Die Hard (film series): Difference between revisions
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'''Die Hard''' is a [[quadrilogy]] of [[action films]]. All of its films are centered around [[John McClane]] ([[Bruce Willis]]), a [[New York City|New York]] [[detective]] who, in every episode, finds himself fighting a group of [[Terrorism|terrorists]]. The |
'''Die Hard''' is a [[quadrilogy]] of [[action films]]. All of its films are centered around [[John McClane]] ([[Bruce Willis]]), a [[New York City|New York]] [[detective]] who, in every episode, finds himself fighting a group of [[Terrorism|terrorists]]. The series also features several [[video game]]s based on the films. |
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==Overview== |
==Overview== |
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Revision as of 19:10, 22 November 2008
| Die Hard | |
|---|---|
| Original work | Die Hard |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | Die Hard Die Hard 2: Die Harder Die Hard with a Vengeance Live Free or Die Hard |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Die Hard Die Hard Arcade Die Hard Trilogy Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Die Hard: Vendetta |
| Die Hard series | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John McTiernan Renny Harlin Len Wiseman |
| Written by | Novel: Roderick Thorp (Nothing Lasts Forever) Walter Wager (58 Minutes) John Carlin (article A Farewell to Arms) Screenplay: Jeb Stuart Steven E. de Souza Doug Richardson Jonathan Hensleigh Mark Bomback |
| Starring | Bruce Willis |
| Music by | Michael Kamen Marco Beltrami |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | 1988-2007 |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,122,739,477 |
Die Hard is a quadrilogy of action films. All of its films are centered around John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York detective who, in every episode, finds himself fighting a group of terrorists. The series also features several video games based on the films.
Overview
Die Hard
Die Hard begins on Christmas Eve with New York detective John McClane traveling to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who is now living in LA with their two children and going by her maiden name. The party was being held at the fictional Nakatomi Plaza. During the evening, German terrorists break into the building and take the partygoers hostage. McClane escapes detection after having an argument with his wife and leaving to an upstairs bathroom. He manages to hide throughout the building, killing off the terrorists one by one. After a reporter reveals that McClane's wife is one of the hostages by interviewing their children, the terrorists take Holly in order to persuade McClane into giving up. He finally meets the leader Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and throws him out of the window.
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Die Hard 2 takes place a year after the events of the first film, once again on Christmas Eve. This time, John McClane is in Washington D.C. at Dulles Airport awaiting the arrival of his wife. While waiting, a group of terrorists planning to rescue a drug lord have taken over the control tower of the airport. This strands several planes in the air, including the one McClane's wife is on.
Die Hard with a Vengeance
In Die Hard with a Vengeance, set several years later, McClane is back in New York. He is now separated from his wife, suspended from the police force, and two steps away from being a full-blown alcoholic. A terrorist who goes only by the moniker "Simon" (Jeremy Irons) threatens to blow up various locations in the city unless McClane will play his twisted version of Simon says. McClane must solve a number of riddles and challenges in order to keep the bombs from going off. He receives the reluctant help of Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), a shopkeeper from Harlem who had saved McClane after the first challenge "Simon" had put him through. The FBI finally reveal that "Simon" is in fact Simon Peter Gruber, the brother of Hans Gruber.
Live Free or Die Hard
Nineteen years after the original film, Live Free or Die Hard has McClane and Holly divorced. His daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), now in college, is going by her mother's maiden name and telling people that her father is dead. A group of cyber-terrorists begin hacking into FBI computers. The FBI then sends McClane to bring in a known hacker, Matt Farrell (Justin Long). In the process, a group of assassins hired by Gabriel attempts to kill the pair. Farrell tells McClane that the terrorists are actually in the middle of performing a fire sale. Lucy is captured by the mastermind behind the terrorists, Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant).
Die Hard 5
There are no confirmed plans for a fifth Die Hard film. However, during promotional interviews leading up to the release of Live Free or Die Hard in 2007, Bruce Willis expressed interest in a fifth installment, stating that "I would only do it if Len [Wiseman] is involved" and (on talking about the entire series) "you can see me when I’m 31 and you can see me when I’m 52, and you guys will decide."[1] Early rumours about Die Hard 5 included the return of actress Bonnie Bedelia as John McClane's ex-wife Holly and Morgan Freeman playing the lead villain.[2] Mary Elizabeth Winstead told in a August 2008 interview that she is not officially signed for another film and has not heard anything official other than internet speculation, but that she would be willing to return as Lucy McClane.[3]
Development
Die Hard is adapted from the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever, by Roderick Thorp. Nothing Lasts Forever is a sequel to the novel The Detective which was also adapted into a film starring Frank Sinatra. Both novels are about a private detective named Joe Leland. Die Hard 2 was adapted from the 1987 novel 58 Minutes, by Walter Wager and Die Hard With A Vengance was adapted from a script called Simon Says.
Reception and box office
| Film | Release date | Budget | Box office revenue | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | United States | United States | Outside US | Worldwide | |||
| Die Hard | 15 July, 1988 | $30,000,000 | $83,008,852 | $55,700,000 | $138,708,852 | [4] | |
| Die Hard 2: Die Harder | 4 July, 1990 | $70,000,000 | $117,540,947 | $122,000,000 | $239,540,947 | [5] | |
| Die Hard with a Vengeance | 19 May, 1995 | $90,000,000 | $100,012,499 | $261,200,000 | $361,212,499 | [6] | |
| Live Free or Die Hard | 27 June, 2007 | $110,000,000 | $134,529,403 | $248,747,776 | $383,277,179 | [7] | |
| Total | $300,000,000 | $435,091,701 | $687,647,776 | $1,122,739,477 | |||
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | Yahoo! Movies | IMDB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Cream of the Crop | ||||
| Die Hard | 96% (49 reviews)[8] | 81% (7 reviews) [9] | 78% (13 reviews) [10] | B+ (7 reviews)[11] | 8.8 |
| Die Hard 2: Die Harder | 62% (42 reviews)[12] | 51% (6 reviews)[13] | B- (6 reviews) [14] | 6.9 | |
| Die Hard with a Vengeance | 61% (43 reviews)[15] | 61% (9 reviews)[16] | 58% (19 reviews)[17] | 7.4 | |
| Live Free or Die Hard | 80% (189 reviews)[18] | 77% (35 reviews)[19] | 69% (34 reviews)[20] | B+ (13 reviews) [21] | 7.6 |
References
- ^ Die Hard 5 Coming Soon?
- ^ Bruce wants "ex-wife" back in "Die Hard 5"
- ^ Winstead on Die Hard 5
- ^ Die Hard (1988)
- ^ Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)
- ^ Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)
- ^ Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
- ^ Die Hard Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Die Hard Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Die Hard (1988): Reviews
- ^ Die Hard (1988) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ Die Hard 2: Die Harder Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Die Hard 2: Die Harder Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ Die Hard With a Vengeance Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Die Hard With a Vengeance Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995): Reviews
- ^ Live Free or Die Hard Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Live Free or Die Hard Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Live Free or Die Hard (2007): Reviews
- ^ Live Free or Die Hard (2007) - Movie Info - Yahoo! Movies
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