The Year in Review- 1993

   It was the year the T-Rex roared, and the Holocaust was explored by the greatest director of all time. Tony Scott told a love story Tarantino-style, and Bill Murray had a serious case of deja-vu. Ford and Eastwood both headlined dynamite thrillers, Hanks had AIDS and Robin Williams became an old British woman. Here are the ten best films in order for 1993.

1. "Schindler's List"(1993)
Steven Spielberg stunned audiences worldwide with a grim, compelling and vivid account of the Holocaust that was miles apart from the upbeat blockbusters that defined the first half of his career. It's his most personal film. It may also be his best. His decision to film in black-and-white gave "List" a documentary-like feel, it's all so startlingly real. Liam Neeson(landing his breakout role) leads a fine cast as German businessman Oskar Schindler who saved the lives of a thousand Jews by employing them in his factory. The ever-reliable Ben Kingsley is his Jewish accountant, and last-but-not-least is Ralph Fiennes, as a sadistic SS officer frighteningly loyal to Hitler's cause. The most moving cinematic experience you're likely to ever have, those Oscars for Best Picture and Director were a foregone conclusion. This is mandatory viewing.

2. "True Romance"(1993)
What do you get when you combine the voracious talents of a young Quentin Tarantino and the late great Tony Scott? The answer is one of the most quotable and ridiculously entertaining films of the '90s. Hell, this movie IS the '90s, before everything became PC and watered down. To see "TR" is to love it. Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette are enormously likable as reckless young newlyweds, and they head up a cast that includes Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, James Gandolfini, Samuel L Jackson, Chris Penn, and Tom Sizemore. This is one of the coolest groups of actors ever assembled, and they ALL have a moment, but it's the playful, uncomplicated relationship of our two protagonists that really sent Cupid's arrow through viewers' hearts. It's true romance, after all.

3. "Groundhog Day"(1993)
At first glance it was just another Bill Murray comedy. Not that there would've been anything wrong with that, but "GD" became something much more. This was NOT some unofficial sequel to "Scrooged". A modest hit at the time of it's release, the respect and appreciation for this film has grown over the years to where it's now considered a modern classic. You already know the set-up, and Murray is at his best as the obnoxious TV weatherman stuck in Punxsutawney. A lesser movie would have went for cheap laughs and a contrived explanation for his predicament, but director Harold Ramis turned a tricky premise into sublime brilliance and built the bridge between the ghost-busting Bill and the understated Oscar-nominated Murray of "Lost in Translation".

4. "Jurassic Park"(1993)
The highest grossing film of the year BY FAR and the third highest grossing film of the '90s, Steven Spielberg's franchise-starting mega hit set new standards for special effects and the summer blockbuster. The bearded movie maestro instantly recognized the cinematic potential of Michael Crichton's intelligent sci-fi novel and employed Stan Winston's creature shop and some astounding CGI to bring the scaly beasts to life. Sequels were inevitable(a fourth is slated for 2015) but nothing compares to seeing those dinosaurs for the first time. The visceral thrill of the T-Rex attacking that jeep in the rain(pictured above) is one of the many reasons that this film is better than the majority of today's big budget offerings and that isn't nostalgia talking.

5. "The Fugitive"(1993)
The best movie ever based on an old TV show was the perfect vehicle for laconic leading man Harrison Ford(still riding the high of his incredible 1980s success) as the wrongly convicted Dr. Richard Kimble. But as great as Ford is in his prime, this film belongs to the ever-magnetic Tommy Lee Jones as his doggedly determined pursuer Samuel Gerard. This character was so strong that he eventually got his own spin-off movie(1998's "U.S Marshalls") while Tommy Lee parlayed his Best Supporting Actor Oscar into a ton of film work over the next few years. Director Andrew Davis("Under Seige") condensed Kimble's adventures into two tense, breathless hours and made one of the most solid crowd-pleasers of the decade.

6. "Philadelphia"(1993) Tom Hanks made a staggering leap from comedy to serious dramatic roles in director Jonathan Demme's compassionate, thought-provoking fact-based drama- the first mainstream movie to tackle homophobia and the HIV/AIDS crisis with intelligence and respect. The Best Actor Oscar was rightly rewarded to Tom's heartbreaking portrayal of a gay lawyer who brings a wrongful termination suit against his former employers(a bigoted Jason Robards is particularly good). The equally-dynamic Denzel Washington is the ambulance-chasing attorney that overcomes his own prejudices over the course of a historic trial. Bruce Springsteen's tone-setting track("Streets of Philadelphia") and Demme's laser-like focus helped make this dreaded deadly disease impossible for the American public to ignore. It's safe to say that attitudes soon began changing for the better.

