Editing Die Hard (section)

==Legacy==
=== Influence on the film industry ===
[[File:Foxstudiosentrance.jpg|thumb|alt=Entrance to the studio lot of 20th Century Fox in Century City, California | The entrance of the Fox Studio Lot in [[Century City]], where a giant mural of John McClane crawling through a vent was erected as part of the film's 25th-anniversary celebration in 2013]]
Before ''Die Hard''{{'}}s release, Hollywood action films often starred muscle-bound men like Schwarzenegger and Stallone, who portrayed invincible, infallible, catchphrase-spouting heroes in unrealistic settings. Willis's portrayal of John McClane redefined the action genre, presenting a normal person with an average physique completely counter to that archetype. He is failing, both personally and professionally, and serves as a vulnerable, identifiable hero who openly sobs, admits his fear of death, and sustains lasting damage. Importantly, his one-liners do not come from a place of superiority over his foes, but as a nervous reaction to the extreme situation in which he finds himself, which he is only able to overcome through enduring suffering and using his own initiative.<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="EmpireRetro"/><ref name="AVNovel"/><ref name="AVClubRetro"/>

Similarly, Rickman's portrayal of Gruber redefined action villains who had previously been bland figures or eccentric madmen. Gruber ushered in the clever nemesis; he is an educated, intelligent villain, who serves as the antithesis of the hero.<ref name="EmpireRetro"/> He has been referred to as one of the most iconic villains in the genre.<ref name="AVClubRetro"/> ''Empire'' magazine called Gruber one of the finest villains since [[Darth Vader]]. Rickman described the role as a "huge event" in his life.<ref name="EmpireRetro"/> Though other more typical 1980s-style action films were released, the genre gradually shifted to a focus on smaller, more confined settings, everyman heroes, and charming villains with competent plans.<ref name="AVClubRetro"/>

''Die Hard'' raised Willis from television stardom to worldwide recognition and brought fame to Rickman.<ref name=Independent1/> Willis's salary was seen as the peak of the 1980s bidding wars between new and old managers vying for jobs. ''The New York Times'' described it as the salary equivalent of an "earthquake" and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM/UA]] chairman [[Alan Ladd Jr.]] said that it threw "the business out of whack ... like everybody else in town, I was stunned." It was seen as the most substantial change to salaries since Dustin Hoffman was paid $5.5{{nbsp}}million to star in ''[[Tootsie]]'' (1982) at a time when top salaries ranged from $2{{nbsp}}million–$3{{nbsp}}million. It was expected that salaries for major stars would increase significantly to ensure they were paid more than a newer star like Willis.<ref name="NYTimesSalaryAftermath"/><ref name="LATimesSalaryAftermath"/> McTiernan transitioned his success into directing an adaptation of one of his favorite novels, ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]'' (1990).<ref name="NYTimesMcTiernan"/> VelJohnson's performance resulted in his casting in the 1989–1998 sitcom ''[[Family Matters]]''.<ref name="SlashFilmVelJohnson"/>

===Cultural influence===
In 2017, ''Die Hard'' was selected by the United States [[Library of Congress]] to be preserved in the [[National Film Registry]] for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref name="NationalFilmRegistry"/><ref name="LOC"/> In July 2007, Bruce Willis donated the undershirt worn in the film to the [[National Museum of American History]] at the [[Smithsonian Institution]].<ref name="Smithsonian"/> The blood and sweat-stained shirt is considered iconic, an emblem of McClane's difference from archetypal, invincible heroes.<ref name=Independent1/> Fox Plaza has become a popular tourist attraction, although the building itself cannot be toured.<ref name="Gizmodo"/> A floor used for filming became Ronald Reagan's office. When his head of staff toured the under-construction area, it was littered with broken glass and cartridge cases.<ref name="THRReagan"/> A giant mural depicting McClane's crawl through a Nakatomi Plaza vent was erected at the Fox Studio lot in Century City to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary in 2013.<ref name="USATOdayPopCulture"/>

