After the first Die Hard movie’s release in 1988, the movie franchise only grew from strength to strength with each installment, spawning four sequels over a span of two and a half decades. However, long before the first Die Hard hit the big screens and cemented its place as one of the greatest action movies in Hollywood, Bruce Willis was a relatively obscure actor who was best known for his brief TV appearances. The first movie’s success played a crucial role in establishing him as a major movie star and paving the way for him to land other iconic roles in movies like Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense.
Despite landing other major roles in myriad movies, Bruce Willis stuck to his action roots with Die Hard and went on to star in all of its sequels. Not all installments of the Die Hard franchise proved as remarkable as the first one, but Bruce Willis’ portrayal of John McClane always made them worth watching. While it is unfortunate that Bruce Willis has retired from acting, audiences can still honor his legacy as an action star by re-watching the movies that helped him leverage his acting abilities to new heights.
The Die Hard Movies In Release Order
Although the first Die Hard received mixed reviews on release and was not predicted to perform too well at the box office, it defied all expectations and went on to become one of the most memorable action films of the time. The film’s success was enough to not only elevate Bruce Willis’ career but also to spawn a series of sequels. Two years after the release of the first movie, Die Hard 2 hit the big screens in 1990. The film matched the high standards set by its predecessor and even performed well at the box office, paving the way for more installments in the franchise.
Die Hard with a Vengeance, which came out five years after Die Hard 2, could not match the critical ratings of its predecessors. However, by becoming the highest-grossing film in 1995, it proved that audiences were still invested in John McClane’s action-packed adventures — and misadventures. The Die Hard franchise only grew more popular when 2007’s Live Free or Die Hard became the highest-grossing installment in the franchise. Unfortunately, the fifth and final installment, A Good to Die Hard, could not end the franchise on a high note when it premiered in 2013 but still earned enough at the global box office to be considered a hit.
- Die Hard (1988)
- Die Hard 2 (1990)
- Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
- Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
- A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
The Die Hard Movies In Chronological Order Of Events
Die Hard (1988)
Box Office: $141.6 million | Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes
Cast: Bruce Willis (John McClane), Alan Rickman (Hans Gruber), Alexander Godunov (Karl), Bonnie Bedelia (Holly Gennaro-McClane), Reginald VelJohnson (Al Powell), Paul Gleason (Dwayne T. Robinson), De’voreaux White (Argyle), William Atherton (Richard Thornburg), Clarence Gilyard (Theo), Hart Bochner (Harry Ellis), James Shigeta (Joseph Yoshinobu Takag)
Adapting Roderick Thorp’s novel Nothing Lasts Forever, the first Die Hard film was initially met with skepticism, primarily because of Bruce Willis’ casting. After several big action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone refused to play John McClane, Bruce Willis was taken in even though he primarily had television roles under his belt. His casting was perceived as a poor decision. However, as fate would have it, Willis perfectly fit McClane’s boots in the film as he walked viewers through his pursuit of rescuing his wife and several other hostages from a group of terrorists.
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Box Office: $240 million | Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes
Cast: Bruce Willis (John McClane), Bonnie Bedelia (Holly Gennero McClane), William Atherton (Dick Thornburg), Reginald VelJohnson (Sergeant Al Powell), Franco Nero (General Ramon Esperanza), William Sadler (Colonel William Stuart), John Amos (Major Grant), Dennis Franz (Captain Carmine Lorenzo), Art Evans (Leslie Barnes), Fred Thompson (Ed Trudeau), Tom Bower (Marvin), Sheila McCarthy (Samantha “Sam” Coleman), Robert Costanzo (Sergeant Vito Lorenzo), and Colm Meaney (Windsor Pilot)
Chronologically, the events of Die Hard 2 unfold two years after the first one, marking John McClane’s foray into a new high-stake terrorist situation. Although Die Hard 2 repeats the first film’s formula by highlighting how McClane and his wife somehow find themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack, its change of setting from a skyscraper to an airport makes a massive difference. The fact that none of the authorities at the airport in Die Hard 2 cooperates with McClane makes his second mission even more challenging.
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
Box Office: $366.1 million | Runtime: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Cast: Bruce Willis (John McClane), Jeremy Irons (Simon Peter Gruber), Samuel L. Jackson (Zeus Carver), Graham Greene (Joe Lambert), Colleen Camp (Connie Kowalski), Larry Bryggman (Walter Cobb), Anthony Peck (Ricky Walsh), Nick Wyman (Mathias Targo), Sam Phillips (Katya), Stephen Pearlman (Fred Schiller), and Kevin Chamberlin (Charlie Weiss)
Unfolding five years after Die Hard 2, Die Hard with a Vengeance upped the ante of the franchise’s action and drama by portraying a city-wide terrorist attack. The movie also featured Samuel L. Jackson as McClane’s partner, which immensely benefited it because Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson had an incredible on-screen dynamic. Although the film initially received mixed reviews, it ultimately garnered a cult following, with many viewers touting it as one of the best 90s action movies.
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Box Office: $388.1 million | Runtime: 2 hours, 8 minutes
Cast: Bruce Willis (John McClane), Justin Long (Matthew “Matt” Farrell), Timothy Olyphant (Thomas Gabriel), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Lucy Gennero-McClane), Maggie Q (Mai Linh), Kevin Smith (Frederick “Warlock” Kaludis), Cliff Curtis (Miguel Bowman), Jonathan Sadowski (Trey), Edoardo Costa (Emerson), Cyril Raffaelli (Rand), Yorgo Constantine (Russo), Željko Ivanek (Agent Molina), Christina Chang (Taylor), Len Wiseman (F-35B pilot)
Following the trend set by the previous installments of the franchise, Live Free or Die Hard is also set in the year of its release. Harping on the growing fears towards technology and the prevalence of the internet in the late aughts, the fourth Die Hard movie expands its scale by showing how McClane sets out to stop a group of online terrorists who have orchestrated a cyberattack on the entire United States. With its focus on a nationwide crisis, Live Free or Die Hard truly sets the limit for what the franchise could achieve with its well-worn formula.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
Box Office: $304.6 million | Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Cast: Bruce Willis (John McClane), Jai Courtney (CIA Officer John “Jack” McClane Jr.), Sebastian Koch (Yuri Komarov), Yulia Snigir (Irina Komarova), Radivoje Bukvić (Alik), Sergei Kolesnikov (Viktor Chagarin), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Lucy McClane), Cole Hauser (CIA Officer Mike Collins), Aldis Hodge (Lieutenant Foxy), Amaury Nolasco (Detective Murphy), Megalyn Echikunwoke (Pretty Reporter), Pasha D. Lychnikoff (Russian Cab Driver), Roman Luknár (Anton), and Ganxsta Zolee (MRAP Driver)
A Good Day to Die Hard further raises the stakes for John McClane by getting him embroiled in an international conflict. Continuing the trend of introducing McClane’s family members in distress, the movie depicted how his estranged son, Jack, was in a Russian prison, and it was his responsibility to get him out. Unfortunately, despite being the final installment in the Die Hard franchise, A Good Day To Die Hard could not sustain the high quality of its predecessors. Bruce Willis, however, gave a stellar performance, cementing his legacy as Die Hard‘s central detective, John McClane.
