has hidden). I love that style of filmmaking and it really benefits the action genre perfectly. The screenplay is also superb, allowing for just the right blend of humour and action as well as telling a very compelling story. Stuart and de Souza can also be credited with creating some of the most memorable characters in action films, as from the top on down everyone has a part to play and they are all essential.

"Discovering what a tv dinner feels like cannot be fun."​

Bruce Willis stars as the hero of the film, John McClane, and does an excellent job in his most well known role. To think that this guy was going through the motions on Moonlighting before landing this part is wild, but thankfully he got the part and the rest as they say is history. Willis quips dialogue with the best of them and really gets a chance to shine several times in the film. He's also totally believable as the character and of course the "human" element I mentioned earlier (such as being cut by glass) makes him even more so. There were many action stars of the time, but I cannot think of another who could have played the role of McClane to such effect as he, so of course the casting was absolutely perfect. Bonnie Bedelia plays his wife, Holly, and does her usual solid acting job in a role that is more meant for support. She does play off Willis well at the beginning and again, one can believe these two are actually married. Support is also lent from some strong actors like Hart Bochner as the coke-snorting dealmaker Ellis, Robert Davi as FBI Agent Johnson (no, the other one), Alexander Godunov as Karl, a tough as nails bad guy, Reginald Veljohnson as Al Powell, a cop helping Willis and a hilarious De'voreaux White as Argyle, Willis' limo driver. Not only that, but two of the greatest douchebag actors of all time, Paul Gleason and William Atherton pop up in excellent roles as a deputy commissioner and news reporter respectively.

"Best damn man that ever lived."​

However even Willis needs a bad guy to go up against, and does he ever get one with Hans Gruber, played brilliantly by Alan Rickman. Without a doubt, Rickman is one of the all time great actors and the character of Gruber is certainly amongst his most memorable. From the moment we meet him he instantly engrosses us with his natural charisma and deliberate speaking pattern. His chilling scene with Mr. Takagi where he "counts to three" and his subsequent lamentation that they'll have to "do it the hard way" is superb and just one of the countless great moments he is involved in during the film. In fact, my favourite scene in the entire film occurs between he and Willis when he is pretending to be a man named Bill Clay after being caught by Willis snooping around. He pulls off this fantastic fake American accent and for a time seems to have Willis fooled, but I'll stop now in case one or two of you rock dwellers haven't seen this film. Suffice to say, for the film to work it needed a super strong villain, and Rickman was more than up to the challenge of providing it. To digress for a moment, another of my favourite scenes involves this not so subtle way that Willis attempts to "inform" the police of the terrorists presence....

[video=youtube;qkyskI13KOs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkyskI13KOs[/video]​

If that doesn't grab your attention then how about the myriad of explosions and gunfights in the film? Not enough? Ok, well there's hand to hand combat as well, and a particularly vicious fight between Willis and Godunov is among the highlights there. Outside of the action there is a nice emphasis on comedic elements too, such as Willis deciding to toy with the villains by making some Santa Claus references on a dead body. In fact, the film takes place on Christmas Eve which also makes it among the best Christmas films ever made, so it kind of wins twice doesn't it? There's just too much good in this film to talk about all of it and to be honest, its not fair to those who haven't seen it, so I think I'd better stop giving stuff away now. One more thing though, I couldn't find a clip of it but I've always loved the dialogue between the two FBI agents on the helicopter about Saigon and junior high. Hey, if you've seen it you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't...what the hell is wrong with you? Die Hard is not only one of the best action films I've ever seen, its one of the best films period. I have watched it more than 50 times and I can imagine watching it 50 more before long. It really is the quintessential action piece and even if you don't like the genre (there actually are people out there who don't) I believe you will enjoy it. There's just something about it, and though its hard to put a finger on it, the feeling is nonetheless there.

"Yippee Ki Yay Motherf*cker!"​

Die Hard was shot on a budget of $28 million and earned more than $137 million at the box office, $83 million of that in the US alone, which was good for the seventh position for the year. More than money though, it proved that the action film was indeed alive and well and ready to be taken out a whole new door. The studio heads at Fox were quick to put forth into motion plans for a sequel, one that we will be looking at tomorrow. Die Hard is one of a kind and when they made it they really did break the mold. I cannot overstate how essential this film is to the action genre so instead of continuing to ramble on I will simply go the distance and give it the 10/10 that it so richly deserves. See you tomorrow when we head to the airport...because lightning can't strike twice can it?

"Happy trails Hans."​