Is BATMAN RETURNS a Christmas movie?

[daBronzeBomma]

Well, is it?

I mean, if DIE HARD now widely considered an Xmas film because it takes places during, and constantly references, the holidays, then I say, yes, BATMAN RETURNS is indeed a Christmas movie.

Of course, the real litmus test for any Xmas flick is this: do you always make a point to watch it during the holidays?

BATMAN RETURNS fails that test for me. At least for now.

What about you? Is BR an Xmas flick to you? And if so, does it pass that litmus test?

[Surf]

Well, is it?

I mean, if DIE HARD now widely considered an Xmas film because it takes places during, and constantly references, the holidays, then I say, yes, BATMAN RETURNS is indeed a Christmas movie.

Of course, the real litmus test for any Xmas flick is this: do you always make a point to watch it during the holidays?

BATMAN RETURNS fails that test for me. At least for now.

What about you? Is BR an Xmas flick to you? And if so, does it pass that litmus test?

As a society we often have to revisit certain constraints we put on our categorizations. If you leave out a movie on it's merit based face just because they take place during that specific holiday then you have to rethink the entire category of what you feel a 'Christmas' movie is. Rampant consumerism disguised as giving and Jesus are not subject of many films I've ever seen. So Hell Yes, Burton Batman Returns is a Christmas movie, in fact they make more references to the ancillary parts of the holiday than Die Hard does and I love Die Hard. I also love Burton Batman Returns. I love the Devito Penguin make-up, I love Max Shreck, I love his cold-ass line to Chip, saying next time he'd drop Selena out of a higher window if she tries to blackmail him and that Catwoman is my Catwoman. Shoutout to whasherface from DKR, she is damn fine 1B though. 3rd act of BBR is kinda... yea O.K., but so what. I'm here for the Blue-Ray.

There are A TON of holiday themed movies and only 3 or 4 are considered standards (i.e. on repeat for 2 days like Christmas Story is) to no I can't recognize that particular litmus sample as some empirical standard.

[C_Miller]

No. And I don't think Die Hard is either. That said, I enjoy watching both around the holidays.

To me a Christmas movie has to have Christmas at the front and center or at least has to use Christmas as a major thematic element. A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause, the various versions of A Christmas Carol, Elf, ect are Christmas movies. Home Alone is safely a Christmas movie, though none of the action requires the Christmas season as an instigator. However, there are scenes in church, Kevin being alone on Christmas is something that's focused on heavily, and there's a ton of Christmas music in the soundtrack and the original score uses Christmas motifs.

But Die Hard and Batman Returns effectively take place in winter and as such use Christmas imagery, but Christmas is not required for those movies to take place. You can probably make a slightly better case for Die Hard as John McClain wouldn't be in LA if it weren't for the holidays, but after the set up, Christmas doesn't factor into the movie at all.

[Vakanai]

I've never felt Die Hard was a real Christmas movie, just an action movie. But I like it and love the Burton Batman movies as their own, non-Christmas movie selves.

[Alan2099]

I've never supported Die Hard as a Christmas movie. Batman Returns feels far more Christmassy and even it isn't much of a Christmas movie.

...

Gremlins, however... totally a Christmas movie.

[Kieran_Frost]

I think it's a Christmas film. It's set at Christmas, relevant in a lot of moments, and the overall theme is about redemption, which is a very Christmas theme. I'd count it.