7. "In the Line of Fire"(1993)
A reinvigorated Clint Eastwood followed up his Oscar-winning "Unforgiven" with Wolfgang Petersen's first-rate suspense thriller. Hollywood just doesn't make movies like this and "The Fugitive" anymore. You know, smart entertainment for grown-ups. You have to go back to 1993 for stuff like that. Clint is terrific as an aging Secret Service agent still haunted by his failure to prevent the 1963 JFK assassination. He gets the chance to redeem himself when the current chief exec's life is threatened by a chameleon-like killer, played by an excellent John Malkovich. An electrifying game of cat and mouse ensues that gradually builds to a finale sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

8. "Mrs. Doubtfire"(1993)
The late, great Robin Williams reached his cinematic peak in the second-biggest hit of 1993. This instantly iconic Chris Columbus comedy was compared unfavorably to "Tootsie" by some critics, but the star's hilarious and heartfelt performance arguably made it even more popular with Clinton-era audiences. Daniel Hillard is a struggling San Francisco father that takes drastic action to be near his three kids when his workaholic wife(the super-talented Sally Field) files for divorce. The elderly, British Euphegenia Doubtfire is an indelible comedic creation that won the Oscar for Best Makeup(Yolanda Toussieng). Powered by Howard Shore's score, the film makes a strong case for modern parenthood and old-fashioned family values.

9. "Menace II Society"(1993)
This grim, unflinching portrait of life on the streets of South Central, Los Angeles is brimming with senseless violence and profanity that clearly stresses the hopelessness and tragic nature of this environment. Twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes, then 21 years old, made a very impressive directorial debut, and coax convincing performances from a talented young cast that includes Tyrenz Turner, Larenz Tate, Jada Pinkett and Sam Jackson. It's pretty powerful stuff and in my opinion, better than it's similarly themed forerunner "Boyz 'N The Hood".

10(tie). "The Piano"(1993)
Writer-director Jane Campion's haunting, poetic period piece set in bleak 19th Century New Zealand was the most acclaimed film of 1993. Yes, more acclaimed than "Schindler's List". Like many critical faves, the passage of time hasn't held it in the same regard, but this film should be remembered for more than just Harvey Keitel's decision to appear fully nude. Holly Hunter is one of those great actresses that never gets talked about, and her Best Actress Oscar win as a piano-playing mute is certainly her finest two hours onscreen. The Academy rarely rewards two performers in one movie, yet 11 year old Anna Paquin took Supporting Actress honors as her precocious daughter. The surprisingly robust box office for this erotic journey was a significant step forward for the bourgeoning indie film movement.

10(tie). "Carlito's Way"(1993)
Ten years after their insanely popular collaboration known as "Scarface", Al Pacino and director Brian De Palma reunited to tell the tale of another doomed drug lord. If Tony Montana had gone to jail at the end of that 1983 epic, he might have come out looking like Carlito Brigante. This sensitive ex-con just wants to go straight in 1970s Spanish Harlem, but his old friends and associates are constantly trying to pull him back into a life of crime. That includes a dynamite Sean Penn as a coked-up mob lawyer. "CW" doesn't break any new ground, but anytime you've got Pacino, drugs, guns, and gangsters, you're guaranteed a good time.

Honorable Mentions- "Alive"(1993) The 1972 Miracle of the Andes. "Sommersby"(1993) Is Richard Gere really Jodie Foster's long-lost husband? "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey"(1993) Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, and Don Ameche voice the intrepid pets. "Untamed Heart"(1993) Christian Slater romances Marisa Tomei. "The Vanishing"(1993) Jeff Bridges is chilling in George Sluizer's remake. "Fire in the Sky"(1993) Alien abduction in November 1975. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III"(1993) The Turtles are back...in time. "The Sandlot"(1993) You're killing me, Smalls. "Benny & Joon"(1993) Johnny Depp is an endearing oddball. "Falling Down"(1993) Michael Douglas is dynamite in Joel Schumacher's edgy urban drama. "The Crush"(1993) Alicia Silverstone was a '90s sensation. "Much Ado About Nothing"(1993) Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare adaptation boasts Denzel Washington, Emma Thompspn, and Michael Keaton.

