It's been a consistent argument for many, many years and we're putting this to an end right here and right now, so you can all shut up about it and move on with your lives.
Although 51% of Brits think it isn't a Christmas movie, let's not forget these are the same people who eat Bovril and voted for Brexit. They can be wrong about things. 'Die Hard' is absolutely a Christmas movie. The reasons are innumerable, but we've wittled it down to a few conclusive reasons here and now, so you can all shut up about it once and for all.
For example...
It's set during Christmas, and specifically during a Christmas party
It's literally the entire impetus of John McClane's trip to Los Angeles. Well, in the sense that he's separated from his wife and he's going to visit his kids and - all going well - patch things up with Holly. Even in the first five minutes of the film, you hear McClane talking about Christmas in California being weird and you've got Argyle playing Run DMC's 'Christmas In Hollis'. This puts the Christmassy levels at in and around 10% right there.
The soundtrack features no less than three Christmas classics
As mentioned, you've got 'Christmas In Hollis' by Run DMC at the start, you've got 'Let It Snow!' by Vaughn Monroe and NOT Dean Martin has been erroneously claimed in the past and, finally, you've got Michael Kamen's vaguely sinister version of Beethoven's 'Ode To Joy', which you'll always hear around Christmas. Hell, when Ode To Joy plays in the film, it literally breaks for one character - Theo, the hacker - to exclaim "Merry Christmas!" once the vault opens. We'll split the difference between these three songs and put the Christmassy levels at 15%. That's 25% Christmassy and we're only getting started.
Alan Rickman is the mean British man who wants to ruin Christmas for everyone
Tim Curry in 'Home Alone 2: Lost In New York', Alan Rickman here in 'Die Hard', Ralph Fiennes in 'In Bruges', Michael Caine in 'A Muppet Christmas Carol' - there is a long tradition of Brits ruining Christmas in the movies and, one could argue, in real life. Alan Rickman was merely following in that same tradition. In fact, you could argue he started the tradition as 'Die Hard' came out in 1988 and 'Home Alone 2', 'In Bruges' and 'A Muppet Christmas Carol' all followed after. That's a good solid 15% on the Christmassy levels right there.
It never once ruins the illusion of Santa for younger children watching
When Holly calls home and talks to her daughter, she talks about Santa and her trying to sort out the living situation with McClane. At no point throughout the film's running length are you told that Santa isn't real. You see a dead body hurled out of a building and onto a car, you see half a building blown up with C4 - but the illusion is kept for children watching. 10% Christmassy right there. We're now at Christmassy at 50% on the Christmassy scale. Right now, you're at the point where you can half-argue it's a Christmas movie comfortably.
Like any Christmas movie, it's all about reconnecting with family
John McClane's just a working stiff who's trying to reconnect with his wife and children. The fact that a heavily armed, well-financed group of European terrorists are in the film is just window-dressing. At its core, 'Die Hard' is about a husband and father trying to reconnect with his wife and family. Those aren't bullets that Alexander Godunov's character is spraying everywhere - he's spraying Christmas cheer. Hell, there's even a Santa hat and wrapping paper involved in major scenes in 'Die Hard'. Again, that the Santa hat is put on a dead guy and the wrapping paper is used as a makeshift gun holster is irrelevant. For the double-whammy, we're awarding 20% on the Christmassy levels. That's 70%, folks. The discussion should end right here.
Finally, there may be no reindeers - but there's definitiely magic in the air
John McClane would have absolutely died from severe blood loss after smashing through that plate glass window. Not only that, the physics of him jumping off a roof with a fire hose tied around him would have cracked all of his ribs and quite likely punctured his lungs. In short, it's a Christmas miracle he didn't bleed out when he was picking glass out of his feet in the bathroom.
In short, yes, 'Die Hard' is a Christmas movie. The evidence is clear and there for all to see. What nobody wants is people CONSTANTLY pointing it out, because, let's face it, it's Christmas and you're going to be around friends and family for the majority of it.
You'll find plenty of things to argue about besides the fact that 'Die Hard' is a Christmas movie. The fact you never called your nephew / godson on his birthday? That's a perfectly good argument right there. How about the fact you constantly push people away by being argumentative? By bringing up 'Die Hard' is actually a Christmas movie? See, plenty of reasons to argue.
'Die Hard' being a Christmas movie isn't one of them. Now, please, enough about it.
