You would be justified in thinking the Die Hard franchise has been done to death by now. Over two decades since the original Die Hard was released in 1988, Bruce Willis is still reprising his role as hard man John McClane over and over.

This time around, Die Hard 5 will be taking some of the strain off of Mr Willis. They have cast Jai Courtney to play his son Jack.

Don’t you John McClane fans worry though. He has signed on to return. Possibly in a lesser capacity though. After all Bruce will be in his 60s by the time they start making Die Hard 6!

You might know Jai Courtney from his role in Spartacus: Blood and Sand. He beat The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth for the role of Jack, who has been described by the official press as “an apple that has not fallen far from the tree.”

Basically he is tough, means business and is all set to take over the franchise when Bruce can no longer walk. He may even be tougher than his dad was back in the 80s.

So how’s the story going to go? Apparently John and Jack relocate to Russia, where the double act will attempt to stop a terrorist plot in Moscow. Some things never change.

The film is to be directed by John Moore, the man who brought the computer game Max Payne onto the big screen. So at least he’ll know what he’s doing. The screenplay is being handled by Skip Woods.

A Good Day to Die Hard will be released on Valentines Day in 2013. How romantic.

The poll collected 2,882 ballots, so this should be a pretty definitive list, let’s see. Yep, It’s A Wonderful Life is right at the top, with a heart-warming 17.83% of the vote. Directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart as the man everyone would love to change, this does indeed seem to be the ultimate story for warming your cockles on a cold winter’s night.

Coming second is Muppet Christmas Carol. Those little puppets have been everywhere recently with the upcoming release of their new film, The Muppets, proving that they have what it takes to go the distance. A newer favourite coming in third is the celebrity-packed Love Actually, proving that love actually is all around.

Other films on the top 50 list include Die Hard at number eight, not specifically a Christmas film but a goodie nonetheless, and Gremlins at number 18, you know, the one with the scary little creatures that multiply at a terrifying rate. Bridget Jones’s Diary also makes an appearance at number 29 and the newly released Arthur Christmas is already there at number 41.

Now that Christmas is just around the corner (nearly…) prepare to watch your favourites and get ready for the season to be jolly!

Die Hard is an action-film staple, and there’s no better example of an actor perfectly suited to the genre than Bruce Willis. From what was said in Kevin Smith’s no-holds-barred account of the production of Die Hard 4.0, Bruce Willis is something of a director-exhausting, on-set diva. Not that you’d ever tell him that to his face. So how suitable does John Moore look with this job in mind?

Well, Moore’s been in the film biz for a good twenty-one years, and thus far has produced work that reads as a mix of good and okay, if you’re fine with Max Payne being the worst game-to-film adaptation in cinematic history. But, bad interpretations of other media aside, he seems geared up for the run-and-gun genre, and his work on Behind Enemy Lines likely had some effect on the film’s $51m profit margin.

So, the story? Well, all we know for now is it’s set in Russia, but at a guess I’d wager you’ll see Soviet weaponry, some form of angry villain sidekick that’s a mixture of cold as ice and generic as How I Met Your Mother. Willis will travel to the cold country after being pulled out of time off (he should really update his employment contract at some point) with a witty sidekick, fight some bad people to stop either something being detonated, or someone being killed, or both. Bleeding, bruised and probably covered in soot, he will then collapse in the snow and say something like “makes clearing snow off the driveway look like a cakewalk.”

Who knows, I might’ve just called it.

Reboots are common, but there are certain films that it’s best not to touch. Die Hard, Indiana Jones, The Godfather, Star Wars, oh, and Jurassic Park. The reason you don’t reboot these franchises is because they are fine as they are.

It’s not the X-Men franchise, where the films are decent but could be easily remade and improved on – the Jurassic Park films are legendary, and most especially the first two (similar to Terminator, another untouchable franchise… well, it used to be). So to remake them runs the risk of a giant like Spielberg effectively trampling all over his own work in favour of a film that won’t be guaranteed to inspire the same amount of awe, terror and excitement that the original films managed in spades.

Nothing’s set in stone at present; nothing ever is, when it comes to remakes and reboots, as the controversy of committing to something so blasphemous usually renders the project inert after a few short months. Then again, it’s not a new rumour, the web tells me, but Spielberg’s direct involvement with the project lends it a worrying level of credibility. More on this as it develops.

There are oodles of Christmas films out there, which we love and get us into the festive spirit of things. But there are also loads of other movies set in and around Christmas time, that don’t perhaps have the same level of cheer to them. If you feel like Scrooge and have a sore head from too much crimbo craziness, why not take our alternative Christmas film quiz?

You’ve seen the films. You’ve cheered and whooped and hollered as John McClane took out the bad guys again and again. Now reload, and take aim at this quiz! Yippee-kay-ayyy, film fan!

Most of us are more than happy to settle down and take in a buddy-cop film. The themes of friendship, comedy (sometimes dark, sometimes absent), and the spirit of justice is more than enough to drive a basic plot through a few glass windows and out of the building just before it explodes. There are a lot of top tens about on the web, but here at TFR Towers, we find that it’s best to go with films following a “common sense” rule: one person on the poster, does not a buddy-cop film make. Here’s our pick of the best, though feel free to interrogate us in the comments section.

1. Bad Boys

The cops? Mike Lowery, a cocky ladies’ man played by the ever-likeable Will Smith, and the straight-shooting, rather dour Marcus Burnett, by the calmer Martin Lawrence.

