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Die Hard: Difference between revisions
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A landmark action movie franchise that started with the greatest Christmas movie ever made in 1988 when the world was introduced to [[Badass]] John McClane. He is usually called "[[Right Man in the Wrong Place|the right man in the wrong place at the wrong time.]]" The series is composed of four movies with a fifth one on the way:
* ''Die Hard'' (1988) - [[Los Angeles]] skyscraper
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'''John McClane:''' ''"[[Catch Phrase|Yippee-ki-yay]], [[Memetic Mutation|motherfucker]]."'' }}
* ''Die Hard 2: Die Harder'' (1990) - Dulles International Airport, Washington DC
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* ''Die Hard With a Vengeance'' (1995) - All over fuckin' [[Big Applesauce|New Yawk]]
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'''John McClane:''' ''"Yeah, well don't, [[Knight in Sour Armor|I'm an asshole]]."'' }}
* ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (aka ''Die Hard 4.0'') (2007) - Washington DC, Baltimore, and surrounding areas
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'''John McClane:''' ''"I was out of bullets."'' }}
* ''A Good Day to Die Hard'' (2013) - [[Russia]]
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** That scene later got Bruce Willis his role in [[12 Monkeys]], as it helped convince Terry Gilliam that Willis had the necessary emotional depth.
* [[Action Girl]]: In ''Live Free or Die Hard'', McClane's daughter Lucy is almost a [[Distaff Counterpart]] of her dad.
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* [[Agony of the Feet]]: John spends the entire Nakatomi events barefoot. The worst part is when he's forced to walk on glass...
** "A million bad guys in the world, and I kill the one with feet smaller than my sister's."
* [[Air Vent Passageway]]: Played straight, but at least they make the vent accurately sized:
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* [[Alcohol Is Poison]]: (Pregnant woman motioning at her belly to Holly) "Do you think she can stand a little sip?" Holly: "She's ready to tend bar!"
* [[An Asskicking Christmas]]: ''Die Hard'' and ''Die Harder'' both take place at Christmas time. The soundtrack uses [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAJqKn7z9MI sleigh bells] as a memorable hook.
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* [[Are We Getting This?]] - The reporter in the first two films.
* [[Armed Altruism]]
* [[Avenging the Villain]]: ''Die Hard With a Vengeance'', and to a lesser extent, Karl in the first ''Die Hard''.
* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: There are probably a few more examples throughout the series, but Zeus Carver stands out.
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'''Zeus''': He didn't say Jésus. He said, "''Hey'', ZEUS!" My name is Zeus!
'''John McClane''': Zeus?
'''Zeus''': Yeah, Zeus! As in, father of Apollo? Mt. Olympus? Don't fuck with me or I'll shove a lightning bolt up your ass? Zeus! You got a problem with that? }}
* [[Awesomeness By Analysis]]: In ''[[Die Hard]]'', John is able to deduce quite a bit about the [[Mooks]] inside the office just by picking up on subtle clues.
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* [[Bald of Awesome]]: John has become this by the forth film.
* [[Band of Brothers]]: McClane and his various sidekicks in each film (especially Al Powell), and weirdly enough, the Grubers:
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'''Simon''': There's a difference, you know, between not liking one's brother and not caring when some dumb Irish flatfoot drops him out of a window. }}
** And for that matter Tony and Karl in the first film.
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* [[Bloodless Carnage]]: Averted in the first three, and subverted in the fourth movie. Despite concerns over the PG-13 rating, it's still a pretty brutal film.
* [[Bond One-Liner]]: John in ''Die Hard'' after he's dispatched a villain who suggested he never pass on an opportunity to kill his enemy:
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** In the third, [[Catch Phrase|"Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!"]]
* [[Bond Villain Stupidity]]: Present in all the movies, but [[Tropes Are Not Bad|used sparingly]] to keep the villains threatening.
* [[Boring Insult]]: After Hans Gruber and his band of terrorists are revealed to actually be after $600 million in bearer bonds:
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'''Hans Gruber''': I am an ''exceptional'' thief, Mrs McClane. And since I'm moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite. }}
* [[Bottomless Magazines]]: Present ''and'' averted in the same scene in ''Die Hard'': John McClane and two terrorists are blasting away at each other with submachine guns. John's runs out of ammunition, while the terrorists' don't.
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* [[Car Skiing]]: ''Live Free or Die Hard'' has McClane pull one off on the crumbling freeway with the assistance of a misguided pilot and missiles.
* [[Casual Danger Dialog]]: Mostly averted in ''Die Hard'', as John's muttering to himself during his escapades is borderline schizophrenic.
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** Speaking of which:
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* [[Catch Phrase]]: The page-topping quote.
