Though the character’s name was different in the Die Hard novel, the name John McClane (Bruce Willis) has become intrinsic to action hero ideology. Leading five huge movies has made the character iconic, but as those films have varying degrees of quality, the unpopular opinions surrounding Die Hard don’t begin and end with the Christmas movie debate.
Between preferring the far inferior sequels, comparing the series to other blockbuster franchises, and of course, the infamous Christmas movie debate, there are a surprising amount of Die Hard-related hot takes circling Reddit.
Live Free Or Die Hard Is The Best Die Hard Sequel
When it comes to the four follow-up movies to the original, it almost goes without saying that Die Hard With A Vengeance is the creme de la creme of the sequels. And Live Free Or Die Hard, the fourth movie, is generally considered the worst. But Mgs8 believes that it’s “the best Die Hard sequel.”
And though it’s understandable as to why people might like it because it’s a decent action movie, many people don’t think it is a good Die Hard movie, as it’s the first film in the series where McClane is essentially invincible. And this is one of the biggest criticisms of the later movies, as a whole, as the biggest appeal of the first film was that McClane was just a NY cop “everyman” out of his element.
It’s Boring
Despite the first movie’s reputation of being one of the greatest action movies of all time, a deleted user calls everything about it completely boring, saying that the famous quote “doesn’t save the film.”
The user cites everything, from the acting and the dialogue to the plot twists, and they go on to say that the only people who like it haven’t seen it in the 30 years since its release. But it could be that the Redditor simply wasn’t paying attention, as they call the Nakatomi plaza a hotel when it’s actually an office building.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Is A Better Christmas Movie Than Die Hard
Lapapinton believes that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a far superior Christmas movie than Die Hard, even calling it “the best Christmas movie.” And to their credit, over time, the movie has become more recognized as one of the best movies in the 007 series. However, it doesn’t come close to the quality of the first Die Hard movie, and even though it’s one of the best entries in the franchise, it still sits at a 6.7 on IMDb compared to Die Hard’s 8.2.
And ironically enough, even though people argue over whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie, the same could be argued about On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Many could say that just because the movie takes place over Christmastime doesn’t make it a Christmas movie.
Bruce Willis Is Bad In The Movie
After arguing that the first movie shouldn’t be as popular as it is, another deleted user complains about Willis in the movie. They argue that has has “never been even slightly believable” in any role, and it all started with Die Hard.
It’s true that audiences weren’t on board with Bruce Willis leading an action movie when it was first announced, as his most famous acting credit up until that point was in the comedy-drama series, Moonlighting. However, when the movie was initially released, audiences were sold on Willis as an action star, and it opened the floodgates for dozens of successful Willis-led action movies for decades to come.
It’s Like An Old James Bond Movie Without The Fun Or Humor
Strangely comparing the first Die Hard movie to James Bond, this deleted user believes that Die Hard is a rubbish version of a 007 flick, “without any of the vast set pieces.” But most would say that this is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes, they are both action movies, but where one is about a world-class spy, globe-trotting and using spectacular gadgets, the other is about a down-on-his-luck NY cop confined to one building.
The user even claims that Die Hard is lacking in humor, and though it isn’t exactly the same cheesy humor as the Bond movies, John McClane is full of brilliant one-liners, and most of the comedy comes from just how exasperated he is with the whole situation.
Die Hard With A Vengeance Is The Best In The Series
With the third Die Hard movie generally considered the best sequel in the series, Reddit user Ofersadan goes even further by saying it’s actually better than the original and the best in the franchise. And on top of that, it’s a “funny comedy too.” They cite all of the bombs that can only be defused by solving riddles and, of course, the chemistry between McClane and his new partner in crime, Zeus.
To the user’s credit, Die Hard 3 brought the franchise to New York and it was the first sequel to leap away from the Die Hard formula. But many feel it doesn’t touch on the lightning-in-the-bottle frantic energy of the original, and few other action movies have gone on to inspire such a huge wave of copycats like Die Hard did.
The Villain In The Fourth Movie Was A Great Character
Though Nolanised admits that while the fourth Die Hard movie doesn’t hold up to the high standards of some of the others, they still “love the s*** out of it.” They claim that it has some of the best characters in the series, especially the villain.
But between the theatricality of Hans Gruber in the first movie and his even more theatrical brother, Simon Gruber, in With A Vengeance, many think the hacker Thomas Gabriel is a cold fish. The Redditor even goes on to state that the plot was believable, but this is a movie where a cop car collides with a helicopter in the sky.
Die Hard 2 Was Too Derivative Of The Original
Complaining that Die Hard 2 is a carbon copy of the original, TPalaPlayz calls the first sequel the worst in the series, arguing that it “turned into the Hangover 2.” There is some weight to the unpopular opinion, as Die Hard 2 does very much use the same formula as the original. Just as the whole of Die Hard takes place in one building, the sequel also takes place in one location.
But for the sequel, the iconic Nakatomi plaza was swapped out for an airport. It is in no way as exciting as the original, but it’s still entertaining and far better than the other Die Hard-influenced action movies that are not only derivative but completely unrelated to the series.
Every Movie In The Series Is Perfect
Power to TheDemonLady for genuinely loving every single Die Hard movie, and truly believing each one “is perfect.” But as a whole, most would agree that the series is pretty patchy, whether it’s the sidestep entry Die Hard 2 or Die Hard 4.0, which features many of Bruce Willis’ worst action scenes.
Then there’s the final movie, A Good Day To Die Hard, which was universally panned, as critics agreed that it was a much more dumbed down entry compared to the others. And more than anything, that it was probably based in Russia simply so the studio could use the tagline, “Yippee Ki Yay, Mother Russia.”
It Isn’t A Christmas Movie
It is a debate that has been raging on for decades at this point, and as soon as it reaches November, people start arguing over whether or not Die Hard is actually a Christmas movie. BlurryFaceGirl831 argues that it isn’t a Christmas movie just “because it takes place on Christmas.”
There is a litmus test where, if Christmas is taken out of the story and the plot still works, then it isn’t actually a Christmas movie. However, even though terrorists could have taken over the Nakatomi Plaza at any time of the year, the very reason why McClane is traveling to LA is to go to Holly’s Christmas party, and if he didn’t do that, the terrorists would have gotten away with the heist. And that means that not only is Die Hard a Christmas movie, but it’s a Christmas movie that has aged well.
