The Inevitable Downfall of Die Hard
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- The first Die Hard movie is a near perfect film. Everything about the story, characters, and plot are well crafted and deliver on everything set up. Though as Die Hard sequels kept being produced, each iteration seemed further and further away from what the original Die Hard created. But how exactly did the Die Hard franchise crash and burn this badly?
#diehard #brucewillis #nerdstalgic
Written by Adam Smith
Edited by Nick Murphy 
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My condolences go out to Bruce Willis and his family following his dementia diagnosis. While I'll miss seeing him on screen, his health ultimately comes first, and I hope that he continues to stay strong.
He has the same kind my Mum has, his family is in for a rough time. Hopefully they can all stay there for each other.
I agree
the last movie was so bad it drove him crazy
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
@@astroboirap Not the time to be making jokes like this
Sad when actors that defined our childhood are in poor health, best wishes for Bruce and his family
Your childhood was defined by actors? Really?
Fun fact: At one point, 20th Century Fox was considering doing a crossover movie with Die Hard and the TV show 24 entitled Die Hard 24/7. However, the idea was abandoned after negotiations with Kiefer Sutherland soured.
That'd have been awesome, because most Die Hard films are set in a timeframe of less than a day!
Gosh, I wish the Die Hard series continued!
The Die Hard series had the same fate as the Rambo series. Both started out with the hero not looking for a fight yet rising to the occasion when they found themselves in one and then turned those same heroes into invincible killers.
Yeah, it's a fate that hits every great movie (Rocky, too). The disease of more.
The first movie is usually good enough that great people are allowed to work on it, but given a decent enough budget.
And then the sequels there after have everyone's dirty fingers on them. And a bunch of people that want to suckel at the proverbial cash cow.
Budgets get bigger. it has to be bigger than the original, and thus, the problem.
The more I think about great standalone movies (especially from the 80's) you just don't find a lot of great franchises that aren't superhero movies nowadays. (And that's to say superhero movies are great, which they mostly aren't.)
It sucks that a movie can't just come out and kill it and make an actor into a star. Realistically, when's the last time that happened? I can't even remember. Sandra Bullock and Speed?
@@brianshaker1885
Chris Pratt and GOTG?
... but even that was nearly 10 years ago..
If you want a realistic sequel to the original, put it on a double bill with Willis's "16 Blocks", which is what you can imagine happening to a real burned-out New York cop. It's like McClaine returned home and the world just forgot about him saving a building full of people.
The 1988 original is by far the best. It's a classic that will stand long after the sequels fall from memory.
16 Blocks is a really good film and it has a lot of the same themes of the first Die Hard. I hated how they would just throw McClane into every situation just because.
1:43 - A blonde babe leaping into the arms of a studly jock (the hero) at the airport is a perfect kicking off point for an action movie of the 80's. So I just realized that this may have been a subtle message to the viewers that by having this scene in the background that John is not your typical 80's action hero.
Die Hard is arguably the greatest action hero movie ever
I argue: The Matrix.
greatest christmas movie ever.
Terminator 2
The Raid (2011).
It’s so sad to hear what happened to Bruce Willis I just hope he’s okay. He gave us one the most iconic film heroes ever
Die Hard With a Vengence is one of my favorite action movies, it's funny, has a great story, and amazing action pieces. So I don't know, A Good Day to Die Hard wasn't great, but the others are decent.
I agree , it maybe misses some of the character that is lost even more later on but the movie villain even discards the fact that was actually a vengeance giving us a twist , the plan was brilliant , and just uses the main character as a distraction of what is actually going on
1,2,3 are great to good trilogy while 4 and 5 just lose me as a viewer
Right said. That was the first Die hard movie i saw in 1997 or 98 i think so, man loved it.
@@nvm9040 Agree, 4 and 5 felt like generical action movies of the 2000s with hackers and stuff, it just happens that John McClane is there, they didn't feel like Die Hard to me, in a certain way they were unnecesary.
@@jesustovar2549 exactly
These movies fell off for me after the 3rd one with Sam Jackson.
A franchise that seemingly gets better with each entry is definitely the Mission Impossible series. They're simply incredible.
