Still makes my eyes tear up after all these years. Al was a good street cop who made a terrible mistake. So he became a desk cop because he couldn't trust himself and felt guilty. Then, when his friend was in danger, he reacted on instinct. Reginald VelJohnson was so good in this scene, from the focused eyes of responding to a threat; to the look of surprise ss he realized what he did; to the sadness of remembering the last time he drew his gun. I dunno; maybe I look too much into it, but there in something beautiful in that.
And the flip side of that is it's a measure of just how far gone Karl is. He could have slipped away into the night, but instead he chooses one more shot at revenge.
The look on Powell’s face, as he unfastens the holster, then shortly afterward, as he’s looking down the barrel, gives me chills. This movie got everything right!
I love that after all the hell John's been through, how tired he must be and barely holding together, he still recognizes Al without either of them saying a word. And then they laugh and hug it out man style! And Al emerges a hero in his own right, redeeming his mistake and protecting his new friend.
If it hadn't been for Powell and his reassurance on the other end of that line during the ordeal, McClane may not have made it. Powell saved him, in more ways than one.
I would agree with everything you said. I'm so glad Al stayed until John and Holly came out. It wouldn't have been the same if Al had left. Him and his support for John made HUGE difference in the movie.
Why is this scene rarely touched on? We’ve got the meaningful reunion on new friends John and Al, the sudden scream when you think the worst is over, the reveal that Karl is still alive despite being hung, Karls look of “I’m taking this guy to hell with me!”, the four echoing gunshots before a final thundering boom of a fifth shot, the slow reveal of Al’s redemption, and the upbeat music of triumphant win This is a scene made to make the whole theater roar with applause and I love it!
The music when Karl appears is so good. It was actually written by the late (great) James Horner for the movie _Aliens_ but it was cut from the final film. It's called "Resolution and Hyperspace".
VMIFerrari and the song just before that, when john and al meet, is from Man on Fire (1987) composed by John Scott. ruclips.net/video/wIqzLQ1h3DM/видео.html
Horner actually composed it for the Mutara Nebula battle in The Wrath of Khan. But he went with another one and put it on the Aliens soundtrack. But it was unused in that movie.
Does anybody else here cry when you see Al from the distance and John just knows it's him, this bond that was formed through the whole movie... something so sweet about it
I remember watching this back in college in a small theater with a group of kids who never saw the film before. People clapped when Al saved John as if it was when the film was originally released. There is something great about getting lost in the story of the film where the successes and failures of the character feel so real.
I watched this again last night and had totally forgot so was like the first time. I was almost cheering when i saw who shot him. But it was after midnight
I saw it the first time as a sneak preview, a few weeks before it's actual release date, quite by accident. I had gone to the movies to see something else which the sneak preview replaced that night. I only knew of Bruce Willis from Moonlighting. Had no idea what to expect, of course it was far better than I could've expected.
Love the fact Karl's face is covered in blood. That makes the people outside the building to wonder what the hell happened inside. And reminds us all the violent and primal fight for survival we've just watched.
He wasn't hung tightly enough and if you look closely the chain is wrapped around his body and shoulders not really his neck so it's very believable in one sense die hard is fairly realistic overall it's funny how originally it was written as a sequel to Arnold's commando. Under siege was supposed to be die hard 3 originally .
He was a damn tank lol, not to mention he'd have to be extremely exhausted to travel from top to bottom while wounded... The fact it took 5 rounds from a .357 is insane lol
@@danielmiller9012 I'll be honest turns me on in a non gay way how he's trying hard and is determined even after he's shot he's still trying lol look at his face. He's fucking awesome he should have been the main bad guy in die hard instead of Alan Rickman his style his mission he was ruthless he actually got shot with 38 special not 357 357 would blow a major major hole the gun is a smith and Wesson model 10 los Angeles police used that for many years from the 60s to the 90s
2:21 As powerful as the scene and performances were, the music by Horner made it even more powerful and perfect. A fantastic choice. One of the best moments in any action film to this day.
@@solezeta1314 It's a piece of Horner's Aliens score playing in this scene. It was used in the movie's temp track when editing it together. It worked so well that they ended up keeping it in the finished version.
This scene itself is so great just on its own, but then that little twinkle in the music at 1:32 just tops it all off and makes it perfect. It’s such a small but powerful touch.
I still get goosebumps no matter how many times I watch this. The regret he felt for accidentally shooting the kid in the past, the inability to gain the courage to even use his weapon again even when it matters, but at this moment, the weight is lifted from his shoulders and he proves that he still has purpose as a policeman to get the job done right and that your never defined by your past shortcomings. A beautiful redemptive arc for a side character with just little exposition about his story, but it was enough to get us attached. Die Hard is an action film masterpiece.
I love how John shields Holly with himself as Karl is about to kill him. It really shows how much he loves his wife and would still fight to save her even if he’s badly injured and unarmed. Because that’s what a good cop does for his family, right?
