12 Reasons why 'DIE HARD' is the ULTIMATE Christmas movie
Updated: Nov 19, 2020
Yippe ki yay! It's that time of year. My favorite time of year. It's that time where I relentlessly school people on why DIE HARD is the ultimate Christmas movie, albeit a Rated-R one.
There are 2 types of people in this world:
Those who think DIE HARD is a Christmas movie - and those who are wrong.
Bruce Willis, despite being one of my favorite actors and an icon of snappy action flick one liners, is just simply wrong.
1. It takes place on Christmas Eve during a Christmas party.
2. Christmas music and Jingle bells (actual jingling bells) can be heard all throughout the movie.
3. There are multiple decorated Christmas trees (at the party, at the 911 Ops center, at the McClane home, the front of the building), Christmas lights and decorations throughout the movie.
4. “Now I have a machine gun HO HO HO.” Is visible on a shirt while wearing a Santa hat.
5. There are references to Santa Clause (Reginald is the jolly fat man buying twinkies; McClane climbs into the elevator shaft i.e. Santa climbing down the chimney) and there is an ACTUAL Santa Clause in a supply closet.
6. There is travel and issues with travel (countless Christmas movies center around travel woes while trying to get “home for the holidays”).
In fact, the whole movie premise is when John McClane travels to be with his family for Christmas and does all he can to stay alive to get back to his family.
7. There is a Christmas miracle (when they open the vault). "It's Christmas, Theo. It's the time of miracles. So be of good cheer and call me when you hit the last lock." The hallelujah chorus song is played as a miracle is revealed.
8. A marriage is restored and brotherly love formed through the Christmas spirit.
9. Christmas joy and spirit are constantly being spread, even as Holly tells Ellis: “it’s Christmas eve. A time for families, stocking, chestnuts, Rudolph and Frosty.” Holly then tells her assistant to go to the party because she is making her feel like Scrooge.
10. McClane has a giant bear with a bow on it in the beginning; it is clearly a Christmas gift.
He is literally a Santa Clause.
11. There is a pregnant woman (can anyone say "Mary?")
12. Hans Gruber is quite literally the Grinch who stole Christmas.