Last year I bought WM these Die Hard themed Funko Pops as Christmas decor because he, like many on The Internet, believe that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. And I humored him, because I had never seen the movie before.
But lo! The Friday before Christmas, the Movie Night (non-random) poll served up Die Hard, Gremlins, and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Die Hard won and I finally got to watch it. I wasn’t expecting much, but friends, I LOVED THIS MOVIE!
I loved the execution of the buddy cop movie where the buddies aren’t together. I loved the Western musical motifs that kept popping up (look at me, watching 30 movies this year and acting like a film connoisseur). And I loved Al Powell’s redemption story, although the cop-kills-kid-by-accident reveal pales in comparison to some of today’s cops who k —ADASDEDARQ#$&*(RUQ# not going there. You know where I’m going.
Al is amazing. Al is a hero. But after watching I was dismayed that Funko Pop Al got the Twinkie treatment when there was so much more to him.
When it was over and I was cheering and hopped up on adrenaline and 80s nostalgia, my friends asked, “So…Christmas movie? Yes?”
NO.
WM and the rest of the Internet are wrong.
Sorry not sorry but to be a Christmas movie, Christmas (or the Spirit/Magic thereof) must be at least a supporting character in the movie, not just the time of year. And Die Hard was set at Christmas time, and occasionally featured Christmas music and the world’s worst Christmas party. But The Spirit of Christmas didn’t save Nakatomi Plaza. John McClane did, with help from Al and Holly.
Case closed. Yippee-Ki-Yay, Mother—
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Confuzzled Bev says
I’ve never seen Die Hard.
My boyfriend kept asking whether totally random things were Christmas movies – so like Annie was on “Is this a Christmas movie?”. Chicken Run “Is this a Christmas movie?” It turns out he thought I meant films shown during the Christmas holiday from school?!
Wandering Minstrel says
I love you.
Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
You are wrong.
I love you.
Dani says
Ha, I bought the Die Hard pops for my gf last year and I watched it for the first time last year too. While I still say it’s a Christmas movie because it occurs as Christmas time, I appreciate your reasoning for why it’s not one. I agree that Al deserved better though!