Meeting his ex-wife at her new workplace the Nakatomi Plaza, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies to Los Angeles. But while he waits for Holly to get out of the company's christmas party, the entire building is stormed by European hightech-terrorists led by the impecably dressed Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). Outgunned, outnumbered and out of cigarettes, will McClane save the day? And will there be snow on Christmas morning?