If it wasn’t for AL there would no longer be a John McLaine or holly . What a legend ! The way John looks at him with ultimate respect knowing that AL is the real hero in the whole place and the real cop . Nothing comes close to this it’s so powerful .
And Al’s selfless act in protecting John and Holly by killing Karl did more to protect lives than the incompetent and stubborn Robinson, the guy that refused to believe that John was the their side.
Think about the movie's title Die Hard. This is probably the most meaningful it's ever been, working on multiple levels. On the surface, it's a rousing title getting you pumped for the action you're about to see, on another it's describing how hard it is for the bad guys to find and kill John McClaine, yet another level refers to the love between John and Holly, and going further, it's describing people like Al who have demons that don't die easily, in fact they stick around. And, it all comes together beautifully at the end of this movie.
Agree with you about the love between John and Holly. It's a beautiful love story about a husband and wife reuniting. And what a man will do to protect his wife. I was watching Holly, when they came out of the building. The way, she kept looking at John. Not that dreamy look. But that my husband's my hero look!
I won’t lie. The first time I saw this, when the camera pans and shows that it was Powell who took down Karl, I burst into tears. It was such a powerful moment for that character and it still makes me tear up to this day.
One of the most brilliantly done scenes in an action flick. The way the camera unblurs revealing Al's own look of disbelief on his face along with the epic score makes it the best redemption for a man living with a traumatic mistake.
Karl is one of the best action movie villains of all time along with Alan Rickman. Such a magnetic screen presence. Sad both actors are not here anymore
Out of all the movies that feature the Steyr AUG this one is the most iconic! I like how early on in the movie it shows Karl putting the gun together which shows that the AUG can be broken down into pieces very easily! 👍💯
Still The Ultimate Bad Guy Returns at the End Moment in Movies. A legendary moment with an epic score with one hell of a pay off. Die Hard will always be The Pinnacle of action movies. Flawless.
Powell’s redemption scene is, hands down, the best movie ending of all time. I’ve seen it hundreds of times and it never gets old. I saw Die Hard in the theaters when it first came out in 1987 and this scene alone was worth the price of admission.
Everyone seems to overlook the very simple theme here, Al had been relegated to a desk and essentially mocked when he was the only person from the LAPD using his training and instincts the entire time to call the terrorists play by play, and when a threat appeared (Karl) he fell back on his training and fearlessly faced him down while everyone else dove for cover and cowered. Al is the real hero.
I don't know why. I just love how when John and Carl meet. They just know who one another is. Little words. But the two know who each other are respectively.
2:04 to 2:46 = Can you believe that the iconic music playing during this equally iconic scene was actually originally intended for Aliens? The late great James Horner wrote that music for James Cameron's legendary sequel to the Ridley Scott classic intended for the scene when Ripley kills the alien queen but Cameron ended up opting to go with the music that was eventually featured in Aliens' climatic finale, good thing too as this music fits Die Hard a million times more than it would have in Aliens!!!
He wasn't going to let anything happen to John after all they both have been through. His instinct to protect who he cared for took over no matter what. Amazing scene and the music and cinematography is so great. All elements for this scene are amazing and powerful.
I know it's an old comment but I just wanted to point out that the bullet that gun uses (.38 special) is pretty underpowered. But still, all the shots seem to have hit the heart of pretty close + he should've already been dead anyways.
Gotta give Carl credit for outliving his boss. I find it cool how sometimes the dragon/right-hand outlives the big bad and tries to kill the hero one last time as the final boss
Reminds me of mission impossible 3 where after Ethan kills davian, his mole arrives afterwards trying to shoot Ethan but his wife guns down the traitor with him having face of shock at being shot
@@GMmaster99 I always think of tomorrow never dies when stamper is the final enemy Bond finds after his boss gets killed, trying to avenge him and his father figure. or like in Resident Evil 6 where the ustanak still chases Jake even though his master Carla is dead.
Yep it was actually also part of Horners theme from Star Trek II the wrath of khan. If you listen to the ending battle theme you can tell it fits right in. ruclips.net/video/j_xN0LOLG3I/видео.html He alsmost used it for Star Trek also but instead it went to die hard
This whole scene feels very reminiscent of the ending of Ghostbuster. The music, the big building, all the police cars and people, but most of all the whole scene revolves around the couple.
0:40. I've always liked this moment. You can tell that McClaine only has one thing on his mind here. Finding a face to put to the voice that helped get him through this.
@@juliusulit1141 You've hit the nail on the head. Hans blowing the roof of the building up is what released Karl from the chain around his neck. Notice at the end he doesn't look just bloodied...he looks like he's probably burnt too. And he was hanging from that chain only one or MAYBE two floors down from the roof. This movie is amazing for how few nitpicks that there are that can't be refuted somehow and their awesome attention to detail (Ellis' hilarious disappointed expression when one of the terrorists brings him a soda...lol not the kinda coke he meant). Absolutely rock solid movie. None of the sequels approach this level of....just pure classic filmmaking. IMO the best Die Hard "sequels" are Cliffhanger and Speed anyway lol..
