Olympus Has Fallen and 5 other obvious Die Hard knockoffs

Today's biggest new release is Olympus Has Fallen, an action flick that follows tough-as-nails secret service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) as he goes up against a group of terrorists who have kidnapped the president. And let's face it: If the producers were really honest, they'd have called the movie Die Hard in the White House.

Since Die Hard achieved massive critical and commercial success in 1988, many films have mimicked its basic structure. Indeed, "Die Hard on a ________" has become a trope unto itself, resulting in some Die Hard-sized successes (1994's "Die Hard on a bus," better known as Speed) and some massive failures (1997's "Die Hard on a boat," better known as Speed 2: Cruise Control). Here, five rather ridiculous examples of "Die Hard on a ________" movies:

1. Cliffhanger (Die Hard on a mountain)

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

While climbing a mountain, tough-as-nails ranger Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone) goes up against a group of thieves who plan to steal $100 million in uncirculated American dollars from the U.S. Treasury Department.

2. Sudden Death (Die Hard at the Stanley Cup)

While attending the Stanley Cup, tough-as-nails firefighter Darren McCord (Jean-Claude Van Damme) goes up against a group of thieves who have kidnapped the vice president as part of a plan to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.

3. Air Force One (Die Hard on Air Force One)

While flying from Russia to the United States, tough-as-nails U.S. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) goes up against a group of terrorists who have hijacked his plane as part of a plan to negotiate the release of a terrorist leader.

4. Lockout (Die Hard in a space jail)

After being sent to space jail for a crime he didn't commit, tough-as-nails CIA agent Marion Snow (Guy Pearce) goes up against his fellow space prisoners, who have kidnapped the visiting president's daughter as part of a plan to escape.

5. And coming soon: White House Down (Die Hard in the White House — again)

While working in the White House, tough-as-nails secret service agent John Cale (Channing Tatum) goes up against a group of mercenaries who have kidnapped the president as part of a plan to steal hundreds of millions of dollars, probably.