What makes a Christmas movie? It should be set at Christmas, feature a Christmas party, have family members jetting in with presents, and feature a happy ending. Die Hard has all that. And more. So what's the problem? OK, the movie is violent. People die right left and center. But hey, that's life.
No, in the debate over whether Die Hard is the perfect Christmas movie, we are on the side of John and Holly McClane. Die Hard has it all. Here are 10, count them, 10 reasons why Die Hard is right up there as one of the most perfect Christmas movies ever. It is one of Bruce Willis' best films too.
There Are Lots Of Twinkling Lights
Okay, most of the twinkling comes from the flashing red lights on police cars, but the Christmas party features all the trimmings, from a tree to canapes. It takes place on Christmas Eve, for gosh sakes. John McClane gets into the spirit of things by putting a Santa hat on a dead terrorist.
"Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho," the message reads across the dead guy's shirt. Meanwhile, down at ground level, those lights are flashing and twinkling. What could be more festive?
It's Got Flying Things In The Sky
Little children have visions of Santa in his sleigh, being pulled along by flying reindeer. Remember those FBI helicopters zooming down the airspace? Well, while the obnoxious FBI agent is far from Santa Claus, the thought is still the same.
He's coming to deliver the goods. Ho, ho, ho. The fact he doesn't quite make it is beside the point. It's the thought that counts. And, don't forget, the point of it all. Yes? Just like Santa, the agent is on a mission. Think about it.
Christmas As War
Christmas is supposed to be about happy families getting together. Sure. Anyone who has survived a family Christmas will get this one. A family Christmas can be a pleasant experience, but, as someone said, you choose friends, not family. So, family Christmases can (on occasion) be tense affairs.
Sure, John McClane is battling a group of nasty terrorists and not his nearest and dearest, but the point is identical. Die Hard perfectly captures this vibe. Let's face it, Christmas can be hell. Hallmark was never like this.
It's Got A Festive Christmas Party
New York cop John is flying into Los Angeles in hopes of reconciling with his wife Holly. She's attending a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Building where she works. With his giant teddy in tow, McClane rolls up.
But, wait, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his band of beefy terrorists have burst in and put an end to the festivities. The party's over. Holly and her colleagues are hostages. This is when the action theme takes over. It doesn't make the movie less of a Christmas movie. On the contrary. The trimmings and trappings of Christmas are still all around us.
Friends And Family Gather Around
So inside the building, John McClane is fighting the bad guys, while outside sensible Police Sargent Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) is trying to talk sense into his bumbling superiors. Meanwhile, McClane and Al form a mutual support group via the walkie talkie link.
Al is the adult leadership, cheerleader and no-nonsense buddy to John McClane's action man act. Al is the voice of reason that counters the sometimes macho, the sometimes bull-headed approach of his superiors. It's the perfect Christmas pairing. The two have never met, but recognize one another instantly when McClane emerges from the building. Ah.
Hans IS The Grinch
All through the movie, head honcho terrorist Hans Gruber barely breaks a sweat. He doesn't even loosen his tie. He is the perfect cool, calm and collected villain. The question is do we cast him as the Grinch or Scrooge? We are voting for the Grinch, because Hans, literally, stole Christmas.
Hans is the quintessential bad guy. The moment when he gets his comeuppance is classic. The look on his face as he realizes he is about to take a swan dive off a skyscraper is pure Alan Rickman, full of anger, panic, and fear.
McClane's Wife Is Called Holly
Hint, hint. What more can you do than give McClane's estranged wife such a Christmas-friendly name? As in the holly and the ivy. It's a not so subtle Christmas touch. Never mind the 80s hair and clothing, she embodies the spirit of Christmas.
All through the tension-packed battle, she keeps dropping in loving references to her admittedly difficult husband. When the long-haired blonde terrorist pitches a fit after an encounter with McClane, she drops in that nobody can get to you quite the way McClane can. And she says it with a smile on her face. Holly, you see, means domestic happiness.
Pyrotechnic Displays Abound
We've had flashing lights. And now we have fireworks. It's a celebratory extravaganza of things going boom. Don't quibble. It's just a fact. By the end of the movie, the ground around the office building is awash with things that have gone up in flames.
And when Holly and McClane are approached by an intrusive TV reporter who insists on sticking a microphone in her face, what does Holly do? She flares up and punches the guy in the nose. Final display. Then Holly and John clamber into the battered limo John had taken from the airport.
Triumph Of Good Over Evil
What could capture the spirit of Christmas more than the definitive triumph of good (John and Holly) over evil (Hans and company)? Sergeant Al Powell even gets to finish off the last bad guy standing. What could be more in the spirit of Christmas than the good guys winning?
And John didn't just win. He won hands down against all the odds. It was a kind of miracle, really. One by one, he picked off the bad guys until he prevailed. And in the process, it looked as if he has won back the heart of Holly.
Cue The Christmas Music And A Happy Ending
At the end, when John and Holly climb into the battered limo and ride off, if not into the sunset, then into the future, we get the distinct impression that John and Holly are about to play happy families yet again. And what could be more in the holiday spirit than that?
Ho, ho, and more ho for the McClanes. In fact, the whole movie is awash with Christmas music, especially at the end. And if that doesn't make it a Christmas movie, then what does? Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.