It’s Been 48 Hours Since I Watched Netflix’s Champagne Problems, And I’m Still Thinking About That Hilarious Hans Gruber Moment

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Warning: minor SPOILERS for Champagne Problems are ahead!

I don’t usually watch Christmas romantic comedies, but I’ll occasionally give one a try if I’m in the mood during the holidays. That’s how I ended up watching Champagne Problems on Netflix recently, and it’s still the platform’s most popular movie in the US! But instead of remembering the story itself – which stars Minka Kelly and Tom Wozniczka – I keep thinking about how funny the movie’s take on the Die Hard villain Hans Gruber was.

How Champagne Problems References Die Hard

Later in the film Champagne Problems, a funny moment happens when Roberto Salazar (Sean Amsing) and Otto Moller (Flula Borg), both vying for Chateau Cassell, share their Christmas plans with Sydney Price (Minka Kelly). Otto says he’ll be watching Die Hard with his family, but points out that in Germany, it’s seen as a sad story. They view Alan Rickman’s character, Hans Gruber, as a sympathetic figure who’s often misunderstood, and Otto explains this to Sydney.

We saw Hans Gruber as a kind of Robin Hood, taking from the rich and powerful Nakatomi Corporation. They risked their employees’ lives over a relatively small amount of money – it wasn’t worth the danger.

Great start, Otto! Then, when Sydney mentions Robin Hood’s generosity to the poor, Otto responds with this:

It’s unclear what Hans intended to do with the money, but maybe he’s planning to start some schools.

Let’s be honest, if Hans Gruber had used those $640 million in bonds to fund schools, that would have been a good thing, even though his plan went terribly wrong. And what about Bruce Willis’ character, John McClane, who stopped Gruber? Here’s how Otto reacts when Sydney brings him up:

Sorry, but the action hero John McClane created all the trouble with his famous catchphrase. Hans Gruber, on the other hand, was a thief who preferred a more refined approach.

Otto doesn’t believe Hans Gruber is perfect, but he downplays Gruber’s flaws. When Sydney correctly points out that Gruber destroyed Nakatomi Plaza, Otto just dismisses it with a simple, ‘Nobody’s perfect,’ as if it’s no big deal.

This Is A Wild Way To View Die Hard

Every year around the holidays, people start arguing about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. But this year, I found a particularly funny take on it. An online video uses a character from Champagne Problems to suggest that Die Hard is actually about a good guy, Hans Gruber, trying to help people, and John McClane is the one causing trouble! I definitely don’t agree with this interpretation, but it’s hilarious to imagine.

This situation is similar to a discussion on How I Met Your Mother where Barney Stinson claimed Johnny Lawrence was the real hero of The Karate Kid. That argument feels more valid now that Cobra Kai has shown Johnny as a more relatable character. It’s hard to say how many people genuinely see Hans Gruber as a hero in Die Hard, but you could test that theory by watching the movie on Disney+ or Hulu.

If you’re looking for a new Christmas movie, check out Champagne Problems, which is coming to Netflix in 2025. It might remind you of Die Hard, but it’s worth watching the romantic comedy all the way through to form your own opinion. Speaking of Christmas action movies, don’t forget that First Blood is also often considered one!

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2025-11-26 18:09