"Cliffhanger"(1993) Sylvester Stallone's best '90s movie? "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story"(1993) Jason Scott Lee stars in this entertaining account of the martial arts legend. "Guilty as Sin"(1993) Rebecca De Mornay and Don Johnson liven up this Sydney Lumet thriller. "Sleepless in Seattle"(1993) Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in the ultimate romcom. "Last Action Hero"(1993) This Arnold Schwarzenegger 'flop' was still a lot of fun. "The Firm"(1993) Tom Cruise is a conflicted lawyer in this hit John Grisham adaptation.

"Dave"(1993) Kevin Kline was a popular President. "Searching for Bobby Fischer"(1993) This fact-based drama made chess exciting. "What's Love Got to Do with It"(1993) Angela Bassett and Lawrence Fishburne both shined in this Tina Turner biopic. 'Son in Law"(1993) Pauley Shore's peak. "Hard Target"(1993) Jean Claude Van Damme in John Woo's American action debut. "Free Willy"(1993) This cute whale closed out the summer. "Manhattan Murder Mystery"(1993) Woody Allen makes one more with Diane Keaton.

"The Man Without a Face"(1993) Mel Gibson is a good director. "Dazed and Confused"(1993) Richard Linklater's coming-of-age '70s set breakthrough. "The Thing Called Love"(1993) River Phoenix is a country crooner in his last completed role. "The Age of Innocence"(1993) Martin Scorsese's period romance pairs Daniel-Day Lewis with Michelle Pfeiffer. "A Bronx Tale"(1993) Robert De Niro directs this ace adaptation of Chazz Palminteri's play. "Short Cuts"(1993) Tim Robbins, Robert Downey Jr., Julianne Moore, and Frances McDormand in Robert Altman's shapeless L.A. ensemble. "Fearless"(1993) Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez survive a plane crash. "Judgment Night"(1993) Emilio Estevez is still a star.

"Rudy"(1993) Sean Astin enters the sports movie HOF. "Malice"(1993) Alec Baldwin is God. "Cool Runnings"(1993) John Candy and a Jamaican bobsled team. "Hocus Pocus"(1993) Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker become a Halloween staple. "The Good Son"(1993) Macauley Culkin was surprisingly good at being bad. "A Perfect World"(1993) Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner were a potent pair. "The Pelican Brief"(1993) So were Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. "Gettysburg"(1993) Ted Turner's FOUR-HOUR Civil War epic. "In the Name of the Father"(1993) Daniel-Day Lewis was nominated for his IRA prisoner. "The Remains of the Day"(1993) Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson were both nominated for this Merchant-Ivory production. "The Good Son"(1993) Michael Keaton makes recordings for his unborn son. "The Three Musketeers"(1993) are played by Chris O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, and Kiefer Sutherland. "Addams Family Values"(1993) Some say it's better than the first.

"Demolition Man"(1993) Sylvester Stallone vs. Wesley Snipes. "Grumpy Old Men"(1993) A new generation gets to know Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthua. "Wayne's World 2"(1993) Mike Myers and Dana Carvey put on a rock concert. "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm"(1993) The film version of the heavily-praised animated series. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape"(1993) Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio are wonderful in this quirky slice-of-life drama. "Heaven & Earth"(1993) Oliver Stone is obsessed with Vietnam. "Six Degrees of Separation"(1993) Will Smith is a star. "Tombstone"(1993) Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are the definitive Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. "Geronimo: An American Legend"(1993) Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, and Matt Damon in a Walter Hill Western.

The Year in Review- 2002

   It was the year Steven Spielberg added two more classics to his incredible resume with Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio. Roman Polanski found redemption on Oscar night, Gollum was a glorious sight, and we all got caught in a Spider web. Jack Nicholson hit the road for Alexander Payne, Nicole Kidman peaked, and Daniel Day-Lewis graced us with his presence. Here are the ten best films in order for 2002.