Not only the best christmas movie of all time, one of the best action movies of all time as well. Every character has a well thought out plot. Just a masterpiece all around. This scene always gives me tears and goosebumps
I'm actually surprised that Robinson was mad at McClane about letting Hans kill Ellis, interfering with police business, and the damage to the Nakatomi building, but didn't mention anything about the deaths of FBI Agents Big and Little Johnson.
Watched this movie for the first time last week and it got to the part where John and Al finally met face to face. I thought it would end right there. Then Karl popped out and I was like “holy crap! Is this dude ever gonna die?”
Best friends are rare to find. Talked you through a terrorist fight, saves you and your wife from a psycho and still has time to deal with Steve Urkell's bullshit. Good man.
0:441:13 What I liked about this part of the scene is John and Al officially meeting face to face after meeting each other via the radios and developing a bond since Al was only cop to believe everything John said and that he was their side. There’s something I wished they’d include and it was John punching Robinson and this 2:02 shows that John winced at him as if he was going to punch him especially after 1:521:57 Robinson attempted to charge John for property damage (When John used a C-4 explosive to kill criminals/terrorists James and Alexander), Ellis’s murder (Especially when John tried to talk Ellis into admitting the truth that he didn’t know him to prevent from getting himself killed and Robinson was stupid enough not to read the lines and believe that John let him die), and “interfering with police business” (When John’s actions did more to save the hostages and help out the police than Robinson’s own incompetence, plus Robinson refused to believe that McClane was an ally out of his own stupidity and stubbornness). I liked that Al had character development of his own, especially after his radio conversation with John when he revealed that the reason why that he couldn’t bear to use his gun again was from an incident when he accidentally shot a kid holding a toy ray gun, and it ended with him getting his redemption by 2:122:19 using his gun to kill Karl to protect John and Holly from getting killed by him. Also in my opinion, I think it was reasonable for Al to kill Karl because I felt like it was right that the last villain that was to be killed by John was the main villain himself, Hans Gruber.
What an amazing movie, made even greater by an amazing end. This is what producers don’t realize nowadays... Is this scene just a little cheesy, unrealistic? Sure. Karl was seemingly hanging dead a few minutes before. If you made an entire movie built on “subverting expectations”, it would be silly and cringeworthy (don’t even have to mention which particular movie I’m referring to here). But if you pepper in scenes like this, instead of building your movie on them, you can make it work for an epic moment. Like this moment.
I think I know exactly what movie you’re talking about, and it’s a disgrace to the wider franchise it’s attached to… This moment rocks, though. Loved seeing Powell redeem himself!
This is one of my favorite scenes from the movie. Not because Al gets his redemption or because of that great music. Not even because it’s a touching moment between two guys that have been through a lot. I love it because this shows us how great of a Villain Karl was. That blood curdling scream out of nowhere and Karl pushing ppl off of him. His eyes said it all. Everyone talks about Hans being a great Villain. Yes. But Karl was too.
I’m pretty sure the entire point was that regardless of what Al had done in the past that he was a great cop, everyone dove out of the way to protect themselves and Al fell immediately back on his training to mitigate the threat.
Fun fact: that music at 2:10 is unused soundtrack from Aliens (1986) that was used as a placeholder dureing the production, but McTiernan decided that it fits the scene perfectly
@@FireTiger941 Crazy, thanks for the trivia, I looked it up and you are right. Apparently it was considered for star trek 2 as well, but I'm very glad they used it for this scene.
As much as a share the "hell yes!" feeling we all have, I have to note that Al has something like a hair under five seconds from when we see him getting his hands on his gun (~2:07.5) to the shooting (2:12). Honestly, it feels like an eternity just watching the scene. I also think I see a look on his face of "seriously, the entire police department is here, and nobody is shooting?!" You seriously see what must be dozens of peace officers literally panic after having to deal with a dangerous but very easily handled situation. I think the look we see on his face at the end is his astonishment that he and this wise cracking new york jerk are like the only effective cops in the Die Hard universe. As he looks down, he realizes that law and order truly rests on his shoulders, as he truly is a policing hero next to the M-16 armed SWAT guys that literally ran away from a nearly dead but armed corpse.
for fucks sakes use the fucking internet to look for those "good movies" that you want that have been made recently, you fucking edgy, #LeWrongGeneration, boomer/millenial kid, for fucks sakes man....
@@leetorry That's the point, good movies rarely get as popular as they did back then. I don't know how true that is, but I assume it's the argument being made.
