Tough New York cop John McClane finds himself in a tight situation when an office building in Los Angeles is taken over by terrorists. Apart from himself, everyone else in the building - including his wife - is held at gunpoint while their captors spell out their demands. The F.B.I. are called in to survey the situation, but John McClane has other plans for the terrorists...

The scene in which Gruber and McClane meet was inserted in to the script after Alan Rickman (Hans Gruber) was found to be proficient at mimicking American accents. The filmmakers had been looking for a way to have the two characters meet prior to the climax and capitalized on Rickman's talent.

[first lines]


Businessman:
You don't like flying, do you?


John McClane:
What gives you that idea?


Businessman:
You wanna know the secret to surviving air travel? After you get where you're going, take off your shoes and your socks then walk around on the rug bare foot and make fists with your toes.


John McClane:
Fists with your toes?


Businessman:
I know, I know, it sounds crazy. Trust me, I've been doing it for nine years. Yes sir, better than a shower and a hot cup of coffee.


John McClane:
Okay.

[the businessman sees John's gun]


John McClane:
It's okay, I'm a cop. Trust me, I've been doing this for eleven years.

Continuity: The contents of and the ramp leading up to the truck that the terrorists arrive in.

By Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown