The debate if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, is an old and long argument, one that’s divided thousands for years. But you’re in luck, your favorite opinionated movie reviewer is here to enlighten, and possibly solve the infamous Die Hard debate.
We should start with defining what makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie. One could say the criterias of a Christmas movie are:
- Takes place during Christmas time
- Has the cheery, happy, warm Christmas feel
- The plot would change if set during a different time
- Loved ones coming together for the holiday
- Associated with Christmas/the holidays in real life
Now if we were to go by this general criteria, Die Hard would check multiple boxes; Die Hard takes place during Christmas, people coming together for the holiday, and is associated with the holidays in real life. But I’d like to argue that checking all five boxes is not a need to make a Christmas movie . To start, there are many movies that are associated with Christmas that feature Christmas very little, The Harry Potter series is a good example of such. There’s very few important holiday scenes in the Harry Potter movies, yet ABC does Harry Potter marathons every December, and many people associate Harry Potter with Christmas.ore examples of movies that are associated with Christmas but aren’t Christmas movies are Gremlins, Babe, and The Chronicles of Narnia.
Another argument that could be made is about the feeling of Christmas movies. Many people consider Die Hard to not be a Christmas movie because of its violent, crude nature and lack of that sweet fuzzy feeling Christmas movies tend to bring. Yet there are many holiday movies that aren’t the happiest, for example: It’s a Wonderful Life, Carol, and Last Christmas. Die Hard checks four out of five of said criterias: takes place during Christmas, the plot would change if it took place during a different time, loved ones get together, and is associated with the holidays in real life.
Before I decided to write this review I had never seen Die Hard, and in complete honesty had no idea what the plot was (trust me I don’t know how I managed that either). I am going into this review, and adding my two cents into the debate, completely unbiased and with fresh eyes. Finally, let’s get into my review of Die Hard (1988). Spoilers ahead.
Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve starting in New York and following a NYPD detective, John McClane who is going to LA to visit his very estranged wife, Holly and their children. As he is arriving at the holiday party Holly is at, for the company Nakatomi Corp which she works for, the building is taken over by German radicals. Let me just say, for the very few things I knew about Die Hard before going into this movie, I was surprised (to say the least) when German radicals posed as terrorists to steal $640 million dollars, was the main conflict, but I digress. The only two in the building that aren’t held hostage are the lead character, John, who was able to slip away and the limo driver, Argyle, who took John to the party and offered to wait in the garage for John, this amazing oblivious man (clearly I have a favorite).
Overall I liked the movie, I found it interesting and has very unique themes for a Christmas movie good 4 out of 5 stars. And when it comes to the amazing “Die Hard Christmas movie or movie that takes place during Christmas” that will probably never have a concise answer, my opinion is fully and undoubtedly… It’s a Christmas movie.
