Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard (1988) defines the modern action genre with the most imitated formula: a relatable everyman trapped against overwhelming odds. Grossing $140 million worldwide on a $28 million budget, it launched a franchise totaling $1.4 billion. Empire magazine ranked it the greatest action film of all time in 2014, outperforming #2 Mad Max: Fury Road. Its blueprint—star Bruce Willis as John McClane versus Alan Rickman's sophisticated Hans Gruber—became the defining template for 1990s action cinema, faster than the average action film of its era with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score.