An honorable mention would also be the "Planet of the Apes" reboot series.
Mission Impossible franchise in my opinion: The first one: absolutely terrible. The second: cool action, nothing else. the third one.: best of them all. Fourth one: good, but could be better, 5: excellent. 6: absolutely awful.
@@thomasstudstrup5028 Well, you're definitely a very odd one out with that opinion.
Thanks for all the good times Mr. Willis. I hope your suffering is minimal and you get to pass easy into the great beyond.
Lethal Weapon would be an awesome series to see reviewed by Nerdstalgic. Especially as we grow closer to the 5th one being directed by Mel Gibson.
Sad that Bruce had to quit acting due to his health, but he will forever remain as one of the best action heroes from movies. I love Die Hard and even if it's a bit "lesser", I love The 5th Element even more.
"Multipass" - Leeloo Dallas
Its one of those stupid quotes that you can't stop remembering from a movie you vaguely remember after all that time lol
Loved all four films. The fourth was a very modern take on the genre as well. And yes, there are only four films.
That cheap asylum sequel should be burned
I genuinely love Live Free or Die Hard. Its a terrific, fast paced, action movie. I loved the concept of an analog John McClane going up against high tech villains. Maggie Q was badass. Justin Long was pretty good. Sure, some the set pieces were a bit over the top but it was still a lot of fun. DH5 is the real terrible one.
Die hard 4 is actually so fun, enjoyable and has some excellent sequences. Also Justin long wasnt bad and has some human moments. I am gonna miss Bruce Willis
I enjoyed it too. It was very silly but I had a great time.
Die Hard 4 is a fun, pretty good Bruce Willis movie. But its a bad Die Hard movie, for basically the reasons laid out in this video
I loved it. It was a departure from original John but, it showed that even when he isn't super clued into what's happening he's gonna show up and do his part. Gonna go watch it now lol
@@raxxie What I like in 4 is that, regardless of the BS we have to suspend disbelief over, he is still a cop, still a reluctant hero trying to do the job. In 5, he goes off doing crazy super hero shit for no apparent reason, for the fun of it. McClain isn't about having fun doing this crap. So, the character is unrecognizable.
@@weldsj8847 yes, I agree completely
Die Hard with a Vengeance is one of my favorite movies.
DHwaV is a fun movie, but it's a movie with a John McClane that is unbreakable as to everyman.
Yeah. Vengeance is the best Die Hard out of them.
I feel like we’ve only got one bad die hard movie .
agreed!
Die hard with a vengeance has a soft spot on my heart. I love that movie. Probably my 2nd favorite in the franchise
I like it better than 2
What sucks is the 3rd act. The fact that the studio deleted the original climax just shows that they never really understood the franchise.
Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with dementia. Thank you for all your movies 🙏🏼🙏🏼!
Moron
That just means he qualifies for Presidency!
thanks for this breaking news from weeks ago
Crazy that the diehard battery commercial is the best Die Hard movie in years
We saw Live Free or Die Hard in the theater when I was 11. It was one of my favorite action movies for a long time
The original Die Hard is the best film of the franchise and one of the best action (and Christmas) films of all time.
The main character is relatable and vulnerable. John had a fear of flying, John thought he was going to die when picking glass out of his feet. The humour was great and the supporting characters Holly, Ellis, Al, Dwayne, Argyle and Richard were fantastic. Loved them or hated them, all of which were well rounded and had depth.
Another reason the original was so awesome was because of the Villain. Hans Gruber is arguably the best movie villain of all time. Hans is sophisticated and intelligent. Hans deduced the best place to transmit was the roof. Hans noticed Holly looking at the photo (fortunately the photo with John was facing down). Hans noticed and remembered that John was barefoot and instructed Karl to shoot the glass.
The attention to detail was insane. The fists with your toes, feet smaller then my sister, better then getting caught with my pants down, shoot the glass right down to a limp and rag. The rollex watch in the beginning and end. Al’s story about shooting a kid and can’t bring himself to draw his gun again, to drawing his gun to save McClane. Virtually every scene has meaning and is paid off.
With each sequel McClane became less vulnerable and less relatable. McClane became the unstoppable action hero. The sequels lacked a great villain.
