It’s official Die Hard is THE GREATEST Christmas film ever.
Two of the biggest film debates to plague mankind has been: a) ‘What is the greatest Christmas film ever?’ and b) ‘Can Die Hard even be classed as a Christmas film?’.
Well it looks like both questions have been answered simultaneously because; yes Die Hard is a Christmas film – I’ll fight anyone who disagrees with me – and it’s also been voted by Empire and Forbes as the best Christmas film ever.
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Directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis Die Hard is the quintessential festive film for those who both embrace and detest The Holidays.
In Empire’s ‘The 30 Best Christmas Movies’ article from 2016, the 1986 cult action film beat out the likes of Trading Places, Gremlins and – in my opinion one of the most overrated films ever – It’s A Wonderful Life.
Empire film writer Helen O’Hara wrote that Die Hard was:
Arguably the greatest action movie ever made, and now the greatest Christmas movie ever made, too.
Bruce Willis’ John McClane may seem like an unlikely Santa Claus – he doesn’t have enough hair for one – but what better Christmas present is there than the gift of terrorists getting taken down as they try to take Nakatomi Plaza hostage during a Christmas party in order to carry out an elaborate theft?
Not for Empire readers the cutesy Christmas trees of other Christmas movies, or the sight of people in ill-advised knitwear drinking eggnog. For you guys, nothing says deck the halls like jumping off a roof tied to a fire hose, and nothing says season of goodwill like a machine gun. Ho ho ho.
Frobes’ ‘Top Ten Best Christmas Movies Of All Time’ had Die Hard beating out Brazil and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Forbes contributor Mark Hughes wrote:
… Die Hard is everything every Christmas movie should always be forever.
It’s a mix of the baddie from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas; the unbeatable hero who shows up to teach everyone a lesson from Miracle On 34th Street; the ghosts of past, present, and future who bring insight and change from A Christmas Carol; plus every redemptive struggle about family and personal evolution and good versus evil, all wrapped up in a big shiny box with a bow made of explosions and bullets.
There’s Christmas, and then there’s Christmas with punching terrorists in the face and winning back your entire family — which do YOU prefer?
Thanks to Die Hard when I think of Christmas it conjures up a 33-year-old Willis running in a sweaty vest around the Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas with a sub-machine gun. There’s no better way to honour Jesus’ birthday… fact.
Also it gave us one of the best ever villains in Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Hans Gruber.