1. "Minority Report"(2002)
Intelligent isn't a word that's often used to describe a sci-fi action movie. It certainly applies here. Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg waited nearly two decades to join forces for a cerebral popcorn flick that may have been too dark and complicated for simple-minded summertime audiences. Loosely based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, the film presents an intriguing and realistic vision of a future similar to two celebrated Dick adaptations, "Blade Runner" and "Total Recall". In the year 2054, Cruise is the chief of Washington D.C.'s Pre-Crime Unit- a specialized police force that apprehends would-be killers before the murders even take place with the foreknowledge provided by three powerful psychics(Samantha Morton deserved Best Supporting Actress consideration). Cruise gets to do what he does best and that's run after being pegged as a suspect by his own controversial crime-fighting squad, while Spielberg delivers the kind of peerless entertainment he first perfected in "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

2. "Catch Me If You Can"(2002)
Accuse me of favoritism all you want, but in my book(or blog) Spielberg made the two best movies of 2002. Leonardo DiCaprio finally began living up to the huge expectations brought on by "Titanic"(more on that later) in this immensely enjoyable fact-based tale as charming 1960s con man Frank Abagnale, who successfully posed as a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer while simultaneously passing over $1 million in bad checks. Leo gets stellar support from '90s golden boy Tom Hanks as the straight arrow FBI man hot on his trail and Christopher Walken as his slightly roguish pop. This is a once-in-a lifetime collection of superior talent(watch out for a young Amy Adams!) in one of the most pleasing flicks of this or any other celluloid era.

3. "The Pianist"(2002)
It took nine years for another major director to tackle the Holocaust after 1993's "Schindler's List"(okay, the Spielberg worship will stop now) and Roman Polanski, an actual survivor of the Nazis' horrific crimes, brought realism and restraint to his obviously painful recollection of one of the darkest chapters in human history. The exiled filmmaker received heavy praise for his most acclaimed work since "Chinatown" and a redemptive Academy Award for Best Director, while Adrien Brody became the youngest recipient of the Best Actor Oscar at age 29 for his role as a Jewish-Polish pianist and composer who lived to tell of the ever-worsening conditions of the Warsaw Ghetto. Polanski's film came up short in it's quest for the top prize, though. Somehow, "Chicago" won Best Picture.

 

4. "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers"(2002)
The second chapter in Peter Jackson's revered trilogy only deepened the devotion of it's growing legion of fanatics. Many would take up residence on Middle-earth if they could, which is just a testament to how immersive J.R.R. Tolkien's world is. Andy Serkis should have been recognized with a Best Supporting Actor nomination(maybe even the win) for showing us what Jar Jar Binks should have been, not that this series was ever slighted during awards season or anything, while the climactic battle of Helms Deep upped the action quotient considerably. Jackson makes breathtaking use of the New Zealand backdrop, and effortlessly sidesteps the inherent difficulties of following up an immensely popular predecessor.

5. "Spider-Man"(2002)
The superhero movie renaissance that still rages on today officially started in 2002, when the crown jewel of Marvel Comics finally made his way to the big screen after several years of false starts and legal entanglements. Tobey Maguire was perfectly cast as high school nerd Peter Parker who yearns for the affections of neighbor and classmate Mary Jane(Kirsten Dunst). Aided by a radioactive spider bite and some eye-popping CGI, he fights crime in New York as his webslinging alter ego and clashes with the sinister Green Goblin(Willem Dafoe). There are some corny lines and moments and Dafoe's face is scarier than the Green Goblin mask, but overall Sam Raimi's sunny, upbeat blockbuster was a triumphant introduction to a legendary character and was exactly what audiences needed and wanted post- 9/11.

"You're calling me a disgrace? You made "Death To Smoochy"?

6. "Insomnia"(2002)
Al Pacino's last good one for a long while(before his celebrated career took a rather ugly slide) was Chris Nolan's psychological suspense thriller. The acting legend plays a sleep-deprived LAPD detective summoned to a small Alaskan town to aid in the investigation of a teenage girl's murder. Robin Williams' turn as a quietly unhinged killer also happens to be his last respectable role before he descended into a string of unforgivable comedies. This overlooked gem had little chance of making a big impression at the box office with an early summer release that saw it sandwiched between "Spiderman" and "Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones", but it seems to have found a nice afterlife on cable.

