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 Gruber pretending to be a hostage; it was only written in when it was discovered that Rickman could perform a convincing American accent. The premiere of "Die Hard" took place on July 12, 1988, at the AVCO theater in Los Angeles, California. Die Hard had its inaugural British screening at the London Film Festival on 27 November 1988. "Die Hard" opened in limited release in 21 theaters on July 15, 1988, earning $601,851—an average of $28,659 per theater. The film began a wide release in North America on July 20, 1988, earning approximately $7.1 million from 1,276 theaters—an average of