Warning: Contains spoilers for Die Hard (1988) and mentions of violence

Die Hard is a Christmas Movie:

When people usually think of Christmas, they think of family, music, Santa, and presents. But what do people also think of? Die Hard! Specifically, whether or not it should be considered a Christmas movie.

Initially, I expected to be on the opposing side of this argument. Die Hard is most known for its action packed scenes, and the famous phrase: “Yippee ki-yay…”. But after watching the movie, it was much more festive than I expected.

For those who don’t know, Die Hard is a movie about a New York police officer, John McClane, who is in LA to visit his wife and kids for the holidays. After showing up to an office Christmas party, a group of German terrorists take over the building and take McClane’s wife and co-workers hostage, leaving it up to McClane to save them from further harm.

The traditional Christmas movie is usually about wanting to be with family or finding love (or sometimes both). But are these not offered in Die Hard as well? McClane’s struggle throughout the entire movie is so he can spend time with his loving children and rekindle his strained relationship with his wife. By no means am I saying that Die Hard is a traditional Christmas movie, but it’s clear that the main themes are still there.

Those that oppose Die Hard being a Christmas movie often make the argument that just because a story takes place in the winter time, doesn’t mean it is a Christmas movie. While I agree with this sentiment, I don’t believe it applies to Die Hard.

Throughout the movie, the story continuously reminds us that it’s Christmas time and how all McClane wants is to spend Christmas with his wife and kids. With the addition of Christmas music, pure white snow, and a terrorist tied to a chair with a Santa hat on his head, how can one not feel in a Christmassy mood?

Moreover, the movie also represents the bond people can have during the holiday season through moments where the characters show “goodwill to men.” People’s acts of kindness are represented throughout the entire movie, from McClane’s wife getting a sofa for her pregnant friend, to Sgt. Powell saving McClane’s life. If both scenes were cut out of the movie, there wouldn’t be any change to the plot. But, the feeling would be undeniably different.

People make the case that Christmas movies aren’t meant to be filled with such violence. Some even make the case that all of this blood and gore is in opposition to the traditional Christmas spirit. However, I don’t think that this is the case at all.

We enjoy the holiday season in a variety of ways: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas, and even New Year’s Day. So, who says that we can’t celebrate Christmas itself in a variety of ways?

Die Hard is not a Christmas Movie:
Die was a movie released 1988, and I’ll give it to you it’s an action masterpiece, with amazing cinematography and plot. The movie keeps you on your toes when watching but it just isn’t a Christmas movie. Yes it has some elements of Christmas but, Christmas movies have a base that Die Hard just doesn’t meet.
The base consists of Christmas traditions, like leaving cookies for Santa, decorating the Christmas tree, or being on the naughty or nice list, and of course Christmas movies can contain action. For instance, Home Alone, which is a movie about a boy being home alone for Christmas, as his big family left him behind to go on a trip to Paris has lots of elements of action in it, like the fighting off 2 burglars throughout the movie from getting into his house. Basically, what I’m saying is that just because a movie has action in it doesn’t make it a Christmas movie. It’s the way you present the movie with the story and lesson told that makes it a Christmas movie.
Die Hard starts off in the plane to Los Angeles California with John McClane, who’s playing the mean character in the movie. He lands and we get that brown orange filter that’s in every California action movie. Later, in a Christmas party to make things up with his wife, the building gets a terrorist attack, and surprise, guess who’s fighting them off to the death? The movie gives lots of Christmas hints like little mumbles of songs and Christmas decorations here and there, but in my opinion, it just adds to the plot, giving the watchers a narrative that John just wants to spend Christmas with his family but instead is stuck in an office building fighting German terrorists.
The movie gives little hints of Christmas but it doesn’t make it a Christmas movie. That’s like saying that Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie because it takes place during Christmas but doesn’t have a story revolving around Christmas. I feel like Die Hard falls under this category where you can say it’s a Christmas movie but it has a plot that has nothing to do with Christmas. It just takes place during Christmas. Which in my opinion, doesn’t make it a Christmas movie. It needs those traditions and a plot that revolves around Christmas, and where the theme teaches the watcher a lesson about Christmas traditions.
Now you may be asking, “Well if it’s not a Christmas movie, why does one of the German terrorists have a Christmas hat when killed off?” Well, I think that it just adds on to the comedic relief, as early on in the movie, we also see the driver in a random limo with a big teddy bear. I see Die Hard comedic factors in the movie that add lots of random scenes you really wouldn’t expect.
I’d say Die Hard falls under the category of an action movie that takes place during Christmas, because it has more action scenes then it does Christmas, and it doesn’t really have a Christmas lesson at the end. Yes, there’s lot of kind acts throughout the movie but lots of movies have kind acts and that doesn’t make them Christmas movies. This movie also isn’t really a kids movie and I think that’s why it just can’t sell me to be a Christmas movie, as all Christmas movies are based on children’s perspectives and lead us to a fantasy world, spreading Christmas cheer. Die Hard is just too bloody for children, and doesn’t have elves or Santa.
Christmas movies tell stories to teach us lessons and spread the holiday spirit, not fight German terrorists. These movies give us the perspective of a wonderland that can leave many children’s imaginations wandering off. These movies are passed down and cheered by many. To me, Die Hard is just an action movie.