Movie’s That Won’t Die Hard And Yet Not ‘Die Hard’ Movies

Great movies which are the best of the best just as Die Hard Series some of them are just the ones most people missed in time.

But not forgotten indeed and yet very hard for them to Die in cinema history.


Cliff Hanger

If You Wanna Die Hard… On A Mountain

Cliffhanger (1993)

This is the biggest movie of its time with mind-blowing stunts and outdoor photography.

Director: Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2: Die Harder, The Long Kiss Goodnight)

Villain’s agenda: Recovery of stolen money

Overlooked hero? Yes – they thought he was dead, but he’s a resilient bastard.

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: “Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!”

Proving that the Die Hard formula needn’t necessarily be restricted to claustrophobic indoor settings, Cliffhanger plonks mountain-rescue boy Sylvester Stallone on the side of a snowy edifice. The job he’s lumbered with is foiling John Lithgow’s plan to steal $100m from the US treasury, the money having been deposited in the Rockies after a mid-air transfer went somewhat awry. Deaths are by gun, gravity, drowning, and stalactite. And it’s not all snow; there are caves too. Amusingly, Lithgow goes with a hammy British accent for his ex-US Military Intelligence officer.

hard-target-original

Naturally, Die Hard… In A jungle

Hard Target (1993)

This is the biggest movie of its time with mind-blowing stunts and outdoor photography.

Director: John Woo (Broken Arrow, Paycheck, Face-Off )

Villain’s agenda: Human Hunting.

Overlooked hero? Yes – It’s very hard to kill the Van!

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: “Ooh-wee! Haha! Sometimes I ‘maze myself! Good whiskey make jackrabbit slap de bear!”

Natasha Binder comes to New Orleans looking for her father, who has gone missing. In doing so, she meets a very hard man called Chance.

He helps her find out that her father was killed by an organization that sells the opportunity to hunt human prey. They are taking advantage of a police strike in New Orleans.



toy soldiers movie

 

Will You Like To Die Hard… In A School

Toy Soldiers (1991)

This is a clear childhood classic with lots of guns and bang!

Director: Daniel Petrie Jr (Writer of Beverly Hills Cop)

Villain’s agenda: Release of his father from extradition to the US

Overlooked hero? More underestimated than overlooked

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: “Fuck my father and fuck you too!”

This is a weird collision of Die Hard with something like Dead Poets Society. A school for the sons of the wealthy is targeted by Andrew Divoff as a likely source of hostages, and it’s up to a plucky gang of upper-class reprobates – led by Sean Astin and Will Wheaton – to upset his plans. Luckily, despite being posh boys, they have a bit of a problem with authority. Louis Gossett, Jr., R. Lee Ermey, and Denholm Elliott are among the adults on the right side of the law.


under siege 2

Will You Prefer to Die Hard… On A Boat

Under Siege (1992)

Clear Steven Seagal prime time movie and yes a very memorable cake scene if you know what I mean!

Director: Andrew Davis (Nico, The Fugitive)

Villain’s agenda: Theft and sale of nuclear weapons; revenge against the CIA

Overlooked hero? Yes: he was in a freezer in the kitchen.

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: “Keep the faith!”

Steven Seagal’s already increasing corpulence is given some narrative justification here: he’s a chef. But, luckily he’s a badass chef who used to be a Navy SEAL, which means he has the skills (and indeed the skillets) both to pay the bills and to take down mad, counter-culture CIA rogue agent Tommy Lee Jones. Helping him in his quest to decimate henchmen and get back to his pots and pans is Baywatch star Erika Eleniak, who sadly forgot her clothes. Die Hard in this case lends not only a plot structure but also a major setpiece, where Seagal’s stuntman jumps away from an explosion with something tied around him.

sudden death

Yes, You Will Die Hard… In A Hockey Stadium

Sudden Death (1995)

Amazing movie from the bygone era and a real classic from Van Damme.

You should also watch Hard Target.

Director: Peter Hyams (Outland, Timecop)

Villain’s agenda: Ransom of US Vice President

Overlooked hero? Not really: there are plenty of uncontained people in the stadium, but he’s the only one that’s rumbled something’s up

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: “You lose, pal.”

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s McClane cipher in this film even gets a similar name: he’s called McCord. He’s the fire marshal in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena during a playoff final between the Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks, which as fate would have it is also the event Powers Booth has chosen for his exceptional kidnap and ransom scheme. Van Damme’s second film in a row with Peter Hyams (after Timecop), Sudden Death is ruined by the presence of really irritating children and redeemed by a protracted ending where various people hang off things. But any film where Van Damme fights a woman in a giant cartoon Penguin outfit just about pays its way.



point blank

It’s Nice To Die Hard… In A Shopping Mall

Point Blank (1998)

Terrorism at it’s best in a movie at least.

Director: Matt Earl Beesley (Second unit director on Braveheart)

Villain’s agenda: Buying his freedom with hostages

Overlooked hero? No, he’s sent in

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: None – Rourke barely speaks in this film.

One from Mickey Rourke’s depression days, he made this a year after playing the villain in Van Damme’s Double Team. There’s nothing anywhere near as mental here as Rourke’s Double Team tiger fight in the Roman amphitheater full of landmines, but he does get to back-flip down a corridor to avoid a hail of bullets. The situation here is that Danny Trejo – one particularly crazed form as Rourke’s evil twin – has taken over a Texas shopping mall, as the muscle for mastermind Paul Ben-Victor. Rourke, who used to be a Texas Ranger and a mercenary and a military advisor in Sierra Leone, goes in for a reunion. Point Blank is not to be confused with the Lee Marvin film of the same name.

 

passenger 57

 

Mile High Die Hard… On A Plane

Passenger 57 (1992)

The day’s when hijacking of planes was a hot topic (like we have Terrorism these days).

Director: Kevin Hooks (Fled, Black Dog)

Villain’s agenda: Escaping the FBI

Overlooked hero? Yes: he was in the toilet

Yippee-Ki-Yay Moment: “Always bet on black!”

In which Wesley Snipes, as ex-cop John Cutter, boards a flight that will shortly be hijacked by Bruce Payne as Charles Rane, “The Rane of Terror”, which is probably the best joke in the movie. Shorter than most flights from the UK to France, Passenger 57 manages to be completely bland, despite the awesome Snipes and the scene-stealing Payne. It was a huge hit though, kicking off Snipes’ acting career. Also, watch his Blade Trilogy and thank the lord for having him!

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