Die Hard - Watch Order: Classic Trilogy

Other Watch Orders:
1988 - 19953 Films6h 24m4.3 Average

The original Die Hard trilogy that defined the franchise and established John McClane (Bruce Willis) as one of action cinema's most well-known heroes. These three films capture the essence of what made Die Hard special - an everyman cop in the wrong place at the wrong time, facing off against memorable villains in confined, high-stakes scenarios.

The trilogy focuses on practical effects and grounded action, showcasing the franchise at its creative peak. From the claustrophobic skyscraper tension of the original to the cat-and-mouse games across New York City, these films represent the essence of McClane's character without getting into the somewhat CGI-heavy later entries.

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Die Hard poster

Die Hard

19882h 12m4.7
Director: John McTiernan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

NYPD cop John McClane's plan to reconcile with his estranged wife is thrown for a serious loop when, minutes after he arrives at her offices Christmas Party, the entire building is overtaken by a group of terrorists. With little help from the LAPD, wisecracking McClane sets out to single-handedly rescue the hostages and bring the bad guys down.

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Die Hard 2 poster

Die Hard 2

19902h 4m4
Director: Renny Harlin
Cast: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, John Amos, Franco Nero

One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a snowy Christmas Eve, as he waits for his wife's plane to land at Washington Dulles International Airport, terrorists take over the air traffic control system in a plot to free a South American army general and drug smuggler being flown into the US to face drug charges. It's now up to McClane to take on the terrorists, while coping with an inept airport police chief, an uncooperative anti-terrorist squad, and the life of his wife and everyone else trapped in planes circling overhead.

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Die Hard with a Vengeance poster

Die Hard with a Vengeance

19952h 8m4.3
Director: John McTiernan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons, Larry Bryggman, Graham Greene

New York detective John McClane is back and kicking bad-guy butt in the third installment of this action-packed series, which finds him teaming with civilian Zeus Carver to prevent the loss of innocent lives. McClane thought he'd seen it all, until a genius named Simon engages McClane, his new "partner" -- and his beloved city -- in a deadly game that demands their concentration.

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