Lethal Weapon is a buddy cop action-comedy film that’s set during Christmastime. Amid all the action, you’ll see Christmas lights and decorations and hear some Christmas songs. But for years, there has been a debate about whether Lethal Weapon can be considered a Christmas movie.
Bruce Willis’ Die Hard, which is a similar film, is considered a Christmas movie. So, what about Lethal Weapon? Is it a Christmas movie? Here’s what fans think.
What Is Lethal Weapon About?
Lethal Weapon is set during Christmastime in Los Angeles and follows two cops who are complete opposites.
After the death of his wife, Martin Riggs (played by Mel Gibson) becomes suicidal and reckless. He gets partnered with a veteran officer, Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), and they do not get along at first.
Later on, as they uncover a drug-smuggling operation, they become closer, and their friendship starts to grow.
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Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas Movie? Here’s What Fans Think
Based on fan discussions online, many agree that Lethal Weapon is a Christmas movie.
This is because of its setting, where Christmas is mentioned throughout the film, the movie beginning and ending with a Christmas song, and the movie ending with Christmas dinner.
Another fan on Reddit noted how the Christmas theme was used in parts of the story of the film: to emphasize the tragedy of losing a daughter on the holidays and to highlight the difference between the main characters, where one is alone, while the other has a great big family.
Because of their similarities, Lethal Weapon is often compared to Bruce Willis’ Die Hard, which is considered a Christmas movie. So, some fans argue that if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then so is Lethal Weapon.
Although, as noted by one fan on Reddit, while Lethal Weapon can be considered a Christmas movie, Die Hard has a better case because its plot is tied to Christmas: John McClane visits his family for Christmas and attends his wife’s work Christmas party, and then the party gets interrupted by a group of terrorists.
As to the plot of both films, one fan says that Lethal Weapon’s plot is not really impacted by it taking place around Christmas, while Die Hard’s story is centered around it being Christmas Eve.
Some argue that a film that takes place during Christmas isn’t enough to call it a Christmas movie. However, others think that as long as the film has a Christmas setting (like Lethal Weapon), it can already be considered a Christmas movie.
In case you haven’t seen the 1987 film yet, you could add Lethal Weapon to your list of movies to watch this holiday season and decide whether it is indeed a Christmas movie.
You can watch Lethal Weapon by renting or purchasing the film on Amazon, Google Play, or Vudu.
There are also debates about which film is the better Christmas movie: Lethal Weapon or Die Hard. You can check here for where you could watch Die Hard.
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