First things first, lets get my opinion on the 'debate' out of the way. Is 'Die Hard' (1988) a Christmas film? Well in my opinion, why the fuck not. I really don' think it matters, but if 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946) is considered a Christmas film then 'Die Hard' has got to be considered one as well. Now that is out of the way lets get on with the film. This film is great. I probably didn't need to tell you that, but still. However, I don't think it is as good as a lot of people think it is. The film follows John McClane (Bruce Willis), a New York City cop who has come to LA to spend Christmas with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). While visiting her at her work's Christmas party the building is taken over by a group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to rob the vault in the building. McClane manages to avoid capture and takes it upon himself to protect the hostages and save his wife. He has help along the way by an LA cop, Sgt. Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) and also has to deal with the LAPD and FBI who's aggressive assault tactics run the risk of getting everyone killed. As you can imagine, blood is spilt and shit explodes.
This film is considered one of the best action films ever made, and it is so clear to see why. All the action scenes are brilliant. They all have an intensity, physicality and excitement that is brilliant to watch. They also all feel real and like they have consequences. McClane gets more and more beat up as the film goes on and this effects how the story moves. There aren't just action scenes for the sake of action scenes, every single one is used to move the plot along or create another hurdle for our hero. This is what makes a good action film. Having action for the sake of action may be exciting, but if it doesn't benefit the story it won't be memorable. Another huge, HUGE, positive is the use of practical effects. I am a huge advocate for practical effects. I'm not anti CGI, but if you can do something practically instead of in a computer its always a good idea to do so. It goes back to the idea of realism. When things are real and you know they are real you buy in more to what's happening, or at least I do. Also, real explosions are just fucking cool. The film is also pretty funny. It is not gut wrenching in any way, but I had a few chuckles and all the jokes matched the tone of the film. There is one moment in the film which I was a bit thrown off by and it is one of the final moments of the film. Just when you think everything has passed and the villains have been beaten one of them pops back up slasher movie style only to be shot by Sgt. Al Powell, who earlier in the film had said he was unable to pull his gun on anyone due to accidentally shooting a kid when he was a rookie cop. Its all a bit hammy. The villains return, the slow motion and the music swelling as we realise who shot him, it feels really weird. Its also just completely glossed over. Its not a tone killer or anything like that, but I did fin it a bit odd.
Performance wise everyone is really solid. There are of course two key performances which I will get to, but first lets look at a couple of the smaller parts. Bonnie Bedelia is good as Holly McClane. She manages to portray a sense of confidence and calm in the face of great danger, but is also able to make it clear she is scared at the same time. A similarly good performance comes from Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell. The main strength of his performance comes from his chemistry with Bruce Willis. Despite only knowing each other through a walkie-talkie when they do finally meet the connection feels real and both VelJohnson and Willis deserve credit for this. Speaking of Bruce Willis, he is brilliant in the role of John McClane. He is such a believable bad ass, and his commitment to the role is clear. His line delivery is brilliant and makes all his action guy quips bring a big smile to your face. However, he is not the MVP of the film. Step in Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. How bloody entertaining is this performance? Rickman embodies the character superbly. He gets across how evil the guy is, but also has an air of genius about him. He is intimidating but charismatic. The scene where he and McClane first meet is my favourite part of the film with both Willis and Rickman playing off each other really well. Both performances are great but Rickman steals the cake.
This film is so much fun. It only takes twenty minute for the bad guys to show up and as soon as they do the film just moves. The action is intense and exciting, but smart. The plot is simple but is used to the maximum in order to get several incredible action scenes that benefit the plot. All the performances are solid, with Alan Rickman being superbly entertaining throughout. It is definitely a recommend from me. If you're looking for a break from your schmaltzy, standard Christmas fare and want some badass action and explosions then throw this on. And yes, it is a Christmas film. How do I know that? There is a scene where one of the dead terrorists is sent down in the lift wearing a Santa hat and a jumper which says 'Now I have a machin gun. Ho Ho Ho'. What more evidence do you need?