Poor Officer Winslow, had to deal with ghosts taking over New York, then terrorists in LA, then when he thought he'd be at peace in Chicago, Urkel shows up
All those people who say police shouldnt carry fire arms I think this scene pretty much personifies why they should and that there is a time when you have to use them
![T-800 CSM 101 Arrival | Terminator 2: Judgment Day [Remastered]](/img/1.gif)
Still makes my eyes tear up after all these years.
Al was a good street cop who made a terrible mistake. So he became a desk cop because he couldn't trust himself and felt guilty.
Then, when his friend was in danger, he reacted on instinct.
Reginald VelJohnson was so good in this scene, from the focused eyes of responding to a threat; to the look of surprise ss he realized what he did; to the sadness of remembering the last time he drew his gun.
I dunno; maybe I look too much into it, but there in something beautiful in that.
And the flip side of that is it's a measure of just how far gone Karl is. He could have slipped away into the night, but instead he chooses one more shot at revenge.
No, you're not looking too deeply. That is an extremely poignant moment in the movie and a great redemptive scene for Al.
I first saw this movie about two weeks before the actual release date. Over 30 years later I still get everything you said out of this scene.
I just can't believe Horner's temp track from Aliens really made the scene even more powerful. It's absolutely fantastic!
Wow very well thought out statement.
One of the greatest moments of redemption, in any film. *Ever.*
The greatest!
Amen to that
Amen to that 🙏
I agree!
agreed
The look on Powell’s face, as he unfastens the holster, then shortly afterward, as he’s looking down the barrel, gives me chills. This movie got everything right!
This is one of those perfect movies where I have nothing bad to say about it.
I love that after all the hell John's been through, how tired he must be and barely holding together, he still recognizes Al without either of them saying a word. And then they laugh and hug it out man style! And Al emerges a hero in his own right, redeeming his mistake and protecting his new friend.
If it hadn't been for Powell and his reassurance on the other end of that line during the ordeal, McClane may not have made it. Powell saved him, in more ways than one.
It's love story between McClane and Powell.
Star Trek 2 music used from (1982) “ KIRKS EXPLOSIVE REPLY” By James Horner 😁😁😁🎶🎶🎶
Amen!
I would agree with everything you said. I'm so glad Al stayed until John and Holly came out. It wouldn't have been the same if Al had left. Him and his support for John made HUGE difference in the movie.
Why is this scene rarely touched on?
We’ve got the meaningful reunion on new friends John and Al, the sudden scream when you think the worst is over, the reveal that Karl is still alive despite being hung, Karls look of “I’m taking this guy to hell with me!”, the four echoing gunshots before a final thundering boom of a fifth shot, the slow reveal of Al’s redemption, and the upbeat music of triumphant win
This is a scene made to make the whole theater roar with applause and I love it!
dude the explosion was right next to him
This isn’t a “reunion” its the first time they met
Carl killed Karl
LOL I just realized that
Courtney Gibson Jr powell killed karl and took his place
Heh. This comment got called out on the Bill Simmons podcast.
Hi bill.
rewatchables :)
I love how John McClane sees Powell for the first time and just knew it was him because of his smile. Such an awesome scene.
The music when Karl appears is so good. It was actually written by the late (great) James Horner for the movie _Aliens_ but it was cut from the final film. It's called "Resolution and Hyperspace".
VMIFerrari and the song just before that, when john and al meet, is from Man on Fire (1987) composed by John Scott.
ruclips.net/video/wIqzLQ1h3DM/видео.html
Ferrari mustang
Ok that makes sense I thought that sounded like some music from Star Trek and Horner used a lot of similar music from Wrath of Khan for Aliens.
Thank you, been looking for it on and off for ages, magical and stunning bit of music
Horner actually composed it for the Mutara Nebula battle in The Wrath of Khan. But he went with another one and put it on the Aliens soundtrack. But it was unused in that movie.
Does anybody else here cry when you see Al from the distance and John just knows it's him, this bond that was formed through the whole movie... something so sweet about it
Ngl i did. It helps because the song is so beautiful.
This is one of the greatest scene of redemption in cinema, where good men stand up against evil. I love this scene, one of my favourite of all time.
I remember people in the theater clapping when Karl dropped him. Everyone was like HOLY SHIT he is alive. No one saw it coming.
I remember watching this back in college in a small theater with a group of kids who never saw the film before. People clapped when Al saved John as if it was when the film was originally released. There is something great about getting lost in the story of the film where the successes and failures of the character feel so real.
I watched this again last night and had totally forgot so was like the first time. I was almost cheering when i saw who shot him. But it was after midnight
I saw it the first time as a sneak preview, a few weeks before it's actual release date, quite by accident. I had gone to the movies to see something else which the sneak preview replaced that night. I only knew of Bruce Willis from Moonlighting. Had no idea what to expect, of course it was far better than I could've expected.
