by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Die Hard has recently become a Christmas staple in my family’s home. Growing up, the guaranteed movies we’d watch at Christmas were It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, Jim Carrey’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Home Alone. Everything else had their shots and were loved to an extent, but those four were the non-negotiables. Eventually, Die Hard cracked the list and made it a group of five. Somehow, my mom was able to stomach the violence, so props to her. She’s the deciding vote on these things. It’s really hard to argue with Bruce Willis’ star-making performance next to a great bottle story and the villainous Alan Rickman. The combination of great action and overcoming impossible odds to save your loved ones at the holidays gives it a special feeling. Die Hard has been ripped off time and time again since, but everyone (including most of its sequels) forget the Christmas element that this classic has. Thankfully, this year’s Carry On was paying attention in class, as it learned at the feet of the master.
It’s Christmastime, LAX is packed, and the TSA is ready for holiday travelers. Low-level agent Ethan (the lovely Taron Egerton) is vying to move up. With his girlfriend Nora (Sofia Carson) pregnant, he’s got a lot in the line. Unfortunately, the day he decides to show up with pep in his step happens to be Christmas Eve, and a group of mercenaries has plans. Led by a mysterious hatted figure (Jason Bateman), the guns for hire are aiming to release a deadly chemical weapon on a flight. With nothing but this TSA agent protecting the public from disaster, it could be a terrible Christmas for some of our travelers.
The performances by Egerton and Bateman carry the story. I’m used to seeing Bateman in the dramatic space thanks to his time on Ozark, but he’s more of a trouble protagonist there. In Carry-On, he is a full-on villain. He’s not hamming it up either — he is direct, to-the-point, and terrifying. There’s a professionalism in his role that makes him and his character all the more serious as a threat. He graduated high in his class at the Hans Gruber college of villainy.
Meanwhile, Ethan is nothing like his Die Hard counterpart. He’s unsure of himself and in the middle of the road. He just wants to take care of himself and Nora. Yes, he wants to do his job, but he’s not immediately climbing into the air vent. He grows as this day unfolds, and he tries to defend his coworkers at LAX. It’s a perfect foil against Bateman’s straightforward professional evil.
Unfortunately, this is where the notable performances stop. Don’t get me wrong: There are talented people backing up our leads. Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, and Sinqua Wells all have strong CVs, but none of them get to play a character more than an inch deep. Carson at least gets some conflicted feelings between her new maternal instinct, and reacts to her boyfriend’s strange and stressed out behavior, but no one else gets much to work with.
Speaking of no depth and small spaces, the setting of a cramped airport is a great place to pay homage to Die Hard. Cranky travelers and worn-down safety officers add to the stress that our heroes and villains are feeling. Shove the frequent fliers, authorities, and killers into a security checkpoint in one of the busiest airports in the country, and you’ve got a movie that’ll really keep your focus. I wish we had spent more time with some of those side characters on both sides of the x-ray machine, but it’s not like we were left wanting for anything at all.
Ultimately, the plot gets a little messy near the end, and keeping track of our major players is a challenge. Bateman and Egerton aren’t in the same room until the a confrontation scene at the very end of the movie, and keeping them apart hurts the audience. The movie is rushing around trying to tie up loose ends. Perhaps slowing down at the end, and having more face-to-face time with the stars, would’ve benefited the movie.
Still, Carry-On is a good product from Netflix; perfect for a stay-in movie night.
Rating: Liked It
Carry-On is currently streaming on Netflix
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