* [[The Cavalry Arrives Late]]: Subverted; the police always arrive early on, but they just can't do anything about the situation, as the villain has already factored their expected response into his plans.
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* [[Chronic Hero Syndrome]]: John has a violent version of this.
** From the fourth movie:
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'''Matt Farrell''': Then why you doing this?
'''John McClane''': Because there's no body else to do it right now, that's why. Believe me, if there were somebody else to do it, I'd let them do it, but there's not. So we're doing it.
'''Matt Farrell''': Ah. That's what makes you that guy. }}
* [[Climbing Climax]]: The fate of Hans Gruber at the end of ''Die Hard''.
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* [[Concealment Equals Cover]]: Subverted multiple times; one scene in the first movie has McClane shoot a mook through a table.
* [[Continuity Nod]]: In ''Live Free or Die Hard'', we are briefly introduced to another Agent Johnson.
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* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: Subverted with Joseph Takagi. At the beginning we're led to believe that he might be one. He's not, though he might appear to be one to casual observers. Gruber knows this, and uses it to convince the police that he's a terrorist rather than a thief.
* [[Cowboy Cop]]: Hans actually calls McClane out on this, and then the [[Discussed Trope|discussion turns to cowboys in movies]], leading to the [[Catch Phrase]].
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* [[Date Rape Averted]]: McClane does this for his daughter at the beginning of ''Live Free or Die Hard.'' Well, that's what he's under the impression he's doing, anyway. All evidence points to his daughter being [[Action Girl|absolutely capable of taking care of herself.]]
* [[The Determinator]]: Every movie seems to involve McClane going through truly unholy quantities of punishment - including being shot, having his feet carved up by broken glass, getting ''severely'' thrashed in hand-to-hand combat, and falling over and over again - and still keeps going.
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** That's what makes him that guy.
*** Isn't that kind of the definition of a "diehard"?
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* [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones]]: In the first movie, [[Mook]] Karl's brother is killed by McClane. Karl wants revenge against McClane, losing interest in the main mission for the rest of the movie.
* [[Even Evil Has Standards]]: Simon Gruber, {{spoiler|after he reveals that the bomb planted in a school was a fake}}, in ''With a Vengeance'':
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** This approach comes back to haunt Simon when McClane, {{spoiler|1=strapped to the giant epoxy bomb in the boat, asks Simon for aspirin to get rid of his headache. Simon actually does, and tosses the bottle to McClane.}} Later, when it looks like Simon will get away, {{spoiler|1=the bottle becomes [[Chekhov's Gun|ChekhovsAspirinBottle]] when McClane notices the seller's address printed on the bottom, and traces Simon to his rendezvous point in Canada.}}
** Though he isn't evil, {{spoiler|Warlock}} draws the line and decides to help McClane out, after previously being unwilling to cooperate, after he tells him {{spoiler|they have his daughter}}.
** In ''With a Vengeance'', Zeus passes off a suitcase bomb to two of Simon's disguised goons. They take it, as not doing so would have blown their cover, and one admonishes his partner for starting to leave it on the sidewalk.
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* [[Everything Is Online]]: Used in ''Live Free or Die Hard''. The hackers mess up the traffic lights, TV broadcasts, and phone lines. They are, however, unable to remotely access the power grid and have to physically break into a power hub.
* [[Evil Laugh]]: Hans and his colleague share one right before John reveals {{spoiler|what he had taped to his back...}}
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* [[Heroic Bystander]]: John's limo driver in the first movie...eventually
* [[Hero Insurance]]: Justified by McClane in the first film when the Deputy Chief yells at him.
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'''McClane:''' Glass? [[Lampshade Hanging|Who gives a shit about glass?]] Who the fuck is this? }}
* [[Hey, It's That Guy!]]: The dad from ''[[Family Matters]]'' (Reginald VelJohnson) is '''still''' a cop in 1 and 2 but he is in the wrong part of the country.
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* [[Indy Ploy]]: Practically anything McClane does is without previous planning. He [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] it frequently: "Oh, John, what the fuck are you doing?" (first, as he ties a fire hose around his waist), "Ah John, what the fuck are you doing out on the wing of this plane?" (second, trying to stop the plane from taking off), "[[This Is Gonna Suck|This is a bad idea!]]" (third, before jumping into a subway train from the sidewalk, and fourth, just before [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|taking down a helicopter with a car.]])
** Also lampshaded by Zeus in the third:
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'''Zeus''': [[Blasphemous Boast|Not even God knows what you're doing!]] }}
* [[Informed Ability]]: Simon Gruber is identified in ''Vengeance'' as an elite East German spy. Then [[Jeremy Irons]] actually attempts an American accent and... hoo, boy. Probably played for laughs, though.
