That’s right folks, I am one of the many people that know Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and no, it’s not just because it takes place during the holidays. Is there some potential bias in my belief because Die Hard is my favorite movie of all time? Potentially. However, I’m not here to argue about the genre of movie that this film is, I’m here to review this classic action film, so let’s get on with it.
Directed by John McTiernan, Die Hard takes place during an office Christmas party in which New York City cop John McClane, played by New Jersey native Bruce Willis, visits his estranged wife Holly and unexpectedly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time when thieves come into the office building and hold the party hostage, leaving only McClane to take all of them down single-handedly. Willis’s comedic chops shine through with his quick witty remarks about the situation he has found himself in, but that’s not to say his performance is one-note. In particular, a scene in a bathroom where he admits he should have handled his separation from his wife better is masterfully done and isn’t cut short by action or comedy, truly allowing the dramatic weight of the moment to sink in.
As much as I love Bruce Willis and his performance in this movie, it is the late great Alan Rickman, who I’m sure most of you know from his portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, who has the best performance in the movie as the leader of the group of thieves, Hans Gruber. In his first feature film role, Rickman delivers what is, in my opinion, the greatest villain performance in any movie ever, aside from a particular Sith Lord. Rickman has a very calm presence as Gruber, rarely raising his voice and preferring to use his actions and weapons to instill fear into the hostages. In my opinion, the performances of Willis and Rickman are the movie’s greatest strengths.
In addition to being the greatest Christmas movie in history, Die Hard is also a fantastic action movie. The setting of an office building that’s under construction is fairly unique and leads to some unique set pieces as well as some gnarly deaths that likely wouldn’t be possible in a different setting. While it may be a bit of a tired trope nowadays, the general plot of an everyman hero against a large group of villains was popularized by Die Hard, which would end up redefining the action genre as we know it; plenty of movies follow similar plot lines. Speed? Die Hard on a bus. Air Force One? Die Hard on a plane. Paul Blart: Mall Cop? You guessed it, that’s just Die Hard in a mall. McTiernan’s masterpiece has influenced and will continue to be an influence on action films for a long, long time.
In summary, Die Hard is undoubtedly a classic film, regardless of genre. Captivating performances from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, as well as some of the best action scenes in cinema history, are just a few of the numerous reasons to check this flick out no matter the time of year. Until next semester, Yippee Ki-Yay and Happy Holidays Ducks!
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