Arresting qualities? Smith’s fantastic use of humour bounces well off Lawrence’s stoic resolve and stern demeanour, and the pair make for an interesting tag-team as they take down the thieves of $100m worth of heroin.

2. Starsky and Hutch

The cops? Serious, over-worked never-toes-the-line David Starsky (Ben Stiller), and reckless, blonde-haired and broken-nosed Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson, played by the loveable Owen Wilson.

Arresting qualities? Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller have been together in a shedload of films, and while Wilson’s blue-eyed swagger makes for a great Hutch, Stiller makes the film even better with his Meet the Parents-esque neurotic persona as Starsky.

3. Die Hard With a Vengeance

The cops? Super-cop John McClane, played by the intimidating Bruce Willis, teamed up with Samuel L. Jackson’s stubborn, prejudiced and excellently-named cop, Zeus Carver.

Arresting qualities? Well, for one, it’s a Die Hard film, and as we all know they set the bar when it comes to action films. The pair, initially distrustful of each other, bond and go on to take out terrorists with an efficiency only achievable by McClane himself.

4. Hot Fuzz

The cops? Simon Pegg’s super-flawless Nick Angel, and Nick Frost as Danny Butterman, the bumbling son of the police chief.

Arresting qualities? Hot Fuzz is, quite simply, one of the best British comedies of its generation. Following the perfect cop (Pegg) who’s been sent to the tiny postcard village of Sandford for showing up his colleagues, he soon finds that life in the countryside isn’t as quiet as it seems. Hilarious, well-written, and some fantastic actors make for Britain’s finest buddy-cop film.

5. Se7en

The cops? Brad Pitt stars as city rookie David Mills, and Morgan Freeman’s William Somerset is partnered with him on his last case before he retires.

Arresting qualities? Pitt and Freeman are two of the best actors of the last fifty years, and their interactions, at first timid, but then more trusting and accepting of each other, makes for an interesting team when they track down Kevin Spacey’s haunting “seven sins” serial killer.

6. Rush Hour

The cops? Comedy dream team material: Jackie Chan as Asian super-cop Lee, who’s temporarily partnered with the sceptical but witty Carter, played by the equally witty Chris Tucker.

Arresting qualities? Jackie Chan always had a knack for making some of the most impressive martial arts choreography in action cinema seem hilarious and unintentional, and combined with Tucker’s sharp wit and cheeky delivery of his lines, this film (and its two sequels) are worth the effort – the credit-roll outtakes are the icing on the cake.

7. Training Day

The cops? Hardcore law-man Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) and rookie, Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke).

Arresting qualities? The interesting portrayal of Harris’ corrupt methods and whether or not they’re justifiable as a means to an end involving handcuffs and medals is, to say the least, intriguing. Not to mention guns, serious cops and reliably great acting work from both leads.

8. Tango and Cash

The cops? Sly Stallone’s Tango and Kurt Russell’s Cash make for some fantastic banter, and of course, Stallone’s trademark warbling, mumbling, serious delivery of his lines. Perfect for a man on the beat.

Arresting qualities? Imagine making the bust of a lifetime, only for you and you buddy to be framed, imprisoned, and hunted by the very man you busted. This is the life of Tango and Cash, and it’s a whopper of a thrilling tale about justice and trust in the American judicial system.

9. 48 Hours

The cops? Nick Nolte plays Jack Cates, a cop and the sole survivor of a cop massacre, forced to recruit convict Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy in his first-ever film role) in order to catch another criminal, this time, one on the loose.

Arresting qualities? Well, aside from Eddie Murphy’s obvious comic potential, it’s an interesting tale of the initial distrust and later teamwork between a white, straight cop and a black convict, deftly dealing with racial stereotypes with comedy and thrills throughout.

10. Lethal Weapon

The cops? Homicidal cop Riggs (Mel Gibson) is forced to team up with the rather more formal, calmer version of himself, Murtaugh, played by Danny Glover.

Arresting qualities? Riggs and Murtaugh are comic inventions of the highest calibre, and the film is one of the funniest, most entertaining cop films of all time, the pride of many a cop-fan’s film collection. There’s nothing like watching two men fumble their way through the hunt for a drug lord as they attack each other’s attitudes, and it features Mel Gibson at the height of his career, whilst Danny Glover is witty and extremely well chosen for the role.

It sounds like the sort of thing that would happen in one of his films, but it is the sad truth of the matter that this is real life.

Real life also tends to come with consequences, and like it or not, McTiernan will be up in front of a judge soon.

What makes it worse is he also lied to the FBI about this issue – twice. This is seen as a reason why it has now been taken so far.

It’s an interesting case, because he’s such a well-known Hollywood figure, much like the legendary director Roman Polanski. However, while Polanski nipped off to Switzerland after committing statutory rape amongst other charges, and has just been granted freedom from extradition to the US, McTiernan has had no such escape.

The private investigator hired by McTiernan, Anthony Pellicano, is currently serving a hefty 15 years in prison for tapping other phones including Sylvester Stallone’s. Rollerball producer Charles Roven, the subject of McTiernan’s wire-tap, is probably pretty upset, as anyone would be.

All this goes to show is that Hollywood names aren’t above the law, which may come as a relief to those upset about the lack of justice visited on Polanski.

Hopefully this will send a message to the more… rebellious members of the A-list community.

A similar reboot certainly worked for Batman – the Year One prequel did wonders for the franchise. Whatever the case might be with a Die Hard adaptation, one thing for sure is that 55-year-old Bruce Willis certainly won’t be donning his white vest this time.