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* [[Ironic Echo]]: "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs!" -- John McClane, reciting his wife's invitation in the first film.
* [[It Has Only Just Begun]]: In ''Die Harder''.
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'''John McClane''': No. This is just the beginning. }}
* [[It Works Better with Bullets]]: "What, do you think I'm fucking stupid, Hans?"
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* [[One Riot, One Ranger]]: In the second film when McClane complains about only getting one platoon, the response is "One crisis, one platoon."
* [[One Steve Limit]]: Averted in the first movie. There are two FBI agents both named Johnson.
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** The "No relation" bit is rather amusing given that one's white and the other is black.
** A little later on, while one is on the phone, he goes, "This is Agent Johnson. ...No, the other one."
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* [[Plot Hole]]: Airliners in distress are not slaves to Air Traffic Control and are free (and indeed required) to divert to another airport if they can't land at their destination. There are dozens of airports that they could have reached with the fuel they are depicted as carrying, including Andrews Air Force Base, less then 50 miles away.
* [[Police Are Useless]]: Except for Al and John himself, this is played straight in the first two, but averted in the second two. In the first movie:
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'''<nowiki>McClane:</nowiki>''' ''No fuckin' shit, lady! Do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza???'' }}
** In the second John empties an entire magazine from a submachine gun at Chief Lorenzo ''inside the police station'' and doesn't get gunned down by the rest of the officers? {{spoiler|They were blanks, but still, the cops didn't know that!}}
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* [[Power Walk]]: Col. Stuart and his cohorts do one when they start their operation in ''Die Harder''.
* [[Pragmatic Villainy]]: Hans in the first movie:
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'''Hans:''' ...No, but I'll have one brought out to her. Good enough?
'''Holly:''' Good enough. }}
** Doesn't quite count as [[Pet the Dog]], because {{spoiler|he was planning to murder all the hostages - including her - anyway}}.
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* [[Revenge Before Reason]]: After McClane kills his brother, Karl nearly blows the plan repeatedly in order to get his revenge.
* [[Riding Into the Sunset]]: Referenced by Hans Gruber in ''Die Hard'':
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'''McClane:''' [[High Noon|That was Gary Cooper]], asshole. }}
* [[Rooftop Confrontation]]: The original movie has this, with the plot-relevant roof being special because it {{spoiler|doesn't survive the fight}}.
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* [[Those Two Guys]]: Agent Johnson and Special Agent Johnson. No relation.
* [[Throw-Away Guns]]: Subverted; John McClane tries to convince the airport police chief that there is a serious problem:
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"You'd be surprised how much I make in a month."<br />
"If it's more than $1.98 I'd be really amazed." }}
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** If this is when Hans tells Karl to shoot the glass it could be because Karl doesn't understand the order...why waste bullets on glass when they can shoot him dead? If so this is a [[Call Back]] to Hans' plan to have John neutralized, as if the glass cripples him he would no longer be a threat, [[Made of Iron|presumably.]]
* [[Treasure Room]]: The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where Uncle Sam keeps a ''lot'' of gold, almost all of it for other countries' central banks.
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* [[True Love Is Boring]]: Poor John and Holly just couldn't catch a break.
* [[Uncle Tomfoolery]]: Argyle, the limo driver in ''Die Hard''. He is, however, useful in foiling the robbers.
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* [[The Villain Makes the Plot]] - The film series was widely applauded by fans and critics for elevating the action movie genre by incorporating genuinely intelligent and resourceful villains. Bruce Willis' quote on the matter is spot on: "Any story where you have good guys versus bad guys can only be as smart as the intelligence of your baddest guy."
* [[They Just Didn't Care]] ([[In-Universe]]): Gruber asks for the release of a variety of terrorist cells to keep up the image of being a terrorist. When asked by one of his mooks about the one Asian cell out of a list of mostly European terrorist groups, he shrugs and says, "I read about them in Time magazine." Amusingly, it's the Asian terrorists that the police are later shown experiencing red tape with.
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'''Hans''': Who cares. }}
* [[We Do the Impossible]] - Rather, just John. It's actually a source of scorn for some people in-universe, who think he's jumpy and cocky after the events of the first film - it's part of the problem why the Airport Chief won't believe him in ''Die Hard 2''.
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** He lampshades this by quoting Plutarch's "Life of Alexander" and then comments, "One of the benefits of a classical education."
* [[What an Idiot!]]: Lampshaded [[In-Universe]].
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''(Elevator arrives bringing the mooks Hans just called on his radio)''<br />
'''Gruber:''' "You were saying?" }}
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