Both movies are absolute classics, and there’s even a case to be made that Die Hard is a technically and structurally superior film (though this writer still prefers Lethal Weapon on an entertainment level).
Comparisons between Lethal Weapon and Die Hard have persisted for decades — mostly because of the shared IMDB DNA between them.
However, in terms of echoing themes and ideas that have become synonymous with the holiday season, Lethal Weapon is the better film (not to mention one of the greatest action franchises of all time).
Between the presence of producer Joel Silver behind the scenes, the inclusion of actors like Mary Ellen Trainor, Al Leong, and Grand L. Bush, and the fact that both are Los Angeles-based Christmas cop movies that released only one year apart, it’s easy to lump them into similar categories.