If you’re a frequent social media user, you’ll likely have seen one of the internet's recurring, annual debates... “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?”
This year, we’re making our stance on the topic clear by selecting the 1988 classic as our festive season Good Vibes movie review. It’s a hill we’re going to be planting our flag on, and we will not be swayed. “…but the primary focus is on action, not Christmas” – if you take that line of thinking then ‘Home Alone’ isn’t either because it’s about a wunderkind stopping two dim-witted idiots from robbing his house. Now that we’ve got that argument out of the way, let us elaborate further…
‘Die Hard’ is packed with plenty of Christmas themes, motifs and music (it opens with Run-DMC’s ‘Christmas in Hollis’, which we’ve stuck in this year’s Christmas Penta Sounds) not to mention the inclusion of the somewhat unhinged words “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-Ho-Ho”. If that doesn’t invoke the festive spirit, we truly don’t know what will.
Just in case you’re a reader that’s never seen ‘Die Hard’ (No judgment here), we’ll roll through a quick plot summary…
Bruce Willis stars as New York City cop John McClane, who visits his estranged wife Holly, on Christmas Eve at her office Christmas party in LA in the hopes of reuniting his family for Christmas (See… Christmas!) But things take a sharp turn when a group of terrorists led by iconic villain Hans Gruber, played by legendary actor Alan Rickman, take over the building and take almost everyone hostage. Outnumbered and armed with little more than his wits (and not even his shoes), McClane must survive against all odds to save the day.
This film sees both Willis and Rickman deliver career-defining performances in their respective roles. Willis portrays McClane with grit, humour, and vulnerability to create one of cinema’s most relatable action heroes, pretty much establishing a new action-hero archetype in the process. Rickman’s Gruber is so suave, sinister, and villainously charming, that he became the gold standard for action movie bad guys. None of this would matter though if it weren’t paired with the directorial skills of John McTiernan, who does an excellent job of creating a sense of suspense and excitement.
Ultimately, at its core, ‘Die Hard’ is more than just an action movie — it’s a story about family, redemption, and overcoming impossible odds. McClane’s desire to reconnect with his wife adds emotional weight, making every victory feel personal. Add to that its festive backdrop and quippy humour, and it’s no wonder ‘Die Hard’ has become a cultural phenomenon and a holiday favourite. Love it or not, it’s impossible to ignore its influence on action cinema.
So, this year we say dig out your best Santa hat and watch the events of Nakatomi Plaza unfold in this Christmas classic, we’ll be doing the same.
Still credits: “Die Hard | The Greatest Christmas Story | 20th Century FOX” uploaded to YouTube by 20th Century Studios