Only thing is....what emergency crew made sure Karl was taken away with his beloved bull pup style AR.
no Doubt mate.
you had to cheer
Love the fact Karl's face is covered in blood. That makes the people outside the building to wonder what the hell happened inside. And reminds us all the violent and primal fight for survival we've just watched.
how did he survived though xd
He wasn't hung tightly enough and if you look closely the chain is wrapped around his body and shoulders not really his neck so it's very believable in one sense die hard is fairly realistic overall it's funny how originally it was written as a sequel to Arnold's commando. Under siege was supposed to be die hard 3 originally .
He was a damn tank lol, not to mention he'd have to be extremely exhausted to travel from top to bottom while wounded... The fact it took 5 rounds from a .357 is insane lol
@@danielmiller9012 I'll be honest turns me on in a non gay way how he's trying hard and is determined even after he's shot he's still trying lol look at his face. He's fucking awesome he should have been the main bad guy in die hard instead of Alan Rickman his style his mission he was ruthless he actually got shot with 38 special not 357 357 would blow a major major hole the gun is a smith and Wesson model 10 los Angeles police used that for many years from the 60s to the 90s
2:21 As powerful as the scene and performances were, the music by Horner made it even more powerful and perfect. A fantastic choice. One of the best moments in any action film to this day.
It's funny to me that it wasn't even meant to be here, but it works as great as it would have in Aliens. RIP James Horner.
Sounds like Wrath of Khan ost
What do you mean? It's Michael Kamen
@@solezeta1314 It's a piece of Horner's Aliens score playing in this scene. It was used in the movie's temp track when editing it together. It worked so well that they ended up keeping it in the finished version.
@@ObscureAlex Amen to that!!
This scene itself is so great just on its own, but then that little twinkle in the music at 1:32 just tops it all off and makes it perfect. It’s such a small but powerful touch.
I still get goosebumps no matter how many times I watch this. The regret he felt for accidentally shooting the kid in the past, the inability to gain the courage to even use his weapon again even when it matters, but at this moment, the weight is lifted from his shoulders and he proves that he still has purpose as a policeman to get the job done right and that your never defined by your past shortcomings. A beautiful redemptive arc for a side character with just little exposition about his story, but it was enough to get us attached. Die Hard is an action film masterpiece.
What Carl should've done to Urkel after all the years of torture.
Hahahahahahaha
Ssssssmokin
Funny thing is, Al's reaction shot would fit Carl perfectly.
Lmfao!!!!!!!!!, best comment of the internet!
That ain't right😂😂😂
I love how John shields Holly with himself as Karl is about to kill him. It really shows how much he loves his wife and would still fight to save her even if he’s badly injured and unarmed. Because that’s what a good cop does for his family, right?
Yes!!!
Pity they got divorced
That’s what a good MAN does for his wife. John wasn’t a cop the whole; if anything he was a vigilante cop.
What a good man does.
That's a man! Rather, he's a cop or not. You can tell, that he really loved his wife.
RIP Godunov -- dude made a great bad guy.
He was also quite funny in Money Pit with Tom Hanks.
Also a pretty good amish guy in witness... talk about a wide range of characters!
Godunov was bad enough, yo!!!😜
Him and Hans were a great pairing.
"I don't want neutral, I want dead!" 👍😃
How did he passed away.
If it wasn’t for AL there would no longer be a John McLaine or holly . What a legend ! The way John looks at him with ultimate respect knowing that AL is the real hero in the whole place and the real cop . Nothing comes close to this it’s so powerful .
And Al’s selfless act in protecting John and Holly by killing Karl did more to protect lives than the incompetent and stubborn Robinson, the guy that refused to believe that John was the their side.
Think about the movie's title Die Hard. This is probably the most meaningful it's ever been, working on multiple levels. On the surface, it's a rousing title getting you pumped for the action you're about to see, on another it's describing how hard it is for the bad guys to find and kill John McClaine, yet another level refers to the love between John and Holly, and going further, it's describing people like Al who have demons that don't die easily, in fact they stick around. And, it all comes together beautifully at the end of this movie.
You forgot the part about Karl being having to be beaten to a bloody pulp twice and then finally being put down one more time by dying hard
Also the word die is actually German for the. So the movie could alternatively be called ‘The Hard’.
Agree with you about the love between John and Holly. It's a beautiful love story about a husband and wife reuniting. And what a man will do to protect his wife. I was watching Holly, when they came out of the building. The way, she kept looking at John. Not that dreamy look. But that my husband's my hero look!
I won’t lie. The first time I saw this, when the camera pans and shows that it was Powell who took down Karl, I burst into tears. It was such a powerful moment for that character and it still makes me tear up to this day.
I remember the theater ERUPTED with applause, cause it's like if Bruce Willis is on the ground that who took out Karl?
1:42 awesome wife
2:24 awesome friend
Awesome movie
One of the most brilliantly done scenes in an action flick. The way the camera unblurs revealing Al's own look of disbelief on his face along with the epic score makes it the best redemption for a man living with a traumatic mistake.
