For Decades, the cult classic 80s action movie “Die Hard” has created controversy among watchers. For most who enjoy this movie, we can agree that its plot, cast, filming, action sequences, and pacing are pretty top notch! However, nobody can seem to agree on one thing; is it a Christmas movie? I am going to attempt to solve this dispute with as little bias as possible, though I do come into this with the strong belief it IS a Christmas movie– I digress. I will leave my opinions at the door for ONE article.

First off, what qualifies any movie as a Christmas movie? I have decided to make four categories based on other commonly noticed Christmas movies. 1) Atmosphere; does it take place during Christmas? Is it a holiday-like atmosphere? How jolly is it? 2) Music; does it include any Christmas bops 3) Advertising; was it advertised as a Christmas movie? Is it advertised as one now? 4) Does it have a theme or lesson; most Christmas movies include some type of life lesson, or advice to being a good person around the holidays. With all that being said, let’s begin the analysis!

First, we have Atmosphere; The movie takes place in an office building during the holidays. Meaning it is decorated with lights, trees, and other assortments of holiday cheer. However, due to the harsh storyline and heavy action that does tend to get lost in translation. We can find the main character John McClane wearing a Santa hat for certain scenes, and one of his most famous lines even ends with him saying “Ho Ho Ho”.

Next we have Music; this movie has tons of Christmas hits including “Winter Wonderland,”  “Ode to Joy,”  “Let it Snow,”  “Jingle Bell Rock”, and more! So even if you don’t consider it a Christmas movie, at least give it that.