Christmas Movies, Pt. 7

"Nine million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister." — John McClane, "Die Hard"

"I don't make things difficult. That's the way they get, all by themselves." — Martin Riggs, "Lethal Weapon"

Today we continue our look at Christmas movies with a pair of unlikely choices. You may not think of "Die Hard" or "Lethal Weapon" while putting up your Christmas tree, but both take place at Christmas. So if shoot outs and snarky dialogue gets you in the holiday spirit, here's your movies!

Die Hard
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Bonnie Bedelia
Synopsis: "Die Hard" is one of the best action movies ever made. It helped launch Willis' career, and John McClane remains an iconic character in film. This movie launched a franchise — with the fifth installment coming out in February. But this is a Christmas movie. It has Christmas music. It takes place on Christmas Eve. It takes place at a Christmas party. That is integral to the plot. That's what makes this a classic film and a great seasonal classic as well. For those that like action movies and appreciate Willis' unique sense of humor, this is a can't miss. "Die Hard" is one of my favorite movies of all time, and is my go to answer for favorite Christmas movie. It always throws people off, but it's also true!
Rating: R for strong graphic bloody violence, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and drug use.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Lethal Weapon
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, and Mitch Ryan
Synopsis: A year before "Die Hard" was released, another action series began with "Lethal Weapon." Again, not a conventional choice, but it does take place in the run up to Christmas, features Christmas songs and has Christmas as a prominent theme. It's also a hard boiled, 1980s action buddy comedy about a pair of mismatched partners — the wild Riggs (Gibson) and the restrained Murtaugh (Glover). This movie also launched a series — with the fourth installment bowing in 1999, though there are rumors of a fifth coming soon. This is actually a darker film than the others in the series, and might be the weakest. The best, of course, is "Lethal Weapon 2," which bowed in 1989. But this film established the characters, the world and squeezes in a little Christmas. Though, given recent events, a film that has a casual school shooting in the first half hour might not be a great choice for this year... I'm just giving you a heads up.
Rating: R for strong violence including a scene of torture, language, sexuality/nudity and drug content.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.

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