Karl is one of the best action movie villains of all time along with Alan Rickman. Such a magnetic screen presence. Sad both actors are not here anymore
Steve Urkel: Way to go big guy!
Carl: Don't make shoot you Steve
Steve Urkel:😨😨 Ok
@@Spookysparks90 😂😂😂 Just saw your reply 🤘👍
Did I do that that?
321 123 what the heck is bothering me?
Title: Karl's death
What the title should be: Sgt. Al Powell's heroic moment
This movie makes the AUG so much more iconic.
Out of all the movies that feature the Steyr AUG this one is the most iconic! I like how early on in the movie it shows Karl putting the gun together which shows that the AUG can be broken down into pieces very easily! 👍💯
That closeup, focus pull shot from the gun to Powell’s face was pure, cinematic brilliance!
still the best Action movie ever made after over 3 decades
It will never be dethroned.
Still The Ultimate Bad Guy Returns at the End Moment in Movies. A legendary moment with an epic score with one hell of a pay off.
Die Hard will always be The Pinnacle of action movies. Flawless.
This scene still gives me chills after all these years.
I always loved that John and Al were able to recognize each other despise never having met face to face before then.
Powell’s redemption scene is, hands down, the best movie ending of all time. I’ve seen it hundreds of times and it never gets old. I saw Die Hard in the theaters when it first came out in 1987 and this scene alone was worth the price of admission.
Genuinely one of my all time favourite scenes in movie history. Simple, well crafted, set up beautifully and perfectly scored. Amazing!
Al Powell's hand-cannon sounded kinda JUICY. The kinda sound that would send a man flying back into a building, then the whole building collapses!
Everyone seems to overlook the very simple theme here, Al had been relegated to a desk and essentially mocked when he was the only person from the LAPD using his training and instincts the entire time to call the terrorists play by play, and when a threat appeared (Karl) he fell back on his training and fearlessly faced him down while everyone else dove for cover and cowered. Al is the real hero.
HELL YEAH HE IS
That shot of the barrel of the gun and then focuses on Reginald is just so awesome.
I don't know why. I just love how when John and Carl meet. They just know who one another is. Little words. But the two know who each other are respectively.
It's just, "there's the guy who's been with me through all this hell tonight; and we're still alive."
Al. Karl was the terrorist
2:04 to 2:46 = Can you believe that the iconic music playing during this equally iconic scene was actually originally intended for Aliens?
The late great James Horner wrote that music for James Cameron's legendary sequel to the Ridley Scott classic intended for the scene when Ripley kills the alien queen but Cameron ended up opting to go with the music that was eventually featured in Aliens' climatic finale, good thing too as this music fits Die Hard a million times more than it would have in Aliens!!!
Yup, if you hear the "Resolution & Hyperspace" track on Aliens album then you'll definitely hear this music.
DragonHeart613 Indeed, a wonderful piece of music. Any idea where I might be able to find it?
It actually sounds like the music from STar Trek II
2:05-2:46
That music when the last terrorist is in play, and your friend comes in to save you.
Excellent for a JoJo Bizarre Adventure moment.
SUCH a badass scene, goddamn
He wasn't going to let anything happen to John after all they both have been through. His instinct to protect who he cared for took over no matter what. Amazing scene and the music and cinematography is so great. All elements for this scene are amazing and powerful.
Damn 30 plus years later this movie still is perfect 👏👏
I counted 4 shots before the 5th and last one killed him, Karl took it like a champ
I guess Karl's vengeance was short lived was taken out by Carl
And don't forget prior to that, he was hung around the neck by chains for an extended period of time!!
I know it's an old comment but I just wanted to point out that the bullet that gun uses (.38 special) is pretty underpowered. But still, all the shots seem to have hit the heart of pretty close + he should've already been dead anyways.
Al killed Karl, stole his name and changed it to a C and moved to Chicago
Stop you're killing me 😂😂😂😂😂
The musical score of this movie made it even greater than it was - awesome!
The track is called "Resolution and Hypersleep" by James Horner. It was originally written to be used in the movie "Aliens"
Many thanks!!
@@FireTiger941
Harriette Winslow: That’s my husband.
Eddie and Laura Winslow: That’s our dad.
One of the greatest action movies ever made.
it's this, predator, and raiders. nothing else even close.
An epic scene, rarely do a scene as awesome as this comes around, but when it does, it statnds the test of time.
I love how they hug like old friends!!!!!
Best scene from the legendary movie
RIP
Alexander Godunov
(1949-1995)
Powell and McClane: best bromance ever
It took 5 shots to take Karl down to talk about the amount of anger and hatred he had to kill McClain.
1:25 I love this moment when John and Al meet each other face to face for the first time and they embrace. Such an emotional moment.
