A Christmas to Remember
Since 1988, the debate has raged — Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? While Bruce Willis himself has said it’s not, I respectfully disagree.
What makes a Christmas movie anyway? Is it the setting? Because Die Hard is set on Christmas Eve at a Christmas party. Is it the music? Because there are many Christmas songs throughout the film. Is it the themes of family and redemption? Check and check.
But no matter how you feel about Die Hard’s place in the holiday pantheon, surely we can agree that it is an iconic film that help shaped the modern action movie genre, launched a prolific career for Willis, and gave the world some amazing one-liners. Yippee-ki-yay … well, you know.
A Lesson in the Dangers of Company Christmas Parties
On Christmas Eve, New York cop John McClane arrives at Nakatomi Plaza to attempt (poorly) to patch things up with his estranged wife, Holly, during her company’s holiday bash. Instead of a teary, heartfelt reunion, a shoeless McClane finds himself navigating elevator shafts and air ducts as he launches a one-man war against Rickman’s Hans Gruber and friends armed with nothing but sarcasm and his service weapon.
Now, company Christmas parties are famous for awkward small talk, underwhelming eggnog, and questionable choices. You don’t need a group of terrorists led by Alan Rickman to turn a holiday shindig into a disaster — but it definitely helps.
Everyone’s Favorite Underdog
John McClane isn’t your typical 80s action hero. He loses more than he wins. He’s not a hulking mass of muscles or a stoic master of martial arts. He’s just a cop, having a really bad day. And he’s kind of an asshole.
He is constantly beaten, bruised, shot, and blown up. And yet he doesn’t stop, not even after walking barefoot over broken glass or tying himself to a firehose and leaping off a building as the roof explodes. He doesn’t give up. He also doesn’t get more charming or less sarcastic. He’s an incredibly believable, regular guy.
Even Willis’s casting in the role reflected Die Hard’s underdog narrative. Better known for his role in the TV comedy-drama Moonlighting, Willis was reportedly several-to-many actors down on the list of people who were offered the role. The studio was so lacking in confidence in his ability to sell tickets as a lead that some of the film’s early promotional posters prominently featured Nakatomi Plaza instead of Willis.
Thankfully, they took the chance anyway. It paid off for them, with the film grossing about $140 million, making it the year’s highest-grossing action film and 10th-highest-grossing film overall. But most importantly, it allowed us all to bask in the grumpy, imperfect awesomeness that is Bruce Willis as John McClane.
While McClane is our hero and it often feels like it’s him against the world, it should be noted that he isn’t the only good guy in the movie. Bonnie Bedelia absolutely shines as his estranged wife, Holly. There’s no damsel in distress here; she’s a sharp, capable foil to Gruber, repeatedly showing the grit and determination it must have taken to be married to McClane for any length of time.
There’s also Sgt. Al Powell, played beautifully by Reginald VelJohnson. A beat cop on the outside, Al brings moments of much-needed humanity to the carnage and acts as a lifeline to the battered McClane. Their radio conversations evolve from tense and tactical to heartfelt and vulnerable, with Powell becoming McClane’s emotional anchor — and his backup when it counts most.
And let’s not forget Argyle, the limo driver with more heart than common sense (but good taste in music), chilling in the parking garage with a giant stuffed bear. His role is mainly providing occasional comic relief until he finally gets his own hero moment, taking down one of the bad guys.
Some of the Best Villains the ’80s Had to Offer
Every great hero needs a worthy adversary, and Die Hard delivers not just one, but an entire rogues’ gallery of memorable villains. Some might see that as a drawback, but I think it works to emphasize the feeling that all odds are against McClane.
At the top of this host of antagonists is Gruber, played to perfection by the inimitable Alan Rickman (in his first feature film). Just as McClane isn’t your usual action hero, Gruber isn’t your average bad guy. He’s cultured, calculating, and annoyingly charming in a pompous kind of way. His calm demeanor and sharp intellect make him the perfect adversary to McClane’s scrappy, unlucky hero.
But Gruber doesn’t operate alone, and the rest of the Nakatomi terrorists/thieves are just as important. These aren’t faceless henchmen for the most part, they’re a colorful mix of personalities that bring depth to the chaos — from Karl, the relentless enforcer with a personal vendetta, to Theo, the wisecracking tech guy with a flair for dramatic commentary.
And then there’s the supporting cast of antagonists who aren’t part of Gruber’s team but still manage to make things worse. We’ve got Harry Ellis, the coke-snorting, self-serving sleaze who embodies the worst of corporate excess. We’ve got ’80s super villain Paul Gleason as the LAPD Deputy Chief (aka the principal from The Breakfast Club). There’s William Atherton as the atrociously unethical TV reporter. And let’s not forget the FBI agents, Johnson and Johnson (no relation), as the comically inept authority figures.
