Die Hard (film series) memorable." James Berardinelli wrote that the film "represents the class of modern action pictures and the standard by which they must be judged." Critic Desson Howe wrote that "Willis has found the perfect vehicle to careen wildly onto the crowded L.A. freeway of "Lethal Weapons" and "Beverly Hills Cops"." Willis was also called "perfect as the wisecracking John McClane" and "an excellent casting choice as a sardonic action hero." Alan Rickman's portrayal of villain Hans Gruber was described as "marvelous" and "a career-making performance." Gruber also ranked 46 on the villain side of AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains. In
Die Hard (film series) "is the best in the series, an invigorating return to the style of blockbuster that dominated summers back in the early 1990s." "USA Today" film critic Claudia Puig said that the film "delivers when it comes to kick-butt, action-packed mayhem," but "as a convincing techno-thriller, it doesn't really work." The fifth film, "A Good Day to Die Hard", received mostly negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 14% based on 223 reviews, making it the worst-reviewed film of the series. Critics lambasted the installment for "[entering] generic action movie territory", as written by reviewer