Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's new Christmas movie Red may not have done well at the box office, but it has received acclaim for paying subtle tribute to Bruce Willis' 1988 blockbuster hit, Die hard. The action comedy, which also stars Chris Evans alongside The Rock, tells the story of the rescue mission of Santa Claus, played by JJ Simmons, who is kidnapped by the villain. While the two films couldn't be further apart, they both use Christmas as a major plot point.
The final montage of Red One shows Simmons' Santa Claus crawling through the vents to distribute gifts to houses. This moment appears to be a reference to one of Die Hard's most memorable scenes in which Willis' character, John McClane, is forced to crawl through the vents of Nakatomi Plaza to escape Alexander Godunov's East German terrorist, Karl Vreski . The scene became iconic when McClane, making his way through the tunnel, flicked open a lighter and uttered the unforgettable line: “Come to the coast, have some laughs.”
According to reports, even though The Rock is a big Willis fan, he was Red director Jake Kasdan, a self-proclaimed Die Hard fanatic, who insisted that the scene be added to the film. Meanwhile, this wasn't the first time a film involving The Rock paid respect to Willis for his thrilling action films of the 1980s. In 2018, Mr Johnson Skyscraper was also heavily inspired by the works of Willis.
“I wanted to make a film that paid tribute and respect to the classic action films that inspired me and entire generations. Die hard Unpleasant Towering hell Unpleasant The fugitive” said Mr Johnson at the time, who previously co-starred with Willis in 2013 GI Joe: Retaliation.
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The Red One cash register
Red – which opened in theaters on November 15, received a paltry 34 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the film boasting a star-studded cast, estimates suggest that Red One, filmed on a budget of $250 million, was only able to earn $32.1 million in its opening weekend. As of last update, the film was expected to cross the $100 million mark, with $55 million coming from overseas territories.
In the run-up to its release, The Rock was criticized for comparing his film to Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Mr Johnson said it was the Oscar-winning film that motivated him to shoot his film in IMAX and give it a major theatrical release.