Together, these villains create a pressure cooker of conflict that elevates the tenor of Die Hard and leaves you rooting for McClane even more. Gruber’s sophisticated menace paired with the chaotic energy of his crew and the bumbling interference of outsiders keeps the stakes high and the tension constant.
Charting a New Course for Action Movies
Die Hard didn’t just redefine what an action movie could be — it became the blueprint for a whole new genre of storytelling. Before 1988, action heroes were mostly larger-than-life figures: invincible, muscle-bound, and practically untouchable. But John McClane’s everyman appeal changed the game, showing that audiences could root just as hard — if not harder — for an ordinary, flawed protagonist who bleeds, struggles, and wisecracks while fighting for survival.
The film’s influence can be seen in the countless movies that followed its “Die Hard on a [blank]” formula: Speed (Die Hard on a bus); Air Force One (Die Hard on a plane); Under Siege (Die Hard on a battleship); even Home Alone (Die Hard as an 8-year-old). Filmmakers everywhere tried to replicate the magic of a lone hero overcoming impossible odds in a confined, high-stakes setting.
The Legacy
Die Hard balanced heart-pounding action with sharp humor and emotional stakes, setting a new standard for how action films could blend genres. McClane’s wit and vulnerability paved the way for some epically flawed heroes, such as my personal favorite — Tony Stark in Iron Man. And while many action movies before it relied on bigger-than-life spectacle to drive the intensity, Die Hard showed us how setting, pacing, and character-driven storytelling can leave us hanging on the edges of our seats.
The film’s lasting impact also comes from its impeccable craft. From Director John McTiernan’s spot-on decision to condense the story into one intense evening, to the use of practical effects, to the authentic performances, every element of Die Hard feels timeless. More than 30 years later, the tension, humor, and action still hold up, making it as thrilling to watch today as it was in 1988.
Before this wraps up, let’s revisit the Christmas argument one last time. Yes, Die Hard is a movie packed with explosions, gunfights, terrorists, and F-bombs. But it’s also oozing holiday spirit — from the decorations to the soundtrack (complete with “Let It Snow” and “Ode to Joy”) to the overarching themes of redemption for a cranky protagonist.
And let’s face it, “Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho” written on a bad guy’s dead body is one of the greatest holiday greeting cards of all time.
What Die Hard Means to Us
Die Hard was never #1 when it was in release – it never got higher than #3 at the box office. That’s madness, but it just shows how little was expected of it. An action film with a TV actor as the star in 1988 was just unheard of – it was all Stallone and Schwarzenegger, muscles and macho. Certainly I wasn’t expecting much out of a film with the guy from Moonlighting in it. (Not that I watched Moonlighting, you understand.) I ended up seeing it anyway, and man… Action movies today are all descended from this one (okay, not the Expendables, but as gross generalizations go, I stand by it). This was the point at which action protagonists went from invincible muscle-bound he-men to relatable, normal guys who were just doing their best. Getting hurt and screwing up and saving the day anyway. It also made the bad guy just as much fun as the good guy. (RIP Alan Rickman, the bad-guy GOAT.) I’d never seen anything like it, and I immediately wanted to see it again.
Die Hard is a classic now. A Christmas staple, even. It spawned a franchise and made Bruce Willis AND Alan Rickman stars. It’s one of those films I can watch anytime, anywhere. And with Christmas coming up I’m almost certain to see it sometime in the next couple of weeks. Can’t wait.
–Bob Cram
I was not an “action movie” kind of girl before watching Die Hard. In fact, I had no real interest in ever watching it, but my family convinced me that it was a Christmas movie, and I rarely say no to a Christmas movie, so I relented. I’m so glad I did. I can’t remember a movie ever pushing me to the edge of my seat the way Die Hard did. Bruce Willis at his peak, delivering an iconic performance as John McClane, effortlessly blending action hero with wry humor, pitted against Alan Rickman’s incredible villain, Hans Gruber, in Rickman’s first feature film. One thing I love about the movie is that it’s just an ordinary, everyday guy going up against some incredible odds to save the day. Its resilience and determination are wrapped up beautifully with explosive action. As weird as it is to say, watching Die Hard now brings me a cozy feeling, one of nostalgia and comfort. We can argue every year over whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is), but at the end of the day, it’s one of the best action movies ever made, and it holds up incredibly well over the years. Nothing says Merry Christmas like watching a bunch of terrorists get taken out by Bruce F***ing Willis.
–Romona Comet
Got a favorite scene or quote from Die Hard? Share it in the comments below!