SYNOPSIS:
NYPD cop, John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies to LA to visit his estranged wife for Christmas. But shortly after he shows up at her office's Christmas party, the place is overrun by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his team of terrorists. John find himself isolated in the building and takes it upon himself to single-handedly stop the terrorist plot.
REVIEW:
I don't care what anyone else says; this is most definitely a Christmas movie. It takes place on Christmas Eve. It takes place at a Christmas party. John McClane dresses up a defeated bad guy with a Santa hat and writes on his sweater, "Now I have a machine gun. Ho-ho-ho." John uses Christmas tape to affix guns to his back. Plus the numerous mentions of Christmas and its various themes scattered across the film.
There are also several Christmas themes played throughout the film (Winter Wonderland, Christmas in Hollis, Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!, Jingle Bells, and Ode to Joy). Several people whistle Christmas themes too. There was even a scene where the bad guys are first setting up in the building and I noticed some intense music playing in the background, which was just a rearranged version of Winter Wonderland. This film is pretty good at reminding you periodically throughout that it's a Christmas film. So I don't see how anyone could protest.
This is also a classic old-school cop film. John McClane mentions that rule-following is something his boss has to keep reminding him about. He is the "cowboy," comparing himself to Roy Rogers. He's a lone gunslinger, keeping his side-piece on him, even though he's on vacation. He plays by his own rules and scoffs at the "professionals" attempting to take over control of the situation. He stays alive by relying on his wits and intuition. Films like this have disappeared in recent years, being replaced by more fantastical things like superheroes and fantasy films.
This film was the first movie role of Alan Rickman, known best for playing Snape in the Harry Potter series. And he did excellent! He was 41 years old when he made it big, which should be motivating for anyone who feels like their life isn't going anywhere. Look at how famous he was, and he didn't even start until he was already over the hill!
Random trivia: Clint Eastwood owned the rights to the original novel this film was based on: "Nothing Lasts Forever." He planned to star in it in the early '80s, but it took too long to develop and he got too old, so he eventually handed it off to someone else, who cast Bruce Willis in the titular role.
RECOMMENDATION:
If you enjoy action films, this is a classic must-watch! If you like Christmas films, you should check this out and decide for yourself if it's Christmas-themed enough for you. Either way, you need to see this film! It spawned a 5-movie franchise that ranks up there with some of the greatest action films of all time. Merry Christmas, everyone!
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