The Terminator (1984). Top Gun (1986). Das Boot (1982). Lethal Weapon (1987). When someone asks to name classic 1980s action movies, most of them involve hypermasculine, bulletproof alpha males with a machine gun in one hand and a love interest in the other. However, one action movie desired to break free of this narrative and provide a truly unique cinematic experience for all to enjoy: Die Hard (1988).

The 1980s in America saw a rise in consumerism virtually unmatched to any decade before it. From the implementation of freeway systems to the exponential increase of shopping malls cropping up across the country, more and more American citizens were drawn out of their homes and into the stores. With this social change, though, came an entirely new wave of materialism.

The “American Dream” concept shifted around this time from possession of honorable values to possession of the latest material goods. As a result of this attitude, the male population as a whole felt a wave of disillusionment with their world. Their success, happiness, and social standing became equated with their paychecks, and many felt disjointed with both their country and their personal identities.

Because of this widespread sentiment, action movies from the 80s became increasingly more intense and death-defying. Hollywood created films full of alpha males and graphic violence in order to counteract the male population’s dissatisfaction with their consumer-driven world, and to help them project their frustrations and desires onto the big screen. This practice resulted in the Shwarzenegger-type characters that are almost completely unaccessible to modern audiences.

However, John McTiernan’s Die Hard broke away from this mold in a way that was both shocking and successful. John McClane is a New York City cop who flies out to California in an attempt to reconnect with his separated wife, Holly Gennaro, on Christmas Eve. However, when he arrives at her office in Nakatomi Plaza, the building is taken over by greedy German terrorists. It is up to McClane and McClane alone to take down the criminals and make it home for Christmas.

In addition to its gripping storyline, Die Hard was quite groundbreaking in its casting. First and foremost, protagonist John McClane is played by Bruce Willis, an actor with little fame at the time and virtually no experience in the movie world. In fact, at this point in his career, Willis was most well-known for his debut on the sitcom, Moonlighting (1985-1989). This background in television–in addition to his non-“muscle man” physique–, Willis offered a new layer of sensitivity and emotion to the role that could not have been achieved by other “alpha male” actors of that time period.

In addition to his more emotional side, Willis also did an excellent job of portraying the “every day man” qualities of McClane. Throughout the film, McClane is shown frequently making mistakes, cracking jokes, and expressing panic when things go wrong. For one, for a majority of the movie, the cop is completely barefoot, as he forgot to put his shoes back on before the attacks ensued. His dialogue is full of snappy one-liners that both diffuse the tensions of the situation and make him a more relatable character overall. This characterization was extremely unique from Die Hard’s predecessors, and the McClane figure inspired many future action heroes to come.

Besides Willis, the cast was full of a wide variety of actors and artists. Hans Gruber, the sinister German villain in charge of the Nakatomi heist, was actually Alan Rickman’s debut film role. Although he was 42 at the time of the movie’s production, Rickman left an impression on the film world that would provide him with a career spanning multiple decades and a wide range of characters.

One of the most striking features of Rickman’s Gruber–besides his eloquent yet harrowing German accent–was his portrayal of “pure” antagonist. There was no tragic backstory, no revenge plot, no hatred of America; just a love of money and a desire for power. This is extremely uncommon in most 80s action films, and still remains an anomaly today.

Additionally, Karl, another one of the German villains attacking the Plaza, was played brilliantly by Alexander Godunov. The blonde-haired terrorist was actually a world-renowned Russian ballet dancer, and his stunt-work shows a level of elegance and poise unparalleled with other films of the decade.

Die Hard also provided another actor with a foundation for a highly successful career in entertainment: Reginald VelJohnson. At age 36, VelJohnson mastered the role of Sgt. Al Powell, the “man on the outside” and buddy cop to Bruce Willis. Powell’s unwavering sense of faith and justice helped shoot VelJohnson to fame, providing him with his own “spin-off” sitcom, Family Matters (1989-1998).

All in all, Die Hard represented a break from the traditional summer Blockbuster narrative. From its sensitive male lead to its diverse cast to its thrilling storyline, every aspect of Die Hard remains both entertaining and revolutionary even 33 years later. The film set precedents in the way that Hollywood viewed action films, and is hailed today as both a classic Christmas movie and an essential piece of 1980s American cinema.