The smart-handled story with a high-rise thriller element with the launching of Bruce Willis in action avtar definitely rekindled the enthusiasm for action cum thriller movies. It piles over all the very known elements of the action genre which can be incorporated into a filmy storyline along with a cop who rescues the hostages from an office in Los Angeles. The film has incorporated all the special effects full of machine guns, heroic helicopters and bomb explode tanks.
The story of the film revolves around a smart-mouthed cop John McClane played by Mr.Willis who lands to reconcile with his wife in Los Angeles and goes to her party in the office. Just after then a group of terrorists plan to steal 6 million in bonds. The tower where the driver asks McClane to wait is made hostage by the terrorists. Everyone in the tower is taken hostage by the terrorists except McClane. Then the story goes up and down like the shafts of the elevator. The story of the film takes a new turn with the ruthless terrorist leader and a great part of the film centres around the witty mind of the cop and the master-minded criminal with an aloof mind. The action sequence with the with party’s emotional tale of the ruptured marriage alongside the fully developed action sequences is enough to snatch the attraction of the audience.
The director of the film John McTiernan and the screenplay is written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. The film is actually based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp and which was made into a screenplay in 1988 and the development of the characters is made according to the novel. The film has many bloody moments along with some abysmal sequences also. There are some special action sequences such as McClane swings down from the side of a high rise, helicopter buzz, bomb explosion scenes which are well choreographed.
The cast and crew of the film have also delivered superb performances. Bruce Willis as John McClane has fit into the skin of the character so well that it seems the character of the novel has come up onto the screen. Besides that, the character of a terrorist ruthless leader played by Alan Rickman who is on the one hand seductive, manipulative and on the other hand, violent is brilliant. Besides that, the vital side characters like Alexander Godunov as Karl, Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell, Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson, Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro-McClane have done complete justice to their respective roles.
Though there are some drawbacks in character design and also plot development as the pace at the beginning of the film was quite slow. Apart from that, the whole film is very intriguing and entertaining enough to keep tight the audience in their seats. The film has all the points of a good entertainer and hence it is a decent watch and recommended movie as well.
