Hall of Fame: Hans & Simon Gruber
For many people the holiday season is all about spending time with your family. Whether that is spending Christmas drinking eggnog, exchanging gifts during Hanukkah, or robbing millions of dollars from a federal reserve, we all celebrate in our own ways. For the Gruber brothers, they aren’t always on Santa’s “nice list”, but they have shown that their brotherly bond has taken them different routes but has brought them both headlong into the illustrious BPA Hall of Fame.
What should have been an easy operation on Christmas Eve in the Nakatomi Plaza ended up being the last night of Hans Gruber’s life. Despite having a vast knowledge of high-end suits, and a classical education, Hans Gruber still didn’t stand a chance against a guy with a gun and a hero complex. Hans and his crew of thieves had a well-thought out plan until they ran into what can only be described as one of the most stubborn characters in movie history. What makes Hans Gruber such an amazing villain, though? I think it’s the fact that he is so much different than our hero and while his plan has to change several times, he never turns into the kind of villain that cracks. Dealing with John McClane is something that we’ve learned takes a great amount of patience. Just look at the way he deals with his friends. Now think about how he deal with his enemies….
Hubris can be a hell of a thing. It’s the reason that Simon Gruber doesn’t succeed in Die Hard: With a Vengeance. We learn that Simon Gruber was just some “obscure East German Colonel” but during the film he’s working with some pretty heavy hitters. They take aim at the Federal Reserve in NYC and it’s only dumb luck that Simon also gets the chance to torture his brother’s killer, John McClane, at the same time. If you go back and watch the third film in the Die Hard series, you’ll find that the planning that goes on during the film is a massive waste of time for Simon and his crew. What would have happened had John never completed the first riddle? I guess he would have just wasted loads of time setting up all those other clues.
In the end, Simon and Hans, before him, fail to accomplish their missions because John McClane just wouldn’t die and they weren’t the type of people to just put a gun to his head and pull the trigger. You see, the problem with the Gruber brothers was that deep down, they wanted the attention as much as the loot. When it came time to face John McClane mano a mano, the brothers ran into the ultimate foil because McClane was their antithesis in that he just didn’t give a shit if he died. Reluctant hero? Naw, McClane couldn’t help himself. He needed the struggle to feel alive.
More than anyone, maybe John should call up Hans and Simon and congratulate them on their induction into the Bulletproof Action Hall of Fame. Welcome to the party pals!
