Customer Reviews

Die Hard Boxed Set (Special Edition) [VHS]

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Want the full specs on the Die Hard: Five Star Collection disc? Sure ya do. Here's the goods: audio commentary with director John McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia; audio commentary with special effects supervisor Richard Edlund; "Subtitle Commentary" with cast and crew; original making-of featurette; deleted scenes; gag reel; original newscast footage seen in the film; "Editing Suite and Sound Mixing Studio" interactive feature; three interactive magazine articles; still gallery; DVD-ROM including game demos and full screenplay with scene access; 3 trailers; 7 TV spots. Whew.

How about the other two, for good measure? Die Hard 2: Die Harder has audio commentary with director Renny Harlin; HBO First Look special "The Making Of Die Hard 2"; original making-of featurette; deleted scenes; three visual effects sequence breakdowns and side-by-side comparisons; two mini featurettes on the film's stunts; trailers and TV spots, while Die Hard With a Vengeance will have audio commentary with director John McTiernan; CBS Television special "A Night To Die For; HBO First Look special "The Making of Die Hard With A Vengeance"; original making-of featurette; alternate ending; three special effects and stunt breakdowns; storyboard sequence; trailers and TV spots. All these are 2-discers, by the way. Wow.

The Die Hard Trilogy may be the best action/adventure series of the last two decades (vastly more enjoyable than the sporadic Bond films, and the self-indulgent Lethal Weapon movies), and a lion-share of the credit must go to Bruce Willis, the wise-cracking, superhuman yet humane hero. Willis became a superstar with the first Die Hard, and he is riveting as John McClain, the New York cop in L.A. With the always watchable Bonnie Bedelia as his wife, and the flashy Alan Rickman as the mercenary/entrepenour, the film is a non-stop rollercoaster ride! Die Hard 2 lacks Rickman's charisma as the villain, but Willis again gives a dynamite performance, and Bedelia is even better than in the first film. Spectacular special effects abound! Die Hard With a Vengence, the weakest of the trio, was originally intended as Lethal Weapon 4, but was rewritten for Willis and Samuel Jackson. Bedelia's absence hurts the third film a great deal, but Jeremy Irons (as Rickman's equally greedy brother) is an excellent villain. Incredible pyrotechnics highlight this film, and Willis is still a joy...And rumor has it, there WILL be a Die Hard 4!

Three movies in three two dvd editions armed with loads of special features and state of the art remastering? Boy, this is the way the "Die Hard" movies should be. Undoubtedly the best movies Bruce Willis ever made, these films deservee to be in any dvd collection. Here is the sypnosis for each film.

"Die Hard" (1988, R) New York City Police Officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) has travelled out to sunny Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife Holly (Bonny Dedelia) and his kids. Whike going to pick her up from her Nokatomi Plaza, the 40 story skyscraper where she works, terrorists led by the sadistic Hans Gruber (played brilliantly by Alan Rickman) take over the building and hold everyone in their hostage - including Holly. Now, it is up to McClane to save the lives of everyone in there and have a merry Christmas with his family. Stunning action sequences and special effects as well as great acting create one of the greatest cop dramas ever made. 5/5

"Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990, R) The sequel to the 1988 megahit has Bruce Willis returning as John McClane. In this one, McClane is stranded in a Washington, D.D. airport, awaiting the arival of his wife Holly (a returning Bonny Bedelia). However, a group of terrorists is planning to take over the airport. McClane gets wind of the plan and tries the warn the hard headed airport police chief (Dennis Franz) and the stubborn commander of the U.S. Army anti-terrorist squad. The terrorists seize control of the airport, and no travelling planes can land, meaning the planes overhead are running desparately low on fuel - including Holly's. It is up to McClane to save the day once more in this action packed sequel that's as is good as the first. 5/5

"Die Hard With A Vengeance" (1995, R) Most people will have trouble watching the third cahpter in the series after the events of 9/11, but to me it is still the best film in the series. Bruce Willis returns for a third time as John McClane. In this one, he is once again living apart from his wife Holly (Bonny Bedelia does not return for this one) in New York City, where he is orignally based. When a wave of terrorist attacks hit the city, McClane is forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the terrorist leader (Jeremy Irons). After having his life saved by a civillian (Samuel L. Jackson),McClane recruits him as his partner to find the terrorist. When McClane learns the real reason why the terrorist has chosen him to participate in his little games, everything results in yet another action packed thrillride that's even better than the first two. 5/5

The dvds are loaded with exciting extras as well as great sound and picture quality. This is one dvd set that belongs in any collection.

These are movies most everyone has seen. I'm not going to review the movies but the DVDs.

The first two are pretty good. The audio has its highs and lows, but the picture quality is solid. The third one, however, should NEVER be added to any collection. Every frame is pixelated. And there's even a noticable track pause on the disc. If you really want to own these movies, wait for a better transfer.

