Hans Gruber, an ex-member of a radical West German movement called the Volksfry, is the leader of a group of ruthless psychopaths intent on stealing $640 million in bearer bonds from the Nakatomi Corp. in Los Angeles. Using a courier truck, they gain access to the building and 2 other men let them in after murdering the security guard at the desk. The other men cut off escape routes by locking off elevators, cutting telephone lines, and sealing the parkade doors! Gruber & the others storm into the company's Christmas party and round up hostages, but they are unaware that NYPD officer John McClane - husband of one of Nakatomi's executives - is in the building & has escaped detection by going up the fire stairs. Hans savagely murders senior executive Joseph Takagi after Takagi tells them he does not have the codes to unlock the vault holding the bonds, and they are forced to start drilling into the vault. Officer McClane starts killing terrorists as he encounters them 1 at a time, and Hans becomes more and more frustrated as his plan slowly unravels. It isn't too long until the L.A.P.D. arrives, and the terrorists open fire on the police car which brings out several hundred officers. When Hans discovers McClane has the detonators, which will make things even worse for him, he kills another Nakatomi executive - a man named Ellis. McClane is undaunted, and eventually catches Hans on the roof, inspecting explosives rigged by other terrorists before they were killed. Hans delays him long enough that 3 other terrorists ambush McClane, who gets away, killing 2 of them in the process. The enraged Hans sends his savage henchman, Karl, after McClane, but McClane overpowers him after a violent fistfight and warns the hostages off the roof before Hans can blow it up. When Hans finds out Holly is McClane's wife, he kidnaps her & takes her with him to the vault, which is open by now. McClane escapes the exploding roof after getting the hostages off, and confronts Hans in the vault. But Hans holds a gun to Holly's head, and McClane fakes a surrender. Unseen to Hans, a .45 semiautomatic is taped to McClane's back, and McClane draws it & fires a round into Hans' chest as Holly elbows Hans in the stomach, then moves out of the line of fire. McClane kills a second terrorist with a head shot as Hans falls out the window. In desperation, Hans raises his gun & points it at John, while clinging to Holly's hand. McClane, however, forces Hans to lose his grip, and Hans falls to his death from the 30th floor. Has 1 brother Simon.
Hans Gruber, an ex-member of a radical West German movement called the Volksfry, is the leader of a group of ruthless psychopaths intent on stealing $640 million in bearer bonds from the Nakatomi Corp. in Los Angeles. Using a courier truck, they g...