A Perfect Die Hard Tribute: Red One’s Nod to Bruce Willis

possesses a number of clever connections to a variety of Christmas films, and the film manages to slip in a tribute that suits both Bruce Willis and Die Hard perfectly. Dwayne Johnson’s action movie, which will be released in 2024, is more deeply rooted in the Christmas holiday season than Bruce Willis’s classic action flick, which was released in 1988. Red One is responsible for this since he incorporates Santa Claus, his elves, and other mythological creatures and beings that are associated with the occasion. Due to the fact that Die Hard takes place around the Christmas season, it has become inextricably linked to the holiday ever since it was released. This includes the never-ending disputes regarding whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

Despite the fact that both Red One and Die Hard are action films, they are significantly distinct from one another and appear to have virtually nothing in common with one another other than the subject matter of Christmas. There is one that tells the story of a burglar and an ELF commander who are attempting to rescue Santa Claus from an evil witch before she captures every poor human being. One of the stories is about a typical guy who fights back when Russians take hostages during a theft that is taking place at his wife’s company while they are celebrating Christmas together. In spite of the fact that they are not the same, Red One came up with a brilliant technique to pay tribute to Bruce Willis and Die Hard by means of a little moment.
Red One’s conclusion includes a montage that focusses on J.K. Simmons’ portrayal of Santa Claus, which is where the reference to Die Hard can be found. His Santa Claus sneaks into households to deliver presents to children, and the movie takes a few minutes to show him doing so. His methods of entry and exit are different from one another. In one of the scenes, Simmons’ Santa army can be seen squeezing through air vents while wearing a broad grin on his face. The scenario, as well as the way it is structured, immediately brings to mind the vent scene that John McClane goes through in Die Hard.

The scene in Die Hard that depicts Bruce Willis’ action hero crawling through the vents at Nakotami Plaza in an attempt to elude Karl Vreski is considered to be one of the most memorable shots in the film. It is during this moment that he uses a lighter to assist him in seeing inside the vent, and he also utters the legendary line, “Come out to the coast, have a few laughs.” There is such a high level of recognition for the vent scene that it has even become a popular concept for a Christmas ornament for all of the Die Hard fans. In order to pay homage to the momentous occasion, Red One takes advantage of J.K. Simmons’ Santa.
There is a possibility that Dwayne Johnson and Jake Kasdan’s affection for the action film Die Hard from 1988 was the driving force behind the decision to include an Easter egg in Red One. However, Bruce Willis also has some connections to the film that will be released in 2024. Willis has collaborated with a handful of the individuals that were engaged in Red One due to the fact that his career has been so successful for such a long time. Notably, he made an appearance alongside Dwayne Johnson in the film G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which was the only time the two of them have collaborated during their careers. Willis also played a leading role in the film The Jackal, which was released in 1997 and also starred J.K. Simmons.

A significant portion of the Die Hard tribute might be attributed to Dwayne Johnson, as this is a feasible explanation. When Johnson was promoting G.I. Joe: Retaliation in 2013, he stated at a press conference in the United Kingdom that “Bruce Willis is the ultimate man’s man… Bruce and I have been buddies for a long time.” ComicBookMovie is the source. A possible explanation for the inclusion of the brief reference to Die Hard in Red One could be found in the camaraderie that exists between Johnson and Willis.