ahhh . there nothing like the holiday season . family reunion around the big table and present for everybody and the kid play all night long after santa claus visit . movie set in christmas be always the kind of production which enhance our mood and touch u and make u feel well . be it . not anymore . because die hard be set exclusively on christmas eve and but it have nothing to do with santa and elves or frosty the snowman . it simply be the catalyst of the blockbuster generation of the 90 and it also one of the best action movie of all time . the movie be about a group of european terrorist ( theyre german and actually ) who plan to steal $ 600 and 000 and 000 from nakatomi plaza vault and in los angeles . by the way and for those who do not know it and the nakatomi plaza building be exactly the same than 20th century fox headquarters . the group be lead by han gruber and one of the most interesting villain portray for a while and alan rickman best role to date . what distinguish gruber from the other master criminal be his great intelligence and his apparently high level of education and erudition and his careful plotting of the heist . he always seem to know what he be do and what he have to do and what be gon na happen and what to do if there be any hitch . he look like a modern phileas fogg . this be almost scary and because we can ask ourselves represent how could we beat this . machine . unfortunately for gruber and there be only one little thing ( and a considerable one ) that he do not count on represent john mcclane ( the one and only bruce willis and in his breakthrough role ) . mcclane be a nypd cop who come to l. a. to visit his wife holly ( bonnie bedelia ) and but he be able to escape himself from the terrorist when they invade the building . now and he the only one able of defeat the terrorist and he gon na have to use his brain and his gut and his muscle in order to stay alive and save everybody . mcclane be first depict a a mildly reclusive and word avid cop and but he quickly become wild after the terrorist takeover . and his heroic action throughout the entire movie make him one of the cool hero of the last year and along with indiana jones and james bond . the action scene be greatly orchestrate by action maestro john mctiernan ( know at the time for predator ) . not only do they figure bloody battle and explosive gunfight and eye pop pyrotechnic effect and but theyre film in unique and interesting way . here be some example represent after harry elli be shot and we can watch gruber talk to the police via walkie talkie . throughout hole make in ellis head . and there also these scene where mcclane shoot two terrorist in the leg and make them literally blow out with blood . gunfight be unrelenting and we could believe that there be a many bullet shoot in this film a in an entire war . and for dessert and what about two great bombing inside the building itself . first and there be that unforgettable and visually dazzling massive explosion make by mcclane with a bomb chair and and second and that epic roof bombing and which can be visible from the far other side of the city . this be the great part of the visual . the less shining part be the light circle and oval which constantly appear and disappear during nearly all the movie . this be very annoying and disturb . other than gruber and mcclane and there be only two very interesting character . the first one be gruber henchman karl ( alexander godunov ) . just look at him be dreadful . his eye be aggressive and cold and piercing . and his indelible grimace render him menace and serious . he that kind of guy with whom it be preferable not to make angry . the other interesting protagonist be sgt . powell ( reginald veljohnson ) . he the only contact that mcclane have with the exterior from inside his glass pseudo prison . together and they develop a close relationship with each other during the operation although they never see each other until the end and in a very heart warm scene . die hard win point for what it be and for what be have become . in 1988 and it show a whole new kind of action sub genre represent the die hard genre and which be an action picture take place in a restrained place and such a a skyscraper and a plane and so on . the hero be a real human be and instead of be a reckless soldier and a suave spy or a martial art expert . it be a great example of the near perfect action picture . it die hard that launch a wave of big budget action picture and make the 90 what we could call the yippee ki yay generation .