Product Details

• Actors: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson, Paul Gleason
• Directors: John McTiernan
• Writers: Jeb Stuart, Roderick Thorp, Steven E. de Souza
• Producers: Beau Marks, Charles Gordon, Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English, German, Italian
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Home Entertainme
• VHS Release Date: May 20, 2003
• Run Time: 131 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (319 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304801335
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,133 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Die Hard is the movie franchise that made a movie star out of TV star Bruce Willis, and created an entire action-movie genre of its own. In the original 1988 film, Willis plays wisecracking New York cop John McClane, who arrives at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles to meet up with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonny Bedelia), at her office Christmas party. As luck would have it, the company ends up in the middle of a terrorist plot led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his gang of expert killers, and with little help coming from outside, McClane has to pick off his enemies one by one. Thus was born the "Die Hard genre", epitomized by such films as Under Siege (" Die Hard on a ship"), Passenger 57 ("Die Hard on a plane" ), Speed ("Die Hard on a bus"), and Cliffhanger ("Die Hard on a mountain"). But few measure up to the explosive brilliance of Die Hard. Director John McTiernan develops the action at a fast and furious pace, culminating in some fantastic set-pieces on the top of the building, in the elevator shaft, and in the building's outer plaza. Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza's script, based on Roderick Thorp's novel Nothing Lasts Forever, is smart, funny, and full of memorable lines (among them "Welcome to the party, pal!" and of course "Yippee ki-ay, motherf*****"), and the cast is perfection, especially Rickman as the cunningly evil villain, and Willis, whose McClane character--bloodied, beaten, bruised, and barely breathing, as he battles both bad guys and bureaucrats--is someone audiences could genuinely cheer for. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should Die Hard, December 23, 1999

By 

"serpico1000" (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Die Hard [VHS] (VHS Tape)

At the end of the Eighties the action movie genre, which had flourished throughout the decade, began to stagnate. Cinema goers had seen enough explosions and gunfights cloned from the same formula made popular by Arnie and Sly. Both of these men were moving in the direction of comedy and action movies needed something new.. something fresh. In stepped John McTiernan and Bruce Willis with DIE HARD. Willis, most famous at the time for the comic T.V. Series 'Moonlighting', made a perfect ordinary-man-in-an-extraordinary-situation action hero. He was believeable as John McClane and not immune to being hurt. He blead and felt pain, a first for the genre. And yet his cool confident delivery of a great wisecracking, intelligent script made him all the cooler. But most credit should go to Director John McTiernan, king of the sophisticated action flick. He made action movies slick, smart and full of pace and wit while never letting up on the bullets, cars and bombs front. Special praise must go out to Alan Rickman too whose performance as chief baddie Hans is to this day one of cinemas finest, moving convincingly from cool, calm and collected to desperate and nervous, never once seeming anything less than utterly ruthless and calculating. Die Hard is a great movie for a number of reasons but adding three dimensions to the action genre is this films finest achievement and anyone who has not sampled its delights before now would be wise to get a copy as soon as possible. But don't see it on T.V. oh no, because it is never without significant and completely unnecessary extra editing for violence and language. Enjoy it on video or DVD if you can, see it in all its original splendor, it is arguably the greatest action film ever made. And then go see the sequels.. they rock too!

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Currently Available Die Hard DVD Worth Buying, June 16, 2007

By 

Blue Wolf - See all my reviews

This review is from: Die Hard (Special Edition Steelbook) (DVD)

Because of the fact that the new Die Hard movie is coming out, 20th Century Fox has discontinued the GREAT Special Edition DVD's of the first three Die Hard DVD'S, and are replacing them with newly-packaged one-disc versions with only half of those original DVD's features. This DVD, the Special Edition Steelbook, is the only DVD that Fox has just released worth buying, because it is a repackaged edition of the original Two-Disc Special Edition of Die Hard. Hopefully Fox will do the same thing with the other Die Hard movies.

Bottom Line: Forget the new Die Hard boxset, get this instead and wait for the other ones.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YIPPIE-KI-YAY @#$%%@!!, July 19, 2001

By 

Michael Crane (Orland Park, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Die Hard (Five Star Collection) (DVD)

When I bought the "Die Hard Ultimate Collection" set, I really didn't think they would be able to do much with the very first Die Hard. It's a pretty old movie. I really didn't know if they could do much to improve the picture and sound quality of the movie. Well, I thought wrong, for when I watched this movie, I was completely shocked and stunned. I said to myself, "I can't believe they made this movie better."

This has to be one of the best transfers I have ever seen. The picture is ten times more crisper and sharper than the older DVD version. When the terrorists shoot out the glass windows to trap Willis, you can literally see every single piece of glass landing on the floor. Also, the sound is explosive and very impressive, especially if you can watch it in DTS. When I watched this new version of "Die Hard", it was like seeing it for the very first time.

If you are not familiar with "Die Hard", here's the story: Bruce Willis is John McClane, a very short tempered New York cop. He goes to California, hoping to patch things up with his wife, who works at the Nakatomi Plaza. All of that changes when a group of terrorists, armed to the teeth with guns and explosives, decide to take over the building. Now, the only one who can stop them is McClane, and believe, he's not too thrilled with the idea, but he knows he's the only one who stands a chance against them. McClane goes on a one-man war, running around the plaza, taking out the bad guys, and trying his best to stay alive. As soon as he hears the first gun shot, McClane knows he's about to have a very bad day.

This is a must have for anyone who loves "Die Hard". I know some might be hesitant since they already have the first box set, but believe me, it is worth it. Filled with non-stop action and thrills, "Die Hard" is a classic, and should be seen by all who loves action films. Again, I must say this is one of the best transfers I have ever seen. An easy five out of five, without question.