Top 10 Movies That Ripped Off Die Hard

Script written by Nathan Sharp

Top 10 Movies That Ripped Off Die Hard

Man, they’ve really milked this premise for all its worth, haven’t they? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movies That Ripped Off Die Hard.


For this list, we’ll be looking at films that blatantly ripped off the premise of a man forced to fight off a threat in an enclosed location.

#10: “Passenger 57” (1992)

AKA “Die Hard” on a plane! “Passenger 57” stars Wesley Snipes as John Cutter, a man who is forced to defend an airplane from terrorists. Not only is the concept itself a rip-off, but also many of the movie’s plot points “borrow” (and we use that term loosely) from “Die Hard.” Cutter is in the bathroom when the terrorists take over, just like John McClane. An authority figure, in this case Chief Leonard Biggs, stands in the hero’s way for part of the movie. The big bad is an intelligent, articulate man who also happens to fall to his death. We could go on, but we’re pressed for time.

#9: “Sudden Death” (1995)

AKA “Die Hard” in a… hockey arena. Man, they were really desperate. In this movie, action star Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Darren McCord, a fire marshal and security guard at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. While attending Game 7 of the playoffs with his children, McCord realizes that an ex-CIA operative turned terrorist is holding the Vice President hostage in the arena’s luxury suite. It’s Jean-Claude Van Damme. Were you expecting high art? Like “Die Hard,” the arena is wired with explosives, a family member is kidnapped, a standoff between police and terrorists occur, and McCord takes out the bad guys one by one from within.

#8: “Olympus Has Fallen” (2013)

AKA “Die Hard” in the White House! “Olympus Has Fallen” takes many cues from “Die Hard,” including its premise, which sees North Korea assaulting the White House and keeping the President captive in the bunker. Mike Banning and his allies must then take out the terrorists one by one while attempting to save the President. The movie was criticized upon release for its unoriginality, with many critics noting its blatant similarities to “Die Hard” in terms of story and style. And to make matters worse, a movie with basically the exact same premise called “White House Down” was released not three months later.

#7: “Con Air” (1997)

AKA “Die Hard” on a… plane. Again. So, does that make “Con Air” a rip-off of both “Die Hard” AND “Passenger 57!?” “Con Air,” as the rather goofy title suggests, sees violent prisoners overtaking a prison transport aircraft. One man, an honorably discharged Army Ranger and manslaughter convict, tries to foil a prisoner’s plans of flying to a non-extradition country. Throughout the movie, the hero battles and outwits the prisoners while forming a close bond with an authority figure who he attempts to aid throughout the crisis. Unlike “Die Hard,” “Con Air” is extremely over-the-top and bombastic, but it still flies a little too close for our tastes.

#6: “The Raid” (2011)

“The Raid” is an admittedly great martial arts film that sees an elite police squad storming and fighting their way through a high-rise building to reach the crime lord comfortably situated at the top. This premise would be “borrowed” for the “Dredd” remake, although that movie kicked a lot of ass, too. In “The Raid,” the police officers are brutally attacked by the crime lord’s henchmen, and with no outside help, are subsequently trapped in the apartment complex and forced to defend themselves from the violent goons. However, the sheer technicality of the martial arts action allows us to look past its rather unoriginal premise.

#5: “Cliffhanger” (1993)

We didn’t think we would ever say the words “‘Die Hard’ on a mountain,” but “Cliffhanger” sees to that. “Cliffhanger” stars everyone’s favorite action hero, Sylvester Stallone, who stars alongside John Lithgow and Michael Rooker. The story sees Stallone and his allies attempting to stop a former military operative and US Treasury agent from locating lost suitcases full of money. Like “Die Hard,” “Cliffhanger” sees the flawed Gabe taking out the operative’s henchmen one by one and constantly foiling his plans, only in this movie it’s on a freaking mountain rather than a skyscraper.

#4: “The Rock” (1996)

“The Rock” is “Die Hard” on the rock, San Francisco’s famous Alcatraz Island. The story sees rogue Marines storming Alcatraz, taking its tourists hostage, and threatening to blow up the city unless they are paid $100 million. The authorities send in Nicolas Cage’s Stanley Goodspeed and Sean Connery’s John Mason to foil the Marines’ plans. The two then navigate through Alcatraz, taking out men and disarming bombs along the way. While it borrows heavily from “Die Hard,” it nevertheless received positive reviews and is one of the few Michael Bay productions to hold a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

#3: “Air Force One” (1997)

Man, they really milked the “Die Hard on a plane” concept in the ‘90s, didn’t they? “Air Force One” stars the always awesome Harrison Ford as President James Marshall as he fights off terrorists inside his very own presidential aircraft. The movie contains your typical “Die Hard” tropes, such as the good guy wandering around plane while killing bad guys and the good guy making contact and receiving assistance from an outside source, in this case the Vice President. And while it is riddled with clichés, it is still great pulpy entertainment, and one of Harrison Ford’s greatest modern(ish) roles.

#2: “Speed” (1994)

“Die Hard” was such a big hit that many producers wanted to replicate its concept and ingredients for their own success (as we’ve established). The ‘90s seemed to be a bid as to who could offer the most violence, the most fun, and the most cramped conditions. We think “Speed” has them beat in the latter department. “Speed” stars Keanu Reeves as Jack Traven, a SWAT officer who must prevent a city bus from exploding by keeping it over 50 miles per hour. The storyline is certainly original, but it still contains very “Die Hard”-y elements, such as the hero enclosed in a cramped and explosives-riddled location while trading barbs with the villain via radio.

#1: “Under Siege” (1992)

While there were plenty of “Die Hard” imitators throughout the ‘90s, none were as shamelessly blatant about it as Steven Seagal’s “Under Siege.” Seagal stars as a ship cook who is locked in the freezer while a band of commandos storm the ship. Like “Die Hard,” the commandos then keep the hostages in an enclosed location, the hero maintains contact with an outside source while methodically taking out the bad guys, and a helicopter meant to save the day is blown up by the villains in a shocking and dramatic twist. And while “Under Siege” was well received, critics have noted its blatant similarities to “Die Hard” and labelled it “Die Hard on a battleship.”