One of the most influential films of the 1980s, ''Die Hard'' served as the blueprint for action films that came after, especially throughout the 1990s.<ref name="TheGuardianThemes"/> The term "''Die Hard'' on/in a..." has become shorthand to describe a lone, everyman hero who must overcome an overwhelming opposing force in a relatively small and confined location.<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="TheGuardianThemes"/> Examples include: ''[[Under Siege]]'' (1992, "''Die Hard'' on a battleship"); ''[[Cliffhanger (film)|Cliffhanger]]'' (1993, "''Die Hard'' on a mountain"); ''[[Speed (1994 film)|Speed]]'' (1994, "''Die Hard'' on a bus"); and ''[[Con Air]]'' or ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'' (1997, "''Die Hard'' on a plane").<ref name=Independent1/><ref name="TheGuardianThemes"/><ref name="AVClubRetro"/> Willis himself recalled being pitched a film that was "''Die Hard'' in a skyscraper". He said he was sure it had already been done.<ref name=Independent1/> It was not until the 1996 action-thriller film ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]]'' ("''Die Hard'' on [[Alcatraz Island]]"), that the tone of action films changed significantly, and the increasing use of CGI effects allowed films to move beyond the limitations of real locations and practical stunts. Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2018, Scott Tobias observed that none of these later films readily captured the complete effectiveness of the ''Die Hard'' story.<ref name="TheGuardianThemes"/>

The film has been a source of inspiration for filmmakers including: [[Lexi Alexander]], [[Darren Aronofsky]], [[Brad Bird]], [[Joe Carnahan]], [[Gareth Evans (director)|Gareth Evans]], [[Barry Jenkins]], [[Joe Lynch (director)|Joe Lynch]], [[Paul Scheer]], [[Brian Taylor (filmmaker)|Brian Taylor]], [[Dan Trachtenberg]], [[Colin Trevorrow]], and [[Paul W. S. Anderson]].<ref name="SlashFilmDirectors"/><ref name="BarryJenkins"/><ref name="RollingStoneBird"/> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it was among the action films director [[James Gunn]] recommended people watch.<ref name="IGNGunn"/> The film's popularity has seen it referenced across a wide variety of media, including TV shows, films; video games; music; and novels. It has even been referenced in media targeted at children.<ref name="USATOdayPopCulture"/><ref name="PopCultureNovels"/> Willis cameos as McClane in the 1993 parody film ''[[Loaded Weapon 1]]''.<ref name="VarietyLoaded"/>

There has been much debate over whether ''Die Hard'' is a [[Christmas film]]. Those in favor argue that the Christmas setting is sufficient to qualify it as a Christmas film. Those opposed argue that it is an action film whose events happen to take place at Christmas.<ref name="BBC3Xmas"/><ref name="CBCChristmas"/> A 2017 [[YouGov]] poll of over 5,000 British citizens determined that only 31% believed that ''Die Hard'' is a Christmas film; those who did skewed under the age of 24, while those opposed were mainly over 50.<ref name="YouGovPoll"/><ref name="YouGovIndependent"/> A similar 2018 [[Morning Consult]] poll of 2,200 American citizens determined that only 25% supported its status as a Christmas film. Those aged between 30 and 44, who were young during the peak of the film's popularity, were most in favor.<ref name="MorningCall"/> De Souza and Stuart support it being a Christmas film, while Willis feels it is not.<ref name="CastNewman"/><ref name="IndependentXmas"/><ref name="EWXmas"/><ref name="WaPoXmas"/> On the film's 30th anniversary in 2018, 20th Century Fox stated that it was "the greatest Christmas story ever told", releasing a re-edited ''Die Hard'' trailer that portrays it as a traditional Christmas film. According to De Souza, Silver predicted the film would be played at [[Christmas and holiday season|Christmastime]] for years.<ref name="WaPoXmas"/><ref name="RadioTimesXmas"/><ref name="ObserverXmas"/>

