1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Die Hard

#821- Die Hard (1988)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
Directed by: Jon McTiernan


Plot Summary: New York City Police officer John McClane is traveling to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly. John shows up to the Nakatomi Plaza for Holly's company Christmas Party. The party is interrupted when a group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber, invades and takes the guests hostage. It is now up to John, who managed to slip away in the chaos, to use his cop skills to stop the terrorists' plan and rescue Holly and the rest of the hostages.


When I'm asked what one of my favorite Christmas movies is, I casually reply with Die Hard. Then after the person starts laughing, I say "I'm serious." For years now, I have encountered many friends and family members who disagree with me and even laugh at the idea that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. To which I reply, "Why can't it be?" Actually, many people do bust this film out during the holidays and it is starting to grow and be recognized as a Christmas film, yet those scoffers I know still can't understand why it qualifies. Since I have a blog, and I know they'll be reading (HA-HA!), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to fully express my thoughts on why Die Hard is one of my favorite Christmas movies and, more importantly, how it counts as one.

The best part of the film is easily John McClane, played by Bruce Willis. The audience can empathize with John from the beginning, knowing all he wants to do is reunite with his wife Holly, played by Bonnie Bedelia, and their children. Once the action starts, the audience is surprised by the kind of punch this character packs. His dirty cop-like attitude allows him to be hostile and hilarious when dealing with the group of terrorists.  His one-liners are what I love most about John McClane. You can't think about Die Hard, John McClane or Bruce Willis without thinking of Yippee Ki Yay... (you know what he says), or any other of his classic one liners that help make McClane and Willis the cool and funny hero you love to root for.

Alan Rickman plays Hans Gruber and he does a fantastic job of playing the leader of the terrorist group. Being a fan of the Harry Potter films (hmmm, I made a reference to those last time as well), I love seeing Rickman in other roles and Hans is arguably his most beloved. Hans is portrayed with a large amount of dignity and intelligence, rarely losing his cool when John starts ruining his plans. Hans may not be the largest or toughest villain in film history, but he may be one of the smartest. Hans is a massive threat and memorable villain because he is a criminal mastermind with a calm demeanor and presentable appearance, but is loaded with various resources, including explosives, machine guns and a dozen terrorists, to help him in his war with John McClane. 

Die Hard is definitely my favorite action film because of its famous action sequences. The action is the right blend of over the top explosions in situations the audience can understand. Set in one building for most of the film, every action scene takes place under one roof, limiting opportunities for larger explosions, but giving a tighter environment for the action to look and feel larger than life. Whether John is climbing through air vents, running across broken glass, constantly shooting at terrorists, or jumping off roofs, the action in Die Hard is nonstop and leaves the audience with the ultimate shot of adrenaline.

When you really think about it, what defines a Christmas film? Think about all your favorite Christmas movies and realize that Home Alone did not need to be set during Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life only takes place during Christmas for the last half, and A Christmas Story could have been told the same if Ralphie was looking for the ultimate BIRTHDAY present. So why can't Die Hard be a Christmas film? It's set during Christmas, in California without snowfall (being a Californian for most of my life, it's an easy Christmas environment to relate to) and helps add a late '80s flavor to the holiday season. I think it deserves to be looked at as an alternative to the traditional Christmas film because there is a theme of family and hope that is present in the film, you just have to look passed the bullets and explosions to see it.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Die Hard is not only one of the greatest action films of all time, but should also be considered one of the best Christmas films ever made. I strongly suggest anyone who hasn't seen the film to check it out during this holiday season, and any fans of action films should definitely own this in their DVD collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Die Hard and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox