Christmas movie, schmistmas movie — “Die Hard” is an action movie. And not just an action movie, but the action movie.
Putting aside Christmas Eve, families, stockings, chestnuts, Frosty and any other holiday trappings that might ring a bell, the 1988 film that introduced star Bruce Willis in a whole new way and solidified director John McTiernan as an action guru (following his success the previous year with “Predator”) is a sterling example of its genre. There may be other movies with more explosions, better action choreography and stuntwork, more complex characterizations, and so on, but “Die Hard” has an endlessly enjoyable premise and an airtight structure.
Certainly, anything so culturally relevant as “Die Hard” is bound to be parodied, and the movie has had more than its share of riffs. Take this Ben Stiller Show sketch, or this moment from “National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon I” with Willis himself, or even this moment from “Community.”
“Rick and Morty” is far from the first TV show to base an episode around a “Die Hard” scenario — shows as disparate as “Farscape” and “Chuck” have had “Die Hard”-themed episodes. Yet “Rick: A Mort Well Lived” is a parody that feels like it’s coming from a true, die hard fan, double entendre intended.