7. "About Schmidt"(2002)
Jack Nicholson is entertaining even on autopilot, but when he's fully invested in a character, you're in for something special. The three-time Oscar winner drops all his trademark mannerisms and disappears into the role of 66 year old sad-sack retiree Warren Schmidt, who takes a long hard look at his life and realizes it was devoid of passion and purpose. His often hilarious odyssey to try and change that before it's too late should speak to any age group. Kathy Bates makes an appearance you won't soon forget, while director Alexander Payne proved that "Election" was no fluke, and would go on to continue his mastery of the comedy/drama with "Sideways" and "The Descendants".

8. "The Hours"(2002)
Nicole Kidman donned a prosthetic nose and claimed the Best Actress Oscar to complete her post-Tom Cruise reinvention that saw the Aussie beauty arguably become Hollywood's most sought-after actress. Many subsequent projects proved unworthy of her talents, making this triumphant turn as wounded novelist Virginia Woolf the high point of an up-and-down career. Woolf's tragic tale is told in lengthy flashbacks to 1923, while parallel stories detail the similarly pained lives of two women(Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep) she indirectly influenced in 1951 and 2001. That's three great actresses in three time periods, each one aided by David Hare's Oscar-nominated script and Stephen Daldry's subtle direction.

9. "Adaptation."(2002)
Remember when Nic Cage was an interesting actor? My research shows that the guy actually once gave a damn and did make some movies were worth watching, but I'm not here to talk about his hellish descent into career-killing paycheck roles. Cage perfectly captured the tortured existence of a screenwriter(or any 'creative' person, for that matter) in a wholly original and semi-autobiographical tale from the unorthodox duo behind "Being John Malkovich", Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman. The one-and-only Meryl Streep and Best Supporting Actor winner Chris Cooper only added to the universal critical praise of this quirky gem.

10. "Gangs of New York"(2002)
Martin Scorsese's long gestating 19th Century epic is noteworthy for two reasons- it marked the first of five collaborations with his new favorite leading man Leonardo DiCaprio(the duo have seemingly struck up a working relationship similar to the legendary director's previous alliance with De Niro). The second reason is pictured above. Daniel Day-Lewis' role as charismatic killer Bill the Butcher is what really got all that 'greatest actor in the world' stuff started and it hasn't dissipated one bit in the decade since. Scorsese didn't seem totally comfortable sustaining this film's grandiose scale over it's butt-numbing three hour length, but his ambition and effort is at the very least commendable, and he's just that rare filmmaker incapable of making a bad movie.

Honorable Mentions- "Panic Room"(2002) Jodie Foster and Kristin Stewart in a David Fincher thriller. "We Were Soldiers"(2002) Mel Gibson goes to Vietnam. "High Crimes"(2002) Ashley Judd defends her husband. "Ice Age"(2002) Blue Sky Studios enters the animation game. "Hart's War"(2002) Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell star in this WWII drama. "The Scorpion King"(2002) The Rock begins his big screen smackdown. "Murder by Numbers"(2002) Ryan Gosling is good in this Sandra Bullock thriller. "Blade II"(2002) Guillermo del Toro directs this Wesley Snipes sequel. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"(2002) Nia Vardalos in the highest-grossing romcom in history($368 million worldwide). "Hollywood Ending"(2002) Woody Allen's career never ends. "About a Boy"(2002) Hugh Grant bonds with Nicholas Hoult. "City of God"(2002) The gangs of Brazil tear through this foreign film favorite. "Unfaithful"(2002) Diane Lane cheats on Richard Gere in the best role of her career. "Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones"(2002) George Lucas continues the saga of Anakin Skywalker. "Lilo & Stitch"(2002) Disney scores one last old-school animated hit. "Windtalkers"(2002) Nic Cage and John Woo do WWII.

"The Sum of All Fears"(2002) Ben Affleck as CIA stud Jack Ryan. "Road to Perdition"(2002) Tom Hanks is a gangster in Sam Mendes' Depression-era drama. "The Bourne Identity"(2002) Matt Damon's amnesiac assassin became an unlikely action icon. "Stuart Little 2"(2002) Michael J. Fox's CGI mouse gets a sequel. "Austin Powers in Goldmember"(2002) Mike Myers makes it a trilogy. "Signs"(2002) Mel Gibson headlines M. Night Shyamalan's last good movie for a long while. "K-19: The Widowmaker"(2002) Kathryn Bigelow puts Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson in a Soviet submarine in 1961. "In America"(2002) Jim Sheridan's semi-autobiographical tale of an Irish immigrant family in NY. "Simone"(2002) Al Pacino invents the perfect woman.

