Is 'Die Hard' a Christmas movie? The internet debates again

Bruce Willis in 'Die Hard'. (Screengrab from video shared on YouTube by Movieclips Classic Trailers)

The festive season has renewed the debate about whether Die Hard, the 1988 classic, is a Christmas movie.

Christmas movies usually have joy and celebration as the main themes.

Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, is set at a Christmas eve party. It shows Willis, who plays detective John McClane, showing up at a gathering hosted by his estranged wife. But when terrorists take control of the building where the party is being held, he must save his wife and others.

Die Hard has Christmas music playing in the backdrop and Rickman's character, Hans Gruber, refers to the festival at one point in the film. “It’s Christmas, Theo, it’s a time for miracles," he says.

There are several more tropes in the film which are cited by those who consider it a Christmas movie.

Twitter users have been weighing in on the debate.

The debate is over folks.

Die hard is a Christmas movie, confirmed. pic.twitter.com/X6Csd6auri

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— Dave Kennedy (@HackingDave) December 17, 2021

◉ It's set at Christmas
◉ It has Christmas music and references Santa
◉ It takes place at a Christmas party
◉ It's about a dad trying to see his kids on Christmas pic.twitter.com/ocEx0WTYHu

— Wreck-It Rob (@OneGrumpyGinger) December 21, 2021

Is "Die Hard" a Christmas movie? We can't settle that argument, but we can tell you that it's on the National Film Registry, along with 824 other films selected for preservation because of their cultural, historical or aesthetic significance.

A full list: https://t.co/HtkxrrqCnp pic.twitter.com/Qah189RX6s

— Library of Congress (@librarycongress) December 23, 2021

Some argue that it is both an action and Christmas movie.  "A little bit of action, a little bit of comedy, a little bit of fun, a shopper at the Rockefeller Center in New York told Fox News. "Nothing wrong with that during the Christmas holidays."