I've seen this several times at this point, and each time it satisfies less and less. This time around, with a crowd full of devotees, I finally reached the point where I realized I could be happy never seeing this again. There's a lot of stuff here that works- some great gags, some fun action, and Jan De Bont's cinematography (which shines on film- nobody can shoot an elevator shaft like him) is spectacular... but on the whole, the debate should be less about its Christmasiness and more about the fact that this is kinda a drag. The quippiness people criticize modern action movies for starts in earnest here (and is no more funny than it always is- not particularly). I might be overrating this due to some combo of nostalgia and, uh, Helsinki syndrome- I wish I could see it for the first time again, because I remember finding it endlessly engaging and exciting, but now I mostly just wish that the incredible title went to a better movie. Never realized just how distasteful Powell's arc is. Willis is better in Breakfast of Champions.