This is an unbelievable set. The movies look absolutely beautiful and the sound is great, but what really makes this set is the extras. All three movies have commenatry by the directors. All three movies have behind the scenes specials. However my favorite extra is the alternate ending to Die Hard with a Vengeance. This is not your normal alternate ending of just re-edited footage put on the disc. This one is actually an all new ending in a new location with different dialog. Whether this ending is better or worse than the one they used is up to you to decide.

I really can't say enough good things about this set. If you are a fan of the films you need to own this set. That is it 'nuff said.

This 3 Disc box set is a must-have for Die Hard fans!

The movie that made John McTiernan (Predator) the hottest action director in Hollywood, created an explosion of inferior rip-offs and with Bruce Willis, started the long line of sweaty vested heroes while making a huge box-office success.
The movie of course, is Die Hard. The first (and best) in what would become a trilogy, Bruce Willis' first major action man role carries the distinction of being heralded as the greatest action movie ever made. It's title is debatable, but regardless, this movie is great! The action, stunts, uber-cool villains, one-liners, impressive FX and big noisy things exploding make this one of the all-time greats.
This special edition DVD is loaded with extras.
A commentary by director John McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia, outtakes, deleted scenes, the whole flippin' screenplay, awesome trailers, TV spots and DVD-ROM features with script-to-screen comparison and game demos and more cool stuff for die-hard Die Hard fans (Hey, that's where the saying comes from!) See? This movie has truly influenced countless action films but has also become a statement for all things sweaty and extreme. Yipee Kay Yay!

Renny Harlin took over directing duties for Die Hard 2. While the 2nd instalment has it's moments, it's pretty much more of the same, as Bruce Willis gets back in sweaty vest mode as John McClane, with William Atherton. But this time around, the action, while impressive, isn't as cool as the first one, and the villains aren't as well written or interesting. Harlin's trademark over- the- top action is always present however, and this makes for some enjoyable action stunts and heroics.
As action sequels go, it's good enough to satisfy fans of the franchise, and despite its faults, director Harlin (Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea) knows how to string together some impressive action scenes. The extras are good, with a commentary from Harlin, making of's, deleted scenes, trailers, visual effects 'making of's and some other cool stuff. A good film made better by the extras.

Director John McTiernan returned to helm the 3rd part to the Die Hard trilogy, which regains much of the fun action that was missing in Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2. Bruce Willis does the sweaty-vested action hero thing again as John McClane, and to good effect. The main villain, played by Jeremy Irons, is much better than the weak bad guys in DH2, and the inclusion of Samuel L. Jackson makes it even better. Great stunts, action, one-liners, explosions and music. Fine extras too, with a Commentary,featurette,trailers and more.

The original 'Die Hard' is one of those rare movies that come around once every 10 years or so. If you look at any of the AFI lists of the greatest movies ever made, you will see this film make their list, the amazing thing being that the lists I am referring to are not meant for action but movies IN GENERAL. With an amazing cast, wonderful script, solid directing, this is a rare example of the perfect movie. If you love action movies and haven't ever seen Die Hard before, stop reading this review and go pick up the film. Even 18 years later, the movie had stood the test of time with barely a bump in the road, and it's the quickest 2+ hours that will go by.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

Die Hard 2 is another fine movie and a wonderful sequel. The writers could have easily copied the same storyline as with the original Die Hard (see the Under Siege films), but instead they go a different route with another fine script. This movie only gets better with age for me. Another solid performance by Bruce Willis, fine directing and you have a sequel while not as good as the original, it's enjoyable to say the least.

**** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

'Die Hard With A Vengeance' is an odd film. Wonderfully acted and written at times, there are scenes which I think are even better than the original Die Hard. But then you have ridiculous moments like Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson falling 100+ feet and not killing themselves where the movie just falls flat. I think the script itself is even better than the Die Hard 2 story, but with 5 years time between the 2nd and 3rd films, this just doesn't have the same enjoyment as the other movies. Deciding to make Bruce Willis a divorced down and out drunk cop doesn't help you connect as well to the character as in the 1988 and 1990 films either, so this movie gets the lowest rating of the bunch.

