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 of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. "Die Hard" established what would be a common formula for action films over the next decade, featuring a lone everyman against a colorful terrorist character in an isolated setting. Several of these films followed this formula were often referred to as ""Die Hard" on a _____", such as "Under Siege" (1992, ""Die Hard" on a battleship"), "Passenger 57" (1992, ""Die Hard" on a plane") and "Speed" (1994, ""Die Hard" on a bus"). Such a trend would continue until films like "The Rock" (1996, also dubbed ""Die Hard" on an island") changed the tone