I will say the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson was great. As unrealistic as it was Live Free or Die Hard was entertaining. I prefer to pretend that A Good Day To Die Hard never happened.
It’s a shame that Fox/Disney didn’t green light the final Die Hard that Willis had hoped for prior to his retirement/aphasia diagnosis.
Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Unfortunately Bruce probably won’t be with us for much longer. The time that he has left most likely won’t be pleasant. Hopefully Bruce Willis’s final days are happy.
Die hard 2 and 3 were legit, while not great as 1 they were still incredible action blockbusters
That's exactly where I am with the franchise. Die Hard 1-3 make for a great action trilogy. Everything after it is mediocre cash grab dumpster fire.
@@ComedyBros5 Except Die Hard 4 is one of the best Die Hard movie.
"Die Hard With a Vengeance" was a terrific film, with some dumb scenes (I'm thinking specifically about the school in danger scene). There was excellent chemistry between Samuel Jackson and Willis. Jeremy Irons was a terrific villain, with a penchant for greed and a personal grudge against McClain. A worthy successor, and easily the second best of the series. And, for me, the only two worth seeing. Too bad they didn't put in the original ending, with the portable rocket launcher, instead of that comparatively safe and more generic ending.
What the heck... Die Hard with a Vengeance is one of the best films in the franchise. Funny, action packed and one of the best buddy cops movies
For me, a lot of what made the first movie great was Allan Rickman. Seeing as his character was killed off at the end, I don't see how a sequel could work as a lot of the film relied on the coincidence and the surprisingly charming villain with an inimitable performance. Every subsequent villain was trying to live up to that, and that only made them worse
Jeremy Irons as Rickman's brother in the 3rd film was the only other villain that worked for me in the series. William Sadler in the 2nd one was cold and cunning, but zero charm and was mostly just a "mean guy" presence for me.
This is spot on. Good analysis.
Due hard 1 is one of my favourite movies ever and 2 and 3 is decent but after that it was really hard to watch
We went from John MClain, a guy who had to sit down and pull glass shards from his feet and was visibly wincing in pain doing so, to a superhuman who can fall from impossible heights without a scratch.
I audibly said “yep” 3+ times during your video. Revisiting this franchise is a mixed bag of emotions for me. I love how well written the first movie was. I feel conflicted on the other entries because they aren’t as solid. Most of all, with news of Bruce Willis’ diagnosis I feel only appreciation with what he was able to give us in the short time we had him
MI would be a great example of a movie franchise that improved after the 4th installment
Really love your videos thanks for all your work. I'd love to see some coverage on the bill & ted franchise and the recent sequel!
Fun fact 1: Die Hard (1988) was originally suppose to be a sequel for for 1985's Commando where John Matrix (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) was visiting his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano) at her new job in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve at the 40-story headquarters of the fictional company Claxxon Oil Corporation. It would've taken place about 10 years after the events of Commando.
Fun fact 2: Die Hard (1988) was already an unofficial sequel to the 1968 movie The Detective (based on the 1966 novel by Roderick Thorp) starring Frank Sinatra as New York City detective Joe Leland (who Bruce Willis' John McClane character was based on). When Hollywood got around to making Die Hard (based on the 1979 Thorp novel Nothing Lasts Forever - the 2nd outing for the Joe Leland character), the producers were legally obligated to offer the role to Sinatra. Luckily, Sinatra passed on the offer - since he was already in his early 70's back in 1987/1988.
I always felt that if they were going to make one more Die Hard sequel after 2013's A Good Day to Die Hard, they should've based it on a modernized version of The Detective (even title it 'Detective McClane') where McClane could've slid into a well-deserved retirement with a blaze of glory by solving an actual murder case for the NYPD. He could've done the one thing that we as an audience haven't seen McClane do throughout the whole franchise - some actual detective work and crime-solving. It would've been different for the character to do this instead of the usual 'one man against a group of terrorists' scenario. So sad Willis' health is now on the decline and a shame that the McClane character had to end his legacy with such a lackluster movie as A Good Day to Die Hard.
Nice, I love trivia like this. Thanks for sharing!
