Die Hard? Christmas Movie or Not?

Ach du lieber. Auf wiedersehen, Hansi!

Only the first two are Xmas movies, but according to Rotten Tomatoes the best ones are first and fourth.

Interesting how the critics and the audience diverge on their view of the third.


Die Hard (1988)
Certified Fresh
Top Critics: 83%
Critics: 94%
Audience: 94%
Critics' Consensus: Its many imitators (and sequels) have never come close to matching the taut thrills of the definitive holiday action classic.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/die_hard

Die Hard 2 (1990)
Top Critics: 70%
Critics: 69%
Audience: 70%
Critics' Consensus: It lacks the fresh thrills of its predecessor, but Die Hard 2 still works as an over-the-top -- and reasonably taut -- big-budget sequel, with plenty of set pieces to paper over the plot deficiencies.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/die_hard_2_1990

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
Top Critics: 48%
Critics: 58%
Audience: 83%
Critics' Consensus: Die Hard with a Vengeance benefits from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson's barbed interplay, but clatters to a bombastic finish in a vain effort to cover for an overall lack of fresh ideas.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/die_hard_with_a_vengeance

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Certified Fresh
Top Critics: 75%
Critics: 82%
Audience: 86%
Critics' Consensus: Live Free or Die Hard may be preposterous, but it's an efficient, action-packed summer popcorn flick with thrilling stunts and a commanding performance by Bruce Willis. Fans of the previous Die Hard films will not be disappointed.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/live_free_or_die_hard

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
Top Critics: 13%
Critics: 15%
Audience: 40%
Critics' Consensus: A Good Day to Die Hard is the weakest entry in a storied franchise, and not even Bruce Willis' smirking demeanor can enliven a cliched, uninspired script.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_good_day_to_die_hard

As you and say to ourselves about each other: there's no explaining taste.

I hope your Holiday Season is going well.

Merry Christmas, my friend. May you have the "come to Jesus" moment I've been praying for.

bobsal

I looked up #4 to see about watching it again. I think the only time I saw it was when it was in theaters.

Apparently the movie suffers from the fact that midway through filming, the studio insisted on toning it down to earn a PG-13 rating.

They went back and (badly) dubbed over the rated R parts that they had already filmed.

They later released an unrated version to home video with the R rated parts restored, but for that version they decided to go back and (badly) dub over the PG-13 sections to make them harsher.

There is a fan edit that combines the good sections of both versions to eliminate all of the bad dubbing. But it is apparently difficult to find. I have some good sources for hard to find fan edits, and none of them have it.

Trancers is a good Christmas movie. Remember the punk metal band singing some Metal version of Jingle Bells? What was the song at the beginning of Lethal Weapon. Jingle Bell Rock? SO Lethal Weapon is a Christmas movie too? The girl snorts some coke and jumps off of a building? The American spirit. It is irresistible.

Gremlins is for sure a Christmas movie! It has snow! And Billy's car wouldn't start!

I don't think I've ever seen Trancers, or even heard of it before now. It's been a long time since I've seen Lethal Weapon and Gremlins.

I believe I've heard Gremlins described as a Christmas movie before. I don't think I've ever heard the other two described as Christmas movies.

From what I understand lately not too many people are even getting into Christmas anymore. All of these pure Christmas movies are probably one day going to look like some kind of Arthurian Legend or Fantasy.
I just watched both the first and second season of the Show ThirtySomething, and DISAPPOINTED that there is NO christmas one!

Although they have a fairly hillarious Thanksgiving one. That Canadian guy who comes over as Melissa's boyfriend. He steals a spoon and starts eating some turkey stuffing, and all of the people gang up on him and kick him out. Pretty funny. TV shows I like can somehow do the Thanksgiving shows (Less regulation I guess.)
You should check out Trancers. But in a way you have to be in a tranced out mood yourself. Don't go for the sequel. I think I speak for everyone on that.