Die Hard is, undoubtedly, a cinematic masterpiece and arguably the high point of Bruce Willis’ illustrious career in Hollywood. But is it a Christmas movie? For decades we’ve debated that question with passionate arguments on both sides. While the plot does revolve around an office Christmas party, quickly devolving into a hostage situation masterminded by German terrorist Hans Gruber (portrayed by the late Alan Rickman), the action thriller was released in July of 1988. Despite Willis’ own belief that the movie doesn’t qualify as a Christmas film, others would disagree, frequently lumping it into that same genre as Home Alone, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf, among other holiday classics.
Whether a 30-year-old action flick warrants a thesis-level analysis is a matter of personal preference, though, rest assured, this topic has been dissected and researched as thoroughly as any disease known to man. You’d think we’d have something amounting to a consensus by now, but apparently not, with the Die Hard debate remaining as polarizing as ever in the film community, a chicken vs. egg argument destined to be squabbled over for the rest of time.
Former NBA star-turned-media-personality JJ Redick weighed in (probably against his better judgment) Friday night, emphatically declaring, without even the slightest hesitance, that Die Hard is indeed a Christmas movie. However, the more shocking revelation, at least to his Twitter followers, was that it took him this long to finally see what many would regard as the prototypical summer blockbuster, the measuring stick by which all future action installments will be judged.
We all have blind spots in our viewing tastes, but willingly depriving yourself of the glory of John McClain’s epic heroism, saving Nakatomi Plaza from certain destruction, is inexplicable, bordering on sacrilege. Regardless of Redick’s assessment, his credibility as a film critic is forever tarnished, outing himself as the bonehead who waited until his late 30s to experience Willis at his most badass, crawling through ceiling vents while cracking wise with iconic line deliveries, none more memorable than his catchphrase, “Yippie ki-yay, motherf---er.”
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