As much as I love Die Hard, I think the realistic take of an action hero in the first movie got changed as the set pieces gets bigger and focus on huge action scenes. John became a hero like the one's in the 80s where he can't be stopped no matter what. Even though he still uses his wits to survive, the events taking place are just too impossible for such a protagonist to survive. 😬 But still I enjoy it anyway
Die hard 1-3 (and a lesser extent 4) was huge for tiny teenage me in the early 00s. I'm gonna miss you, Mr Cowboy. Dude brought a lot of light and triumph into our lives.
You’ve gotta admit that the names of the movies kept on getting better and better
Prayers up for Bruce Willis
Die Hard 1 and 2 were my favorites. Favorite Bruce, favorite storylines, favorite villains.
Mission Impossible is the only franchise I can think of from the top of my head that got progressively better with each new film. The first was the worst and the newest was the best, despite the first being a classic. Tells you how good the others are.
MI 1-3 was was good, now its only about lets see what stunts tom is goin to do, when we all know the stunts are 100% safe for anyone to achieve.
I think the 1st Mission Impossible movie did by far the best job giving the look and feel of the original TV series. Having said that, I love the rest of the films. MI has to rank as one of the very best action series out there, succeeding in making each progressive film bigger in scale and action without turning into a silly caricature of itself and losing its soul like the Fast & Furious series has done.
I loved the first one when it came out, and it still holds a place in my heart. But you're right. I revisited it recently and wow, is it campy!
Rogue Nation is my favourite of the films.
Ghost Protocol is the most *Mission Impossible* movie there is. Also, the Best one
However, *Rogue One* might be the Perfect One
Few scripts really set up their protagonist to fail so neatly as the original Die Hard did. The opening scene on the airplane where John receives some advice from the guy next to him - "When you get to your hotel room, take off your shoes and socks and scrunch your toes in the carpet" - was a simple and brilliant way to make him go through the entire movie barefoot...
This video hits the nail on the head. Die hard was such a perfect action movie, I wish they had never made ANY sequels. The charm for me is that despite being a cop, Mcclain is just a normal dude, not a super cop, superhero, superspy, or supersoldier. Kinda like a hitchcock everyman in a messed up situation. Once you get into the sequels though, he does become another superwhatever, and makes the sequels as crappy as all the other "superguy" action movies that the original film subverted. Not everything needs a sequel.
The original has always been my favorite action movie. I watched it so many times in the late 80's I wore out my VHS tape. Watched all the sequels, but only really liked #3 w Samuel L Jackson & Jeremy Irons. That one saw McLane back as a real character. Estranged from his wife again, hitting the bottle, in trouble at work, etc, all things to overcome in order to protect & serve. It was the only one I thot lived up to the original.
Not everybody can make iconic movies that come out every two years like James Bond. I watched those from 1964 until late 90s. When they just started to make up gadgets instead of getting ideas from The archives.
Die Hard was always a weird franchise to me. Obviously the first one was a classic, the second one was OK but disappointing, the 3rd was pretty good and even the 4th was surprisingly great. But the 5th really dropped the ball and was just so bad. And it was a shame considering how good 3 of the films in the franchise were
Die Hard 1, 2 and 3 are the only movies I count in the franchise.
Great video.
Except for the last one with "Jr.", i loved all of them. Specifically Vengeance, Willis & Jackson were hilarious together. I felt they always kept the "i was thrown into this" theme with Maclean
Die hard was a necessity but it didn't replace or need to replace Arnold or Stallone's types of movies, it was just a balance in mix of them. We loved characters that were almost superhero like but also loves relatable characters like John McClane. This is why 80's and 90s action was so good. We had everything from one end of the spectrum to the other and it was done right, done practical, had likeable characters, one liners and was in an era where the actual superhero genres (and culture that we have today with movies and people being cancelled etc) was less or non existent.
A good day to die hard was terrible. John inserts himself into a situation he has no business being in. He literally arrives in Russia and immediately starts attacking people and destroying stuff.
In the first 4 films he was dragged into situations which caused him to react. In the last one he actively seeks out trouble.