Gotta give Carl credit for outliving his boss. I find it cool how sometimes the dragon/right-hand outlives the big bad and tries to kill the hero one last time as the final boss
Reminds me of mission impossible 3 where after Ethan kills davian, his mole arrives afterwards trying to shoot Ethan but his wife guns down the traitor with him having face of shock at being shot
@@GMmaster99 I always think of tomorrow never dies when stamper is the final enemy Bond finds after his boss gets killed, trying to avenge him and his father figure. or like in Resident Evil 6 where the ustanak still chases Jake even though his master Carla is dead.
And it’s pretty cool how his Brother died first, and Karl was the last one to die
@@subscorpion9560Or Mr. Joshua in Lethal Weapon after General McAllister was killed.
2:05 *Cue James Horner's unused track from "Aliens" to make this scene more awesome lol*
Wow didn't know that. Love love this scene
I thought I was the only guy on earth 🌏 who knew that ! Glad to see I’m not alone ! Amazing 😉
Yep it was actually also part of Horners theme from Star Trek II the wrath of khan. If you listen to the ending battle theme you can tell it fits right in.
ruclips.net/video/j_xN0LOLG3I/видео.html
He alsmost used it for Star Trek also but instead it went to die hard
I miss epic scenes like this in movies.
I remember the cheer in the theatre when the camera showed Al after he brought down Karl.
Christmas movie and a love story and a man's redemption all in one!
Who says this movie is not a Christmas movie? It has all of the necessary, requisite Christmas related themes in it.
John McClane couldn’t have done it without Al.
That's one of my favorite hugs in any movie I've seen.
2:05 the music give me chills to this day!
James Horner for the save.
What's it called?
@@Mohico-San resolution and hyperspace
From the movie Aliens
It’s just been revoked!!
Best bromance ever put on film.
This whole scene feels very reminiscent of the ending of Ghostbuster. The music, the big building, all the police cars and people, but most of all the whole scene revolves around the couple.
For some reason the scene where John see's Powell and Powell is there standing in the distance, the whole scene is so sweet and makes me cry😓😂
When Al kills Karl and gets his redemption. Gets me choked up every time.
0:40. I've always liked this moment. You can tell that McClaine only has one thing on his mind here. Finding a face to put to the voice that helped get him through this.
This scene is how the film got its title.
When your boss confronts you about overtime as you're leaving the building
In a movie of great scenes the embrace between brothers and one overcoming past issues to rise to the occasion makes this one of my favorites.
2:02 this wouldn’t be police business in the first place if he never threw the body on Al’s car.
I still don’t understand how Karl would survive that fight
Maybe the roof explosion saved him from getting hung
I think he was just "passed out", and not actually dead.
Check him hanging and you can see his hand is under the chain keeping him from being choked.
What's interesting is that is from the book!
@@juliusulit1141 You've hit the nail on the head. Hans blowing the roof of the building up is what released Karl from the chain around his neck. Notice at the end he doesn't look just bloodied...he looks like he's probably burnt too. And he was hanging from that chain only one or MAYBE two floors down from the roof. This movie is amazing for how few nitpicks that there are that can't be refuted somehow and their awesome attention to detail (Ellis' hilarious disappointed expression when one of the terrorists brings him a soda...lol not the kinda coke he meant). Absolutely rock solid movie. None of the sequels approach this level of....just pure classic filmmaking. IMO the best Die Hard "sequels" are Cliffhanger and Speed anyway lol..
Not only the best christmas movie of all time, one of the best action movies of all time as well. Every character has a well thought out plot. Just a masterpiece all around. This scene always gives me tears and goosebumps
And, as John McClain observed, “God bless us, every one.”
2:20 This music was cut from aliens and instead put into Die Hard. Fun fact.
I'm actually surprised that Robinson was mad at McClane about letting Hans kill Ellis, interfering with police business, and the damage to the Nakatomi building, but didn't mention anything about the deaths of FBI Agents Big and Little Johnson.
Watched this movie for the first time last week and it got to the part where John and Al finally met face to face. I thought it would end right there. Then Karl popped out and I was like “holy crap! Is this dude ever gonna die?”
Best friends are rare to find. Talked you through a terrorist fight, saves you and your wife from a psycho and still has time to deal with Steve Urkell's bullshit. Good man.
lmao
Karl was all like: "For Gruber... and for my brother!"
