Die Hard was a highly successful film. Released wide on July 22, 1988, and despite competing with the likes of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Coming to America, it managed to spend ten weeks inside the box office top five. It became the tenth-highest grossing film of 1988 worldwide, grossing approximately $140 million (about $315 million today).
Its success spawned an entire subgenre of action films, typically referred to as "Die Hard on a...". These were mostly terrible affairs, as studios rushed together subpar films to make a quick buck. But some of them were actually very good, offering the Die Hard formula in various unique places. These are ten Die Hard ripoffs (that are actually pretty good).
Under Siege (1992)
Under Siege is Die Hard on a boat starring Steven Seagal. Seagal stars as a former Navy SEAL named Casey Ryback who must battle a group of dangerous mercenaries on a battleship.
Seagal is typically remembered for his cheesy action movies, but Under Siege remains one of his best - and one well worth watching and enjoying sincerely. In fact, it was this movie that inspired Harrison Ford to approve director Andrew Davis for The Fugitive.
Cliffhanger (1993)
"Die Hard On A Mountain" sounds positively outrageous. And it is. But it's also very entertaining. There's a lot of talent behind Cliffhanger, including star Sylvester Stallone and director Renny Harlin (who, perhaps not coincidentally, directed Die Hard 2).
It's a very well made and well produced movie - so much so that it was actually nominated for three technical Academy Awards and is credited for reviving Stallone's post-Rocky career. Unfortunately, it competed against Jurassic Park at the box office.
Sudden Death (1995)
Jean-Claude Van Damme is another one of those actors who, like Steven Seagal, is more popular and well known than the actual movies he stars in. However, Sudden Death is one of his better ones, even though it's one of the most blatant ripoffs of Die Hard featured here.
It too revolves around fighting terrorists holding people hostage, but instead of an office building it's a stadium. Instead of a cop, Sudden Death stars a fireman. Still, the action set pieces are fantastic, especially the one where Van Damme beats up a mascot.
The Rock (1996)
In a few words, The Rock is "Die Hard On Alcatraz" (or "Die Hard In A Prison" to some), and it is every bit as thrilling as that sounds. It is arguably Michael Bay's finest movie, as it forgoes his typical bombastic jingoistic spectacle in favor of a more grounded and nuanced story that can double as a critique on political and military matters.
It boasts a thrilling cast (including Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery) and a unique setting, and Ed Harris's General Frank Hummel remains one of the greatest and most sympathetic villains in movie history.
Executive Decision (1996)
Executive Decision is Die Hard on a plane, and like The Rock, it gets by on a stellar cast. The movie stars the likes of Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, and John Leguizamo, and it concerns terrorists aboard a 747 flying from Athens to Washington.
Like Sudden Death, Executive Decision gets by on its thrilling action set pieces, as it's a terrifically made, well-paced, and gloriously exciting piece of entertainment.
Air Force One (1997)
Let's be honest: Air Force One is absolutely ludicrous, but sometimes viewer want a little ludicrous with their films. It stars Harrison Ford as President James Marshall, who must battle terrorists aboard the presidential airplane Air Force One.
Gary Oldman plays bad guy Egor Korshunov, a terrorist with reservations about the collapse of the Soviet Union. It's pure escapism, led by a terrific cast and some wonderfully tense action sequences.
Con Air (1997)
1997 was clearly the year for "Die Hard On A Plane" movies. Air Force One was released on July 25, and Con Air was released nearly two months earlier on June 6.
It's reminiscent of the one-two Armageddon-Deep Impact punch of the following year, but unlike that case, both of these movies are actually good. Con Air is another Nicolas Cage-led winner, produced by action movie guru Jerry Bruckheimer. Viewers can't go wrong with a talented cast of this magnitude.
White House Down (2013)
Speaking of one-two punches, 2013 saw its own iteration in the White House-terrorist-themed action films White House Down and Olympus Has Fallen. Both are essentially just "Die Hard In The White House," but White House Down was both more popular and better received compared to its grittier and more violent counterpart.
While the story is undoubtedly derivative, the movie gets by thanks to the chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx and the thrilling action sequences.
Snakes On A Plane (2006)
Snakes on a Plane is fully aware of how goofy it is and by leaning into its own ridiculousness, it comes out all the better. The movie stars Samuel l. Jackson (who also starred in Die Hard with a Vengeance) as FBI agent Neville Flynn, who must protect the riders of an airplane against a host of deadly snakes.
The movie has its tongue planted firmly within its own cheek, offering up just as many laughs as it does thrills and chills. At one point, the movie was set to be retitled into the more serious-sounding Pacific Air Flight 121 but Jackson (who immediately signed on after only reading the movie's title) threatened to walk out if this was done.
Speed (1994)
Perhaps the greatest Die Hard ripoff of all time is Speed, starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. No one would have thought that "Die Hard On A Bus" could ever work, but Speed managed to pull it off with remarkable skill.
The cast is remarkable (including a wonderful turn from Dennis Hopper as the villain), and director Jan de Bont proved a natural behind the camera. He would later go on to direct Twister, another classic action-adventure of the 1990s.