After unequal duos conquered the action cinema of the 80s, so-called buddy comedies also enjoyed enormous popularity in the 90s. “Bad Boys”, “Rush Hour”, “Men In Black” and Co. made the box office boom and launched some of the most successful and popular film series of their time. Another genre entry was relatively lost, flopped at the box office and remains much less known today – while being revered as a cult in genre circles: “Deadly Christmas“.
The film can be seen today, December 11, 2023, from 11:25 PM on Cable 1 and FILMSTARTS editor Daniel Fabian can only give a clear recommendation for the incredibly entertaining, exciting and fun and last but not least immensely spectacular action hit – at least for all fans of films such as “Lethal Weapon”, “Last Boy Scout” or “Last Action Hero”. Alternatively, you can stream ‘Deadly Christmas’ at no extra cost through the end of the week with your Prime subscription on Amazon:
Compared to the (other) big action hits of the ’90s, ‘Deadly Christmas’ only grossed a disappointing $95 million, especially considering its lavish production costs of $65 million. It is no coincidence that the film is now known to mainstream audiences as an insider tip, but has long enjoyed a cult status among fans (similar to the comparison films just mentioned). Because none other than Shane Black provided the script for the film – the genre specialist, who was also the author of “Lethal Weapon”, “Last Boy Scout” and “Last Action Hero”!
Black’s clever dialogue, combined with the funny qualities of lead actor Samuel L. Jackson (or the chemistry between Jackson and Geena Davis) and director Renny Harlin’s joy in directing, make ‘Deadly Christmas’ a child of its time – but at the same time a timeless, enjoyable action thriller excess in which no stone is left unturned.
“Die Hard 2” and “Cliffhanger” director Harlin had recently suffered one of the biggest box office flops in Hollywood history with “The Pirate Bride,” but he still had the full confidence of his production studio to express his joy in to live directing, especially everything, according to one motto: All or nothing! The result? A second series genre classic that’s still fun today – and goodness knows, not just at Christmas!
By the way, Shane Black’s original script also immediately announced a sequel, which would be implemented for the first time in 2007 and discussed again in 2019. However, at this point it doesn’t look like “Deadly Christmas 2” is actually happening.
That’s what ‘Deadly Christmas’ is about
Samantha (Geena Davis) is now living a peaceful new life after losing her memory eight years ago. However, when one day she is involved in an accident, she suddenly begins to remember fragments of her past. Together with the wayward investigator Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson), she wants to uncover the secret of her true identity – after all, the suspicion that she was once a CIA agent who specialized in assassinations is growing stronger!
Meanwhile, her former employers have long since smelled a fuse and have set their sights on Samantha – but she can increasingly remember not only her old life, but especially the habits of a murderous cop. So she teams up with Hennessey to battle the secret service – and soon discovers a dark truth…