===Critical reassessment===
''Die Hard'' is now considered one of the greatest action films ever made.<ref name="Empire500"/><ref name="IGNTopACtion"/><ref name="EWTopAction"/> On the film's 30th-anniversary in 2018, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote that ''Die Hard'' was easily one of the most influential films in the action genre, whose influence could still be seen in contemporary films.<ref name="THR2018Retrospective"/> ''The Guardian'' and the [[British Film Institute]] regard it as the "quintessential" American action film, the latter calling it one of the ten greatest action films of all time.<ref name="ActionBFI"/><ref name="TheGuardianThemes"/> ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' labeled it a staple of the action genre, that launched a "classic" franchise.<ref name="DeadlineClassic"/> Writing for ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', K. Austin Collins said that despite the number of times he had viewed the film, it remained a persistently satisfying and well-crafted piece.<ref name="VanityFairat30"/> It is listed in the 2003 film reference book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]'', which says that the film "...effectively redefines the action movie as one-man-army."{{sfn|Schneider|2013}}

A retrospective review by ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' said that Willis's everyman persona is key to the film's success.<ref name="AVClubRetro"/> Rickman said he believed it had continued to find fans decades after its release because it was delivered with wit and style.<ref name=Independent1/> Contemporary review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] offers a {{RT data|score}} approval rating from the aggregated reviews of {{RT data|count}} critics, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The consensus reads, "Its many imitators (and sequels) have never come close to matching the taut thrills of the definitive holiday action classic."<ref name="RottenTomatoes"/> The film also has a score of 72 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]] based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref name="Metacritic"/> Readers of ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it the number ten action film of all time in a 2015 poll,<ref name="ReaderVoteRollingStone"/> while ''Empire'' readers voted it number 20 in 2017.<ref name="ReadersEmpire"/>

In 2001, the [[American Film Institute]] (AFI) ranked ''Die Hard'' number 39 on its [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills|100 Years... 100 Thrills]] list recognizing the most "heart-pounding" films.<ref name="AFI100Thrills"/> In 2008, ''Empire'' ranked it number 29 on its list of the 500 Greatest Movies of all Time.<ref name="Empire500"/> In 2014, ''The Hollywood Reporter''{{'}}s entertainment industry-voted ranking named it the eighty-third-best film of all time.<ref name="THRJun14"/> The film's characters have also been recognized. In 2003, the AFI ranked Hans Gruber number 46 on its [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains]] list.<ref name="AFI100HeroesVill"/> In 2006, ''Empire'' ranked McClane number 12 on its list of its '100 Greatest Movie Characters'; Gruber followed at number 17.<ref name="LegacyEmpire"/><ref name="Empire100McClane"/>

Several publications have listed it as one of the greatest action films of all time, including: number one by ''Empire'',<ref name="EmpireBestAction2016"/> ''[[IGN]]''<ref name="IGNTopACtion"/> and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'';<ref name="EWTopAction"/> number 10 by ''[[Time Out New York]]'';<ref name="ActionTimeOut"/> number 14 by ''The Guardian'';<ref name="ActionGuardian"/> number 18 by ''[[Men's Health]]''<ref name="ActionMensHealth"/> and unranked by ''[[Complex Networks|Complex]]'',<ref name="ActionComplex"/> ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]''<ref name="ActionEsquire"/> and ''[[Evening Standard]]''.<ref name="ActionStandard"/> Adding to the debate over ''Die Hard''{{'}}s status as a Christmas film, it has appeared on several lists of the top holiday films, including at number one by ''Empire''<ref name="LegacyEmpireXmas"/> and ''[[San Francisco Gate]]'',<ref name="LegacySFGate"/> number four by ''Entertainment Weekly''<ref name="LegacyEW"/> and ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'',<ref name="LegacyTHR"/> number five by [[Digital Spy]],<ref name="LegacyDigitalSpy"/> and number eight in a ''[[Radio Times]]'' readers' poll.<ref name="LegacyGuardian"/>