"The Rookie"(2002) Dennis Quaid makes a comeback in this feel-good Disney sports flick. "Secretary"(2002) Office S&M with James Spader and Maggie Gyllanhaal. "Blood Work"(2002) Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this low-key murder mystery. "City by the Sea"(2002) Robert De Niro is a NYC detective, James Franco is his felonious, drugged-out son. "The Four Feathers"(2002) 19th Century Oscar bait with Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson. "Red Dragon"(2002) Brett Ratner remakes "Manhunter" with Anthony Hopkins. "Auto Focus"(2002) Greg Kinnear as slain TV star Bob Crane. "The Good Girl"(2002) Jennifer Aniston was good in this downbeat indie. "White Oleander"(2002) Michelle Pfeiffer is an imprisoned mother in this well-acted melodrama. "Punch Drunk Love"(2002) Paul Thomas Anderson legitimizes Adam Sandler. "8 Mile"(2002) Curtis Hanson handles the rise of Detroit rap royalty Eminem.

"28 Days Later"(2002) Danny Boyle's zombie apocalypse was a slow-burning sensation. "Far from Heaven"(2002) Julianne Moore is a supressed 1950s housewife in this Todd Haynes joint. "Solaris"(2002) Steve Soderbergh sends George Clooney to a space station. "The Santa Clause 2"(2002) Tim Allen searches for Mrs. Claus. "25th Hour"(2002) Edward Norton enjoys his last day of freedom. "Frida"(2002) Salma Hayek was nominated for this Mexico City-set biopic. "Narc"(2002) Jason Patric and Ray Liotta on the ragged edge. "Chicago"(2002) Rob Marshall's lively version of the long-running Broadway hit became the first musical since the '60s to win Best Picture. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"(2002) Sam Rockwell is a '60s TV producer/CIA hitman in George Clooney's directorial debut. "Star Trek: Nemesis"(2002) Patrick Stewart vs. Tom Hardy. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"(2002) Chris Columbus is a family film wizard. "Two Weeks Notice"(2002) This Sandra Bullock-Hugh Grant romcom made $94 million in the U.S.

Franchise Review- Die Hard

    It's the 25th anniversary of the gold standard of the modern action movie. This is a genre that saw it's heyday in the 1980s and '90s which may seem like a long time ago, but I feel sorry for anyone that didn't get to experience the glorious carnage first-hand. The UFC doesn't have as much testosterone as the average flick back then. This is when men were men and there were considerably less costumed 'superheroes' running around. In 1988, who would have thought that Willis guy from TV's "Moonlighting" would come along and knock out the reigning genre champs Sly and Arnold? Well, that's exactly what happened. From that moment on, you didn't have to look like a Greek god to save the day and like "Lethal Weapon", that OTHER seminal shoot 'em up that kicked off this new era, there was a rash of imitators that tried to replicate the winning formula- "Under Siege 1 and 2", "Passenger 57", "Cliffhanger", "Speed", "Sudden Death", and "Air Force One", just to name a few. Nothing could ever top the inspiration or the man himself.

   The public's love of John McClane is such that his fifth adventure, the Moscow-set "A Good Day to Die Hard" is slated for release on Valentine's Day. His old-school fan base is likely to eat it up, but first let's recap his incredible legacy thus far. Welcome to the party, pal.




"Sorry, Sly".

"Die Hard"(1988)
After Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Richard Gere and Burt Reynolds all took a pass, the studio's fifth choice, TV actor Bruce Willis was cast as the working-class cop who is always in the wrong place at the right time. It shouldn't have worked. He had no action hero credentials, it was only his second movie(his first was the '87 romantic comedy "Blind Date") and he was being thrown right in the middle of the summer battle royal with the big boys. But Willis was terrific in the role, and it quickly became clear that his talent and charisma couldn't be contained to the small screen(he left "Moonlighting" the following year). John McClane is a bad-ass, but we love him because he's human. He bleeds, he sweats, he's often scared and his wife(Bonnie Bedelia) hates him. Suddenly, Rambo just wasn't that interesting anymore. Alan Rickman should have a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Hans Gruber, the icy, elegant leader of a group of terrorist-robbers holding thirty hostages at the Nakatomi Corporation on Christmas Eve.

