‘Die Hard’ Christmas vibes from Netflix’s ‘Carry-On’
American film star Bruce Willis poses to photographers' call as he poses before a poster of his film, "Hostage," during a press conference in Tokyo, May 23, 2005. Willis was in Tokyo to promote the action thriller film.
JUNJI KUROKAWA/Associated Press
Actor Taron Egerton poses for photographers upon arrival at the Bafta Film Awards in central London, Feb. 2, 2020. Egerton stars in a new action thriller, "Carry-On," that gives solid "Die Hard" vibes.
Jason Bateman, a cast member in "Carry-On," poses at the premiere of the film Dec. 5, 2024, at the Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles.
If John McClane worked for the TSA and cracked a few less one-liners, he might fit perfectly into “Carry-On,” a ridiculously entertaining thriller set in a busy airport on Christmas Eve.
Instead of Bruce Willis, “Carry-On” stars Taron Egerton (“Rocketman” and the “Kingsman” film series) as an inexperienced but quick-witted TSA agent, Ethan, who is blackmailed into letting a dangerous piece of luggage pass through airport security.
The suitcase contains very bad things, and per the instructions of the mysterious Traveler via a wireless earbud, Ethan must let it pass without suspicion, or else his pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson), will be killed.
Played with verve by an against-type Jason Bateman, the Traveler controls Ethan’s every move with both friendly banter and ice-cold ruthlessness. It’s not quite an instant classic villain on the level of Hans Gruber, but Bateman makes for a charismatic foil to Egerton’s affable hero. Egerton also showcases his convincing “Tom Cruise Run” in a number of scenes.
The tension in “Carry-On” escalates to a few preposterous-but-fun places simply because the premise needs a bit more meat once the suitcase does (or doesn’t) pass through that X-ray machine. Danielle Deadwyler (in the running for an Oscar nomination this year for “The Piano Lesson”) plays the cunning police detective who eventually finds her way into this conundrum, and the movie rachets the suspense until its inevitable showdown between Traveler and TSA.
Look, the movie is ridiculous, but it’s a whole lot of fun. Director Jaume Collet-Serra, known for his run of solid Liam Neeson thrillers like “Non-Stop” and “Run All Night,” knows how to make a punchy, ground-level thriller. The Christmasy elements of “Carry-On” appear sporadically with the occasional wreath or holiday jingle … but don’t worry, Netflix has about 900 other Christmas movies if you’re looking for something a little more on the nose.
With all the comparisons people have made between “Carry-On” and “Die Hard,” I’m surprised by how few mention “Die Hard 2,” another Christmas Eve set action adventure that actually takes place at an airport! “Die Hard 2” may only be the third best “Die Hard” movie, but it most closely resembles “Carry-On” in terms of overall entertainment value (not a perfect movie like “Die Hard,” but yippee-ki-yay, merry moviegoers, it’s a lot of fun).
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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.
Actor Taron Egerton poses for photographers upon arrival at the Bafta Film Awards in central London, Feb. 2, 2020. Egerton stars in a new action thriller, "Carry-On," that gives solid "Die Hard" vibes.
Jason Bateman, a cast member in "Carry-On," poses at the premiere of the film Dec. 5, 2024, at the Egyptian Theatre Hollywood in Los Angeles.