One of my favorite Action movie Franchise. I Loved all its 90s first 3 installments. But the 4th movie of 2007 was not satisfied with it, how it was. 1st & 2nd Die Hard was a perfect example of 80s & 90s Action movie people loved. Die Hard franchise was a treat to audience with Rambo, Predator & Beverly Hills Cop & other such actions movies of that time back to back. Never felt it needed 4th or 5th installments in future. If they wanted to make the 4th movie they would have made in 1998-99 in 90s end would have been a good idea. Thanks for this video sir, Love watching u r movies.
A good day to die hard looks like a straight to DVD film
He didn't force himself into the 3rd one...he was targeted by Simon. It was a really good movie and I put it right next to the original. The other ones we garbage.
The Predator franchise had a bit of a recovery with Prey. Maybe you can cover that one.
"An example of a franchise that got better with each movie?"
I'll say that "Mission: Impossible" has shown some consistent quality, except for #2. That one was ... yeah, just not that one.
"John Wick" is coming along quite nicely, so far.
What's really interesting, is both of those franchises work because of the dedication and hard work of their lead actors. You can tell that both love their craft and really want to make the best possible movie.
I've always been a DH4 apologist, it may not work the best in the confines of the original, but I think the formula works really well and it's a helluva fun action movie in its own right
Michael Scott when it comes to Die Hard... "Okay, here's the thing about Die Hard 4. Die Hard 1, the original, John McClain is just this normal guy, you know? He's just a normal New York city cop who gets his feet cut, he gets beat up. But he's an everyday guy. In Die Hard 4, he is jumping a motorcycle into a helicopter in the air. You know? He's invincible. It's just sort of lost from Die Hard 1. It's not Terminator." I shall never forget these words when it comes to Die Hard.
That's not a good example. Since John didn't do that in the fourth one. He took out an helicopter with A COP CAR, not a motorcycle. How would that even work?
Realism was the status quo for American Action films up till about 4-to-5 years before Die Hard. What Die Hard did was follow Lethal Weapon's wake in elevating the 70's style hero (charming, blue-collar, underdog, screw-up) with a grounded and clever script, mid-80's flare and a large budget.
The Death Wish series is a great representation of the pendulum swing: a dour, dramatic thriller featuring an average man seeking retribution thru vigilantism in 1974---to---1987 with the craziest shit you've ever seen featuring an unstoppable, geriatric killing machine, massacring entire city blocks because punks-gotta-pay.
Happy trails Hans
Len Wiseman is also behind the John Wick spin-off
It's called BALLERINA
Die Hard With A Vengeance was originally going to be a Lethal Weapon Sequel, which after knowing I could clearly see the initial idea for the movie! Still love the first three Die Hard movies!
Hey Nerdstalgic, the ONLY franchise to get better with each movie is Mission: Impossible!
I think it might be great if a (DIE HARD) show series could get made someday.
If it does become possible someday; I can imagine some of the former stars if the movies, they could play new characters in it, and I can imagine that a few of them could play villains roles in it.
I don't even mind admitting this, but Die Hard 4 is probably my favourite in the franchise.
Brutal timing on this one
Die Hard 1,2 and 3 are my regular christmas binge watch 🙂 I do not have any other movie franchise that I regularly watch every year except this one! I just love Die Hard and was so happy that B99's Peralta was also a fan, he totally channeled my energy about Die Hard in that show :D
Die Hard 2 does not actually have "Die Harder" attached to the title, just FYI. It just happened to be featured in promotional material as a tagline, and people mistakenly thought it was part of the title
Turning the first film into a franchise was a huge mistake to begin with. What made John’s character so unique was simply that he was a normal, everyday man in a situation that he had never been in, yet rose to the occasion. To put him in more situations only took away from that. Die Hard was a premise meant to be a single film, not multiple.
I disagree with what you said about Die Hard With a Vengeance lacking what 1 had, I feel like Die Hard 3 actually toned back a lot of stuff to ground McClane in a city sprawling action adventure. There is less gun play, a diverse range of vehicular action, gunplay, hand to hand, riddles, cardio/running to other destinations, heists with all of it focusing on John's inner struggles with alcohol and problems with his relationships while still feeling like a die hard film. But overall, this was a good analysis
IMO, I think With a Vengeance is just as good as the first.