   Director John McTiernan, hot off the heels of "Predator", keeps ratcheting up the tension and excitement and works wonders with the claustrophobic setting which gave virtually every action filmmaker a new blueprint to work from. A legend was indeed born, and all he needed to get there was a filthy undershirt and a few well-timed wisecracks, but nobody could have predicted the decades-spanning durability of cinema's newest top cop.

"Die Hard 2: Die Harder"(1990)
He was placed in the under card and stole the show the first time around. Two years later, McClane was the main event as this suitably spectacular sequel roared into the multiplex on the Fourth of July weekend. Renny Harlin replaces John McTiernan(he opted to make "The Hunt for Red October" instead) and he really knew his way around a large scale action sequence in the '90s despite his diminished reputation. It's Christmas Eve(once again) and a band of evil mercenaries led by the ruthless Col Stuart(William Sadler) have seized control of Washington D.C's Dulles Airport. Luckily, John McClane just happens to be hanging out waiting for his wife's plane to arrive. The generous helpings of violence and mayhem prevents viewers from dwelling too much on the implausibility of it all(Bruce stabs a guy in the eye with an icicle!) and there's a nice twist to keep things interesting.

   Even though "DH2" made even more money than the original, the series went on a five-year sabbatical so Willis could abuse his A-list clout in terrible movies and Planet Hollywood openings, but there was little doubt that McClane would ride again.

"Welcome to the A-list, pal. Remember there's no such thing as a bad script".

"Die Hard with a Vengeance"(1995)
After being reinvigorated by "Pulp Fiction", Willis slid very comfortably back into his trademark wife beater for this explosive third entry that wisely lets John McClane play on his home turf- New York City. John McTiernan returned to the director's chair and Willis brought along his "PF" cast mate Samuel L. Jackson who provides plenty of scene-stealing comic relief as a Harlem shopkeeper reluctantly joined at the hip with our hungover hero. The movie starts off with a bang and never lets up for two breathless hours as the duo race around the Big Apple to foil a mad bomber(Jeremy Irons) whose terrorizing the city. But a clever swerve around the halfway point reveals that he's only doing it to distract attention away from his real objective- a massive break-in of the Federal Reserve Bank.

   "DHWAV" blasted it's way into the multiplex in early May and kicked the summer of '95 off right with a box office total of $100 million(the magic number in those days). It would have been a nice trilogy if Tinsel-town execs weren't every bit as greedy as the Gruber brothers.

"Live Free or Die Hard"(2007)
There were always rumors about a fourth installment, but a post-"Sixth Sense" Willis seemed uninterested in revisiting the role that made him a Hollywood heavyweight at the tail end of the Reagan era. However, a string of forgettable flops in the '00s got him to change his mind and sign the dotted line faster than you can say 'Yippee-kai-ay'. We wouldn't get to hear the rest of his iconic catchphrase because this was a PG-13 "Die Hard", and it's ironic that John McClane, now fifty years old and apparently indestructible, is a lot closer to Rambo and the Terminator than the scrappy underdog we first met back in '88. "Underworld" director Len Wiseman made 'Die Hard In Name Only' as this film has often been referred to by disapproving online fans.

   We've got a cyber terrorist plot, Justin Long's hacker sidekick, half-a-dozen absurdly over-the-top action sequences and an extended Kevin Smith cameo. Despite all of this, the box office was healthy, and a fifth film was suddenly on the table. It might have stayed there gathering dust, but then "The Expendables" happened and the last thing an aging action star needs is more encouragement.

"A Good Day to Die Hard"(2013)
Which brings us to the present. I wish I could report that this film brought the franchise back to it's former glory. Unfortunately, that is definitely NOT the case. The return of the R rating doesn't bring back any of that 'Die Hard' flavor, and this outing is every bit as bland and generic as "Live Free". Willis smirks his way through another wildly improbable adventure(at least his old ones were entertaining) as McClane heads to Russia to save his CIA operative son(Jai Courtney). I guess he's James Bond now, too. Some are criticizing this installment for it's relatively brief running time of 1 hour and 37 minutes. I thought it was too long. I snuck into this movie and I still wanted my money back.

   There are a myriad of problems here- we've got another hack script/director(John Moore), we're never given a reason to care about McClane's son or his predicament, we don't know who the villains are, the action is as preposterous as ever and Bruce is going through the motions every step of the way. Let's not allow him to officially pass the torch in a sixth film. I'm wrapping this up now. I think the first one is on Cinemax.