( CNN ) -- From the `` Twilight '' trilogy to the tearjerkers adapted from Nicholas Sparks novels to nearly every film where Matthew McConaughey takes off his shirt , let 's face it : Most cinematic love stories are made for women . So it may seem strange to release the new `` Die Hard '' installment , `` A Good Day to Die Hard , '' on Valentine 's Day . But for our money , it makes perfect sense . Where `` The Notebook '' is the gold standard for women , the original `` Die Hard '' is the ultimate romantic movie for men . Sound crazy ? Stick with me . The 1988 original stars Bruce Willis as John McClane , a sarcastic New York cop visiting his estranged wife Holly ( Bonnie Bedelia ) and his two children in California . When he arrives at Holly 's office Christmas party , the tension in their relationship is immediately evident . Holly is using her maiden name again and John does n't even plan to stay with his family while he 's in town . There 's no doubt that John loves his wife and wants to rekindle the romance , but he ca n't seem to admit it . But while John proves incapable of communicating his feelings to his wife verbally , an opportunity arises allowing him to prove his devotion to her . Review : Willis goes through the motions in ' A Good Day to Die Hard ' Midway through the party , a team of terrorists led by the stylish Hans Gruber ( a scene-stealing Alan Rickman ) interrupts the event and holds most of the attendees hostage . The quick-thinking John eludes their grasp and eventually begins taking down the bad guys one by one in order to rescue his captured wife . The story 's subtext recognizes the stereotypical , but undeniable fact that many men are n't romantic or open with their emotions . Despite what many rom-coms and dramas suggest , a lot of guys do n't picture themselves courting a woman by blasting a boombox outside a bedroom window , as is done in `` Say Anything . '' ( In fact , that 's probably illegal in most states . ) And forget `` Titanic . '' Guys do n't want to get the girl of their dreams by freezing in the ocean while keeping the one they love afloat on a piece of driftwood . ( That plan does n't actually work long-term , either . ) Men often imagine winning a girl 's affection by proving their worth in a battle against someone or something that threatens their loved one 's life . While many women want the men in their lives to be sensitive like Ryan Gosling 's `` Notebook '' character Noah , guys aspire to be like the renegade John McClane in `` Die Hard . '' John offers a brand of masculinity and strength that men can look up to ( akin to what John Wayne and Clint Eastwood once offered moviegoers ) . John does n't back down and he never gives up . The cold and calculating Hans may mock John for his cowboy mentality , his freewheeling spirit and his assumed affection for masculine film actors of the past ( like Wayne ) . But John does n't care what Hans thinks . John just keeps killing bad guys . While separated from his wife , John shows his love for her by killing terrorists and trying to protect her . Compare that to Gosling 's Noah : When he 's separated from the girl he loves , he writes love letters . How does John send messages in `` Die Hard '' ? He writes notes on the sweatshirts of dead terrorists , and in one scene even throws a dead terrorist out a window to send a message to a passing police officer . That 's how he communicates . The climactic scenes at the end of `` Die Hard '' prove why it 's a perfect Valentine 's Day flick for guys . There is no declaration of love between John and his wife . There is no grand romantic gesture that shows how much he cares for her . As the story concludes , John McClane â€ ” who has been shot , brutalized and cut by hundreds of pieces of glass â€ ” has proven his love for his wife by killing all the terrorists who threatened her . And with that , he gets the girl and they make out in the back seat of a limo . Now that 's love .
Writer argues that `` Die Hard '' is kind of romantic . Bruce Willis ' character loves his wife and wants to rekindle their relationship . He has a lot on his plate, but he doesn't want her to be hurt by the bad guys who are after him.