Watched the movie for the first time last night on Christmas Eve and cried at the end here. I’m so glad Al got the redemption he deserved
0:44 1:13 What I liked about this part of the scene is John and Al officially meeting face to face after meeting each other via the radios and developing a bond since Al was only cop to believe everything John said and that he was their side. There’s something I wished they’d include and it was John punching Robinson and this 2:02 shows that John winced at him as if he was going to punch him especially after 1:52 1:57 Robinson attempted to charge John for property damage (When John used a C-4 explosive to kill criminals/terrorists James and Alexander), Ellis’s murder (Especially when John tried to talk Ellis into admitting the truth that he didn’t know him to prevent from getting himself killed and Robinson was stupid enough not to read the lines and believe that John let him die), and “interfering with police business” (When John’s actions did more to save the hostages and help out the police than Robinson’s own incompetence, plus Robinson refused to believe that McClane was an ally out of his own stupidity and stubbornness). I liked that Al had character development of his own, especially after his radio conversation with John when he revealed that the reason why that he couldn’t bear to use his gun again was from an incident when he accidentally shot a kid holding a toy ray gun, and it ended with him getting his redemption by 2:12 2:19 using his gun to kill Karl to protect John and Holly from getting killed by him. Also in my opinion, I think it was reasonable for Al to kill Karl because I felt like it was right that the last villain that was to be killed by John was the main villain himself, Hans Gruber.
What an amazing movie, made even greater by an amazing end.
This is what producers don’t realize nowadays... Is this scene just a little cheesy, unrealistic? Sure. Karl was seemingly hanging dead a few minutes before.
If you made an entire movie built on “subverting expectations”, it would be silly and cringeworthy (don’t even have to mention which particular movie I’m referring to here). But if you pepper in scenes like this, instead of building your movie on them, you can make it work for an epic moment.
Like this moment.
I think I know exactly what movie you’re talking about, and it’s a disgrace to the wider franchise it’s attached to…
This moment rocks, though. Loved seeing Powell redeem himself!
There is one thing that makes it plausible. The chain holding Karl probably broke during the roof explosion.
My theater applauded loud at this part, great movie 😊
another piece of great cinema in that scene and why it's the greatest XMAS film.....EVER!!!!
Powell was the only one to stand his ground while everyone else panicked.
2:05 Oh My Gosh That Karl 😱
Karl killed by Carl lol.
When the Spirit of Christmas blessed Sgt. Powell with the ability to shoot someone once again. ❤️
2:05 is that AUG?
And btw anyway horse cart go to heaven why karl is look like Owen wilson?
02:04 Music from "Aliens"???
Yeah, they had it as a temporary piece, I forget why they kept it, maybe because it ruled.
@@JnEricsonx Two for the price of one... its a good deal :)
What’s the music tracks name.
@@StephenLuke Resolution And Hyperspace ruclips.net/video/4yoqAuBlaGU/видео.html
This is one of my favorite scenes from the movie. Not because Al gets his redemption or because of that great music. Not even because it’s a touching moment between two guys that have been through a lot.
I love it because this shows us how great of a Villain Karl was. That blood curdling scream out of nowhere and Karl pushing ppl off of him. His eyes said it all. Everyone talks about Hans being a great Villain. Yes. But Karl was too.
Hollywood can't make such a movie again.
Tons of cops everywhere, and Al is the only one who fires...
I’m pretty sure the entire point was that regardless of what Al had done in the past that he was a great cop, everyone dove out of the way to protect themselves and Al fell immediately back on his training to mitigate the threat.
Well with crowds and crowds of people they had no time to react.
They were surprised aren't they?
Fun fact: that music at 2:10 is unused soundtrack from Aliens (1986) that was used as a placeholder dureing the production, but McTiernan decided that it fits the scene perfectly
Score was perfect in that scene.
The track is called "Resolution and Hypersleep" by James Horner. It was originally written to be used in the movie "Aliens"
@@FireTiger941 Crazy, thanks for the trivia, I looked it up and you are right. Apparently it was considered for star trek 2 as well, but I'm very glad they used it for this scene.
Best action film ever made. Just superb. Pd: those fliers filmed as snowflakes are perfect. McTiernan is a master.
As much as a share the "hell yes!" feeling we all have, I have to note that Al has something like a hair under five seconds from when we see him getting his hands on his gun (~2:07.5) to the shooting (2:12). Honestly, it feels like an eternity just watching the scene. I also think I see a look on his face of "seriously, the entire police department is here, and nobody is shooting?!" You seriously see what must be dozens of peace officers literally panic after having to deal with a dangerous but very easily handled situation. I think the look we see on his face at the end is his astonishment that he and this wise cracking new york jerk are like the only effective cops in the Die Hard universe. As he looks down, he realizes that law and order truly rests on his shoulders, as he truly is a policing hero next to the M-16 armed SWAT guys that literally ran away from a nearly dead but armed corpse.
I miss when good movies were made.
Killgore1029 So do I.
for fucks sakes use the fucking internet to look for those "good movies" that you want that have been made recently, you fucking edgy, #LeWrongGeneration, boomer/millenial kid, for fucks sakes man....
@@leetorry That's the point, good movies rarely get as popular as they did back then. I don't know how true that is, but I assume it's the argument being made.
Poor Officer Winslow, had to deal with ghosts taking over New York, then terrorists in LA, then when he thought he'd be at peace in Chicago, Urkel shows up
All those people who say police shouldnt carry fire arms I think this scene pretty much personifies why they should and that there is a time when you have to use them