By Morgan Nunley 

Online Editor 

“Die Hard” is a 1988 Christmas action film directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman in the two leads of John McClane and Hans Gruber, respectively. For the longest time, the film was the source of heated debate as to whether it is a holiday movie, considering that it doesn’t have all of the holiday tropes or stereotypes. Granted, it doesn’t feel like a normal Christmas film, but it is everything that any great holiday film is and more, and personally, my favorite film of all time. 

To start, the film’s plot centers around a New York Police officer, John McClane, going to Los Angeles and Nakatomi Plaza to visit his estranged wife, Holly Genearo, played by Bonnie Bedelia. At the same time a group of terrorists, led by Gruber, are attempting to complete their plan of breaking into the Nakatomi Plaza and stealing the $600 million in bearer bonds that are locked in the vault in the tower. 

The film is written and acted beautifully by these masterful actors. Willis was born to play the role of the wise-cracking, smart-mouthed, New York cop who gets placed in a situation he never imagined would happen on this trip to see his wife in Los Angeles. His performance as McClane launched Willis into superstardom and gave his career new life, with many more opportunities and film projects coming down the pipeline, like “Pulp Fiction,” “Armageddon,” and a career that included 4 more “Die Hard” films. 

For Rickman, the part of the detestable villain Hans Gruber was his breakout role as well, with Rickman going on to appear in the Harry Potter series, notably, and also films like “Sweeney Todd” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” His mean streak in this movie is second to none, and you can see that he is one of the smartest villains in film history. Everything about his plan was perfect and everything would have worked to perfection, if only John McClane wasn’t in that building with them. 

The writing in the film and the line delivery, especially for Willis, Rickman, and Reginald VelJohnson, who played the role of LAPD Sgt. Al Powell, were exceptional. In the movie, Powell got roped into the mess when McClane radioed the LAPD and they sent Powell to do an inspection, McClane warns him of the treachery by dropping a body of one of the terrorists onto Powell’s car as he attempts to leave. 

The bond that then forms over the radio between Powell and McClane is a vital piece to the film and a major reason why I would consider the film to be a Christmas classic. The moments of levity, humor, holiday cheer, reality, and tragedy that these two men share without ever meeting one another is something that Christmas is all about, and the story of a man attempting to save his wife so they can get home to their children for Christmas is an important part of this story that proves why it is a holiday favorite. 

The other side characters aren’t just there for cannon-fodder or for McClane to just easily dispatch of before he gets to Gruber; the villains in this film stand out. The pair of brothers, Tony and Karl, are two that come to mind, along with the hacker Theo. The limousine driver who took McClane to the tower, Argyle, becomes a key piece to McClane’s success as the story plays out. 

The film is shot beautifully and the directing by McTiernan doesn’t get enough credit as there are some shots in this film that age like a fine wine, and there aren’t any shots or stills that don’t hold up. Everything from this film could be taken and applied to movies today and they would be hailed and appreciated as classics, in the same vein that this one is. The film is a must watch for any Bruce Willis fan, any action movie fan, and any Christmas movie fan, because in terms of holiday cheer, the holidays don’t truly start until the opening credits to Die Hard are on your television screen, and Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” kicks in over Argyle’s radio. 

Final Take: 5/5