Let’s settle this debate once and for all; despite what anyone says, 1988’s Die Hard is most definitely a Christmas movie. It may be the greatest Christmas movie ever, although there are more challengers to the throne than you may think. One of the eighties’ other most influential action movies, Lethal Weapon, which came a year before Die Hard in 1987, is itself one heck of a good Christmas movie. Like Die Hard, no one thought of it as a Christmas movie when it first came out. Die Hard was a summer movie, while Lethal Weapon came out in March. Yet, over the years, it became a yuletide favorite, and indeed it has some rich Christmas themes, such as the importance of family, second chances, redemption and more.
Of course, both movies also happen to be among the best action flicks of their respective eras, so in this episode of JoBlo Face-Off, we try to decide which is the better movie, but it’s a really tough one. There’s a reason both franchises are still immediately recognizable three decades later, with Lethal Weapon 5 seemingly closer to being a reality than ever!
JoBlo Face-Off is produced by Matthew Hacunda, written by Bryan Wolford, edited by Ric Solomon and narrated by Dave Davis. Watch previous episodes below and let us know in the comments which movie you prefer – Lethal Weapon or Die Hard!