*** RECOMMENDED

Watching all three of the phenomenally successful DIE HARD movies is an exhausting, yet rewarding, exercise in how to make an action movie. Directors John McTiernan (1 and 3), and Renny Harlin (2) keep the action brisk, full of gun fights, fistfights, explosions, car chases, etc. Bruce Willis is the ultimate cop hero as John McClane, the rebel with a cause. In "Die Hard" John is in LA to visit his estranged wife, Holly, who is high on the corporate ladder in a Japanese company, helmed by the reliable James Shigeta. Nasty pseudoterrorist, high falootin thief Alan Rickman (delightfully villainous) plans to steal 600 million dollars in bonds while under the pretense of a terrorist raid. Willis is in the building, and along with his silent partner (the great Reginald VelJohnson), he manages to save the day but not without a lot of exciting action sequences. Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton, Hart Bochner and Paul Gleason add some good support, and it's a slam bang actioner!
In the second movie, Willis finds himself again at Christmas, this time at Dulles Airport, awaiting his wife's arrival from LA. This time around, we have a nasty dope kingpin (Franco Nero) about to be extradited for his crimes, but he has a whole slew of terrorists out to make sure he is not brought to justice. Bonnie Bedelia as Holly, William Atherton as the world's most obnoxious newsreporter, and Reginald VelJohnson (although only briefly) are brought back for this tense, edge of the seat action. William Sadler, Dennis Franz and John Amos are along for the ride on this one.
The final movie, "..with a Vengeance" is quite different from the first two. No Bedelia or Atherton this time (and I did miss them somewhat), but Willis is the target of revenge by a game-playing Jeremy Irons (all blonded and buffed up). He receives first rate support from Samuel L. Jackson, the marvelous Larry Bryggman (As the World Turns)and Graham Greene. Tense and nerve-wracking, this wraps up a really great trio of action movies.
They really haven't gotten better than this for pure adrenaline and action!

Die Hard is one of the most influential action films ever made. After its release, all sorts of action films, with similar plots, began to appear. Despite all these copy-cats, Die Hard has never been equaled in greatness. Die Hard has all the qualities that make a good action blockbuster: a great villain, likeable hero, good one-liners, and of course, awesome action sequences.

Die Hard works so well because the screenplay presents many action scenes in the most logical way possible, most action film scripts don't worry themselves with trying to be logical; though they should. The Die Hard screenplay actually takes some time to develop its characters, again, this is a rarity in most action films.

Another reason Die Hard works well is because Bruce Willis doesn't play his character, John McClane, as a hero; he plays him as a normal guy.

Alan Rickman is very effective as the charming and cold villain, Hans. Reginald VelJohnson is convincing as McClane's buddy, Al Powell.

John McTiernan's direction and John F. Link and Frank J. Urioste's fast-paced editing, and the musical score make the absolute most out of the script's riveting action sequences.

The DVD for this film is great. The picture quality is pristine, free of artifacts and edge enhancements. The commentary with John McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia is very informative. The outtakes are particularly amusing.

Die Hard was followed by Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Like most action films, Die Hard 2 does take some liberty in stretching the laws of logic and physics. That's all well and good for entertainment purposes; but it's a bit of a disappointment here, because, as I stated earlier in my review, one of the reasons the first film was so good is that it didn't succumb to that and when it did, it covered it up more nicely than Die Hard 2. Never the less, Die Hard 2 is still a great thrill ride.

Bruce Willis does a fine job at reprising his role from the first film. William Sadler is very effective as the villain, Colonel Stuart.

The director, Renny Harlin, does a nice job at making the most out of a weak script. The action scenes, while not as believable as those in the first, are just as riveting; thanks to him.

As with the DVD for the first film, the picture quality here is great. Renny Harlin's commentary is very entertaining, he talks continuously with virtually no pauses.

Die hard 2 was followed by Die Hard With a Vengeance (Die Hard 3). As with the second film of the trilogy, this film falls victim to action scenes that are sometimes hard to swallow. But also like the second film, it still manages to be entertaining.

Bruce Willis and and Samuel L. Jackson have a great screen chemistry. Jeremy Irons is delightfully villainous as Simon.

The direction and editing are weak. You sometimes have to question what happened because of lack of information.

The picture quality on this DVD is very good. The alternate ending presented on the second disc is quite interesting; I feel it's a better ending than the one the movie has now. The commentary with director John McTiernan, writer Jonathan Hensleigh, and former Twentieth-Century Fox President of Marketing Tom Sherrick; is quite revealing. The commentary is dominated by Hensleigh who actually comes off as being pretty smart, this is surprising when you consider some of the lousy scripts he's written. One draw back to the commentary is Tom Sherrick who really has nothing important to say; thank goodness he isn't on the track a for long periods of time.

This is a first-rate DVD set and belongs in anyone's DVD library.

A must-have for fans of Bruce Willis or any die-hard action afficiniados. The "Die Hard Trilogy" combines some of the most splendid action scenes that ever exploded onto the screen, the most spectacular effects, the most memorable lines and possibly the most endearing hero, John McClane, who is constantly pitted against innumerable enemies and impossible odds. The first film is undeniably great. The second is more action-packed, but lacks the wit, logic and subtlety of the original. The third reduces characters and situations alike into cartoon formula. Each in its different way, however, is simply great, unbeatable entertainment.