Only 3 Action Movies Are Better Than 'Die Hard'

With its bombastic bravura and high-stakes, rapid-fire storytelling, action cinema has been a marquee centerpiece of blockbuster cinema ever since the genre truly took root as such a marvelous spectacle in the 1980s. In the eyes of many, 1988’s taut thriller Die Hard is the action genre’s crowning triumph. The rollicking story of John McClane (Bruce Willis) standing against a mob of terrorists who besiege an office Christmas party in Nakatomi Plaza soars as one of the most exciting and exhilarating movies ever made. All its gun-toting glory is well accompanied by John McTiernan’s astute direction, several incredible performances—particularly from Willis and the late Alan Rickman—and a razor-sharp screenplay of propulsive momentum and finely-tuned action. Thus, it's really no surprise that so many hold it in such high regard even after almost 40 years, but is it truly the greatest action movie ever made?