@@TheQuantum09 I so agree, i don't know what it it, but i still fee that sense of clausterphobia when john mcclane is running around the streets of new york and the subway station. i thought it was amazing how they progress the story and connected it.
Die Hard 4 is underrated imo
I actually watched Die Hard for the first time this weekend and loved it! This video came at a perfect time. The 2nd one.... I didn't like too much. I won't bother with the rest. But it's funny to see the cracks starting to form once you watch the 2nd movie.
Remember when we first met John Mcclane
We can whine about Die Hard 5 script, but the scene with the chase through the city streets-perfect.
One of the best, if not the best I've ever seen to this day!
Never would've thought of that
If I could only watch 1 Die Hard movie I would choose Die Hard With A Vengeance every time. The 3rd was the best.
The second one I mostly remember him in the airport arguing with the airport personnel and sometimes wandering off and fixing everything by himself. The third one might be the best sequel that came from the franchise.
I agree, the 3rd was the superior sequel
@@raxxie yap i liked it.
The original Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie EVER. It’s actually one of my favorite movies period. Die Hard 2 wasnt bad. I actually love Die Hard with A Vengeance because of Samuel L Jackson. The chemistry between zeus and mclane is just magnetic. It’s a solid action flick too. Live Free or Die Hard isnt as bad as people say. It’s fun, entertaining, and crazy. Justin long is a solid supporting actor. I love the part where mclane “killed” the helicopter the most. Good Day to Die Hard is the worst movie of the franchise. It’s not just a bad Die Hard movie, but a bad movie period. I’m never a fan of jai courtney, and his character in the movie is poorly written. Die hard wont be the same without bruce willis, and there’s no need to pass the torch to his son. Overall I love the franchise, and I hope Bruce Willis will now get to live life to the fullest with his loved ones. Thank you for bringing John McLane to life.
I agree with all of this
Franchises that get better with each movie: John Wick, Mission Impossible (except for the second one), and are three that I can think of off the top of my head Planet of the Apes
I enjoyed all of the Die Hard movies. I'm glad that so far I haven't heard of any plans of rebooting the franchise. Bruce Willis will always be John Maclane. Its sad what he is going thru . Deep respect for him and hope he spends the rest of his days happy with family and friends.
Somehow I genuinely don’t remember Die Hard 2. I know I’ve seen it but don’t remember anything vivid or memorable from it…
4 of the 5 were great, it was the last one with his son that was horribly bad.
i think they were planning a sixth film to ensure the franchise went out on a high note but alas, that will never come to fruition now
Michael Scott made this critique of the Die Hard franchise in the episode "Money"
1 - 3 are classics.
Fantastic Christmas movie.
Don't get me wrong, Die Hard is the best one, but I do really enjoy watching them all. They're all very fun if you can go in knowing it's not right which then leaves you free to just watch and have fun instead of going "oh come on!" the entire movie haha.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE is a franchise that became BETTER AND BETTER with every new movie!!!!!
I didn't mind the 4th film and only watched the unrated cut. The 5th movie I try to forget.
You hit the nail on the head about the original Die Hard. As a kid, I would watch that movie and think that I could be John McClain. He was a normal guy. I loved that!
I thought the first movie where he sends all those explosives downstairs in the elevator was really really dumb. His wife and co-workers were down there.
Michael Scott already did this analysis but great job
Die Hard 3 was the shit, I will not hear otherwise!!!!!!
I love Nerdstalgic but I really wish he did longer form content. Give me a 30-40 min video. I can't keep clicking a new video every 10 mins.
Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever made
All things considered I love Live Free or Die Hard
Michael Scott was the inspiration for this video. He spelled this all out to his co-workers while working at the call center.
Could have saved this whole video by just showing the clip from the American office where Michael talks about die hard while doing his second job lol
You didn't really say anything about the inevitable downfall other than, "It was a downfall." There are no new insights here other than a theory about how basing the films off a book was what made it great.
I like Die Hard 4 quite a bit more than most people do. I was excited to see 5 in the theater because of it. Wow, 5 ended up being a huge let down.
Now that's a video title
You totally lifted this review from Michael Scott!