Film directors often stay in the shadows of the movies they direct and the actors who play with them. Unless they create a truly iconic film, but even then, many people know the film, but not the name of the person who directed it. John McTiernan may sound like an unfamiliar name until one takes a look at his filmography and discovers how much work he has made over the years.
Born in 1951, John McTiernan has been directing films since the mid-80s and he continues to work on new movies. He took a long break, with his last film made in 2003, but he's working on a new one these days. And he's created several films that have become staples of the action genre. Not all of his films got high ratings, though.
11 Rollerball (2002): 3 %
Remakes don't often have the same quality as the original films. Rollerball has a spectacularly low rating not just with the critics, but also with the audience (14 %). Its hero, Jonathan (Chris Klein), plays rollerball alongside his teammates, despite the danger the sport poses. It becomes even more dangerous when the sport's creator Petrovich (Jean Reno) realizes that when accidents happen during rollerball, it brings in higher ratings.
10 Medicine Man (1992): 19 %
The late Sean Connery did a lot of legendary movies... and some easily forgettable. Medicine Man belongs into the second category, with audience ratings below-average 46 %. Connery played a research scientist Richard Campbell who might have discovered a cure for cancer. The only problem is Campbell lives in the Amazon jungle and is somewhat eccentric. Dr. Rae Crane (Lorraine Bracco) has the task to check up on Campbell since they both work for the same pharmaceutical company. But Campbell isn't very excited about her presence, at least not at first.
9 Basic (2003): 21 %
Despite the good actors the film stars, Basic turned out to be surprisingly... basic. At least according to the critics. The audience liked the film better and gave it a rating of 63 %. An experienced investigator Tom Hardy (not the actor), played by John Travolta, investigates what happened during a special operations training mission in Panama.
Several soldiers died and their leader, sergeant Nathan West (Samuel L. Jackson), went missing. The problem is all surviving witnesses offer a different story of what exactly went wrong.
8 Nomads (1986): 30 %
Nomads are one of John McTiernan's oldest films. What makes it different is that McTiernan also wrote the script for the movie. Unfortunately, the audience gave it only 37 % and didn't seem to like it very much. The film focuses on a French anthropologist Jean Charles Pommier (Pierce Brosnan). An evil spirit haunts Jean Charles and it later inhabits the body of doctor Flax (Lesley-Anne Down) who treats the main hero. Some of the viewers considered the film bizarre and said its plot was too convoluted.
7 The 13th Warrior (1999): 33 %
Funnily enough, the audience liked this film twice as much as the critics - as they gave it 66 %! As the film's title suggests, The 13th Warrior is an action movie. Antonio Banderas plays a Muslim ambassador who joins the Vikings. Together, they end up facing an unexpected threat. The film draws inspiration from Michael Crichton's book, and Crichton's work inspired countless other movies, such as the iconic Jurassic Park (1993). The critics appreciated this movie's battle sequences but weren't so thrilled about the story itself.
6 Last Action Hero (1993): 38 %
The Last Action Hero offers an interesting premise but the film charmed neither the critics nor the audience (47 %). A young boy Danny watches a lot of action movies after his dad had died. He likes films about the indestructible cop Jack Slater (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Danny gets a magical ticket and he enters Slater's world. Unfortunately, its villain Benedict (Charles Dance) gets the ticket, runs into the real world, and Danny and Slater have to stop him. The film is a lot of fun and the actors do a great job but children will most likely appreciate it more than adults.
5 Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995): 59 %
Sequels of well-established series aren't usually as good as the first films in the series. That's also the case of this film which is a third part of the popular action franchise. Detective John McClane's (Bruce Willis) life has changed. He's now divorced, drinks too much, and has no job.
However, he has to get back in the game when a terrorist (Jeremy Irons) takes a hostage. The terrorist wants to deal only with McClane, no-one else. Just like Basic, this film also stars Samuel L. Jackson and all the main actors did an amazing job. The audience appreciated the film and gave it 83 %.
4 The Thomas Crown Affair (1999): 70 %
Unlike previous John McTiernan's remake Rollerball, both the critics and the audience (77 %) enjoyed this film. Bored billionaire Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) decides to steal a Monet painting from a museum. Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) investigates what happened, and she and Thomas form a complicated relationship. Brosnan and Russo form an unforgettable duo, the film swiftly flows forward and it's amusing.
3 Predator (1987): 81 %
There is a noticeable pattern in John McTiernan's work. He worked with multiple actors at least two times, but only one of the two films became well-known. Predator is a sci-fi action classic. A dangerous alien hunts a group of men in the forest. He's stronger than them, vicious, and can turn almost invisible. Arnold Schwarzenegger has portrayed another iconic action hero thanks to his Duch. The film had multiple sequels but many viewers consider the first film the best. The audience gave it an impressive rating of 87 %.
2 The Hunt For Red October (1990): 89 %
Sean Connery and John McTiernan worked together more than once. This is the better film they made together. The critics and audience almost agreed on its rating, as the latter group gave the film 88 %. The film is based on a popular novel by Tom Clancy. Sean Connery plays a Soviet submarine captain Ramius who abandons his orders and goes to the United States. As the CIA notices the submarine, its agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) has to find out what Ramius truly wants. The film has it all - intriguing story, fleshed-out characters, and captivating performances from its actors.
1 Die Hard (1988): 94 %
Die Hard is John McTiernan's best-rated film - and for a good reason. This intelligent Christmas action thriller became one of the classics. To this day, many directors draw inspiration from it. Both the critics and the audience gave it the same score, 94 %. The story is famous enough, but just in case. It's about a policeman John McClane who attends a Christmas party in a skyscraper to see his estranged wife and daughters. When a group of dangerous terrorists and their leader (Alan Rickman) overtake the skyscraper, McClane decides to do something about it. Both Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman gave legendary performances, and this film catapulted Rickman to stardom.