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) 2007, "Entertainment Weekly" ranked "Die Hard" the greatest action film of all time. The first sequel, "Die Hard 2", received positive reviews, although not as many as the original. Despite only giving the original film two stars, critic Roger Ebert gave this film three and a half stars and called it "terrific entertainment." James Berardinelli called the film "somewhat-muddled but still entertaining." Peter Travers wrote that "however impressively made, "Die Hard 2" begins to wear thin." The third film, "Die Hard with a Vengeance", received mixed reviews. Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" stated that while "McTiernan stages individual sequences with