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) film would ever get made. The character John McClane also appears in the 1993 film "Loaded Weapon 1", which is also portrayed by Bruce Willis, in a brighter version. "Die Hard" is adapted from the 1979 novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp. "Die Hard 2" was adapted from the 1987 novel "58 Minutes" by Walter Wager. "Die Hard with a Vengeance" was adapted from a script called "Simon Says" by Jonathan Hensleigh, which was also briefly considered to become the script for "Lethal Weapon 4". The hook in Hensleigh's screenplay that captured the attention of director John McTiernan was