A classic of 80’s cinema, Bruce Willis’ Die Hard used cutting-edge action and an extraordinarily talented but little-known cast to craft a compelling and exciting story that sucks the viewer in from the opening minutes. The thriller became a surprise hit, successful enough to even justify a sequel, and then another, and then another – the rest is history.
Die Hard is the kind of movie that can basically be watched and enjoyed at any time of the year; the same is true of its four sequels. For those of you that would like to watch the franchise (either as a repeat viewing or for the first time) but are having trouble finding the films online, we’ve put together a handy guide of all the Die Hard movies and where you can watch them on the Internet.
Die Hard (1988)
While whether or not it’s a Christmas movie is still up for debate (we’re definitely not getting involved in that argument), most people agree that Die Hard was one of the most culturally influential action films of all time. Exciting, quotable, and devilishly over-the-top, the 1988 thriller (based on the Roderick Thorp novel Nothing Lasts Forever) follows John McClane, an off-duty NYPD officer who’s forced to stop efficient terrorist mastermind Hans Gruber when the latter attempts to pull off a daring heist, dreaming of profits in excess of half a billion dollars if he and his skilled henchman can complete their task successfully.
The advent of Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, two extremely talented actors who have now gained worldwide recognition, Die Hard was a box office success, making around $140 million on a relatively small budget of just $28 million. Out of the gate, it actually received mixed-to-negative reviews, including a meager two stars out of four from Roger Ebert, but after its theatrical release had come and gone critics began to recognize how impressive, influential, and innovative it actually was, becoming much more positive in their assessments of its merits.
Available on: Amazon, DirecTV, Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft Store, SlingTV, Vudu, YouTube
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Bruce Willis returned for the second film in the franchise, Die Hard 2, which, instead of being a by-the-numbers rehashing of the original story, decided to work from completely different source material than the original did – this time, the Walter Wagner novel 58 Minutes provided the core plot elements. The film follows McClane as he squares off against another ill-fated bunch of terrorists, this time members of a military unit who take an entire airport hostage, demanding resources in order to sneak imprisoned drug lord General Ramon Esperanza out of the country. If they don’t get what they want, they’ll make sure none of the planes circling overhead – including one carrying McClane’s wife, Holly – will have an opportunity to land and, after long enough, a series of terrible crashes will occur due to lack of fuel.
Just as entertaining and action-packed as its predecessor, Die Hard 2 received positive reviews, made $240 million on a $70 million budget, and acted as a worthy follow-up during a time when many sequels were marred by a lack of quality control.
Available on: Amazon, DirecTV, Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft Store, SlingTV, Vudu, YouTube
Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)
Five years after the events of Die Hard 2, 1995’s Die Hard with a Vengeance opens with a significantly less heroic McClane than audiences had been exposed to before; he and his wife have separated, he’s been suspended from the police force, and to cope with all of this he’s turned to alcoholism. However, the plot (which is based on Jonathan Hensleigh’s screenplay Simon Says) has a contrivance in store that may return the disgraced officer to his glory days. A mercenary known only as “Simon” is forcing McClane to participate in bizarre pranks, challenges, and public humiliations as a way of getting back at him for a past wrong; if McClane refuses to comply, Simon will detonate a bomb somewhere in New York City.
With some excellent performances from Willis and franchise newcomer Samuel L. Jackson, as well as a frenetic climax that will leave fans of the genre having gotten what they came for, Die Hard with a Vengeance for the most part delivered on its promises, even if it couldn’t escape the shadow of its predecessors. Its main talking point, however, was its box office taking, which totaled more than $365 million; a significant boost from the franchise’s previous installments.
Available on: Amazon, DirecTV, Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft Store, SlingTV, Vudu, YouTube
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Predominately based on the 1997 Wired magazine article “A Farewell to Arms”, 2007’s Live Free or Die Hard brings McClane, now an NYPD detective once again, into the unfamiliar, bizarre world of cyber-terrorism, as he has to stop an elite band of black-hat hackers from tearing apart the fabric of the nation through a massive, targeted cyber attack known as a “fire sale”.
The film became an unexpected success, both critically and commercially. From a budget of $110 million, it made nearly $390 million, becoming the highest-grossing film in the franchise to date; critics, meanwhile, were actually pleasantly surprised with the film’s execution, praising the direction, acting, story, and characters, with many review outlets calling the film a “return to form” for the admittedly somewhat tired franchise. Packing the same great action that made the original such a universally-beloved hit, Live Free or Die Hard is definitely worth checking out.
Available on: Amazon, DirecTV, Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft Store, SlingTV, Vudu, YouTube
A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)
2013’s A Good Day To Die Hard finds a middle-aged McClane having to free his son Jack from a Russian prison, although he learns his son is not a lawbreaker, but rather a CIA agent tasked with protecting the life of former entrepreneur and government whistleblower Yuri Komarov. The pair must then work as a team to thwart the plans of a terrorist group bent on destruction.
While fans of the series will be able to enjoy this entry just fine (as the impressive box office numbers, $300 million on a budget of around $90 million, would imply), critics couldn’t find much good in A Good Day. The New York Times called it “simple-minded”, for instance, while acclaimed film reviewer Richard Roeper chided it for “[stripping McClane] of any real traces of an actual three-dimensional character”.
Available on: Amazon, DirecTV, Google Play, iTunes, Microsoft Store, SlingTV, Vudu, YouTube
