DIE HARD
Watching this movie is a tradition on Christmas for me.
DIE HARD It’s a really fun movie with top-notch performances, fun dialogue, and great action that was very well executed. I love how John McClane is just some random dude. He is not invincible, he's not superpowered, he's just the right guy in the wrong place. Also, my boy Hans Gruber died trying to become wealthy by robbing a corporation on Christmas eve, I respect that!
And although DIE HARD is not particularly holly or jolly I totally consider it a Christmas Movie. It takes place during Christmas, it has Christmas music/decorations/themes and Christmas is the main reason John McClane traveled to see his family.
DIE HARD is a Christmas movie. End of discussion.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Seth Rogen mixed a Christmas movie with a buddy/stoner movie and the result was hilarious. It quickly became a Christmas classic in my house.
The movie is very raunchy but also super sweet. The friendships and relationships are incredibly believable. The casting is pretty great. Rogan, Gordon-Levit, and Mackie have great chemistry together. And it has a couple of surprise cameos that I really enjoyed.
Rogen tripping on drugs throughout the movie is hysterical. And I loved how Mr. Green served as a stoner version of the ghost of Christmas past, present, and future. Michael Shannon is just the best.
Many won’t agree with me but, THE NIGHT BEFORE is arguably Seth's best work. I absolutely love this movie.
SOUL
Unpopular opinion, I’m not a big fan of Pixar movies. They are just OK in my opinion and I think that Pixar is one of the most overrated studios out there.
But I enjoyed SOUL. It was probably the only Pixar movie besides COCO that kept me engaged until the end. I normally give up on them midway through. However, I actually have the patience to finish this one.
It is hard to talk too much about the movie without spoil it. So I will just say that it is very fun and smarter than Pixar movies normally are. Jamie Foxx and Tna Fey are great, as always. And the score is absolutely incredible.
SOUL is a good movie for a lazy Christmas afternoon with your family.