2. DIE HARD (1988)

What? How the hell did a Bruce Willis movie get on this list? Two answers: 1) he bribed us with equity in Planet Hollywood (a lot of good that did us), and 2) this is one of the best "terrorists hold hostages" movies you'll see.

It all starts out innocently enough: NYC cop Bruce goes to see his wife, a hot-shot businesswoman, at her office Christmas party (being held on the 32nd floor of the Nakatomi Tower in Los Angeles). He shows up and they squabble a bit, when a group of terrorists siege the building and hold the entire office hostage. It's up to Brucie to stop terrorist leader Hans (Alan Rickman) and save the lives of the hostages. Oh, and there are lots of guns, explosions, and images of breaking glass. And that about sums it all up.

What separates Die Hard from the other action movies are two things: the pacing of the film (it never drags), and more importantly, the dynamic between hero Willis and villain Rickman. Rickman's Hans is not a mere terrorist, but well-educated and Eurotrashy, creating the ultimate contrast to Willis' down-in-the-dirt tough-tawkin' cop.

Sure, it's big, loud, and brainless. But on the other hand, it's big, loud, and brainless. The quintessential summer movie: loads of action, a fun storyline, a kick-ass villain, and tons of those one-liners (yipee-a-yo-kayay...).

Notes:

  • Bruce Willis' first hit (besides his TV show Moonlighting)

  • Nominated for 4 Academy Awards (all technical categories)

  • Reginald Van Johnson was subsequently relegated to TV hell by becoming a mainstay on the TV show Family Matters

  • Followed by two sequels: Die Hard 2 and Die Hard: With a Vengeance