Search - Die Hard [Collector's Edition] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity Movie Release: 1988 DVD Release: 10/14/2003 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 12 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Total Copies: 2 Genres: Action, Action Thriller See Also: Die Hard, Die Hard, Die Hard [UMD for PSP], Die Hard [O-Ring Packaging], Die Hard [Widescreen] [Repackaged], Die Hard [Steelbook], Die Hard [Blu-ray], Die Hard [Steel Book] [Best Buy Exclusive], Die Hard [Widescreen]

It's Christmas time in L.A., and there's an employee party in progress on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Corporation building. The revelry comes to a violent end when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to steal the 600 million dollars locked in Nakatomi's high-tech safe. In truth, Gruber and his henchmen are only pretending to be politically motivated to throw the authorities off track; also in truth, Gruber has no intention of allowing anyone to get out of the building alive. Meanwhile, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to L.A. to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who happens to be one of the hostages. Disregarding the orders of the authorities surrounding the building, McClane, who fears nothing (except heights), takes on the villains, armed with one handgun and plenty of chutzpah. Until Die Hard came along, Bruce Willis was merely that wisecracking guy on Moonlighting. After the film's profits started rolling in, Willis found himself one of the highest-paid and most sought-after leading men in Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bruce Willis - John McClane
Alan Rickman - Hans Gruber
Bonnie Bedelia - Holly Gennero McClane
Alexander Godunov - Karl
Reginald VelJohnson - Sgt. Al Powell

When Die Hard was originally released to DVD, fans were a bit disappointed that more wasn't put on the disc. Fox, to their credit, has released a new DVD that will make viewers forget that first disc ever existed. The anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer is top-notch, and just a step above the excellent image used on the original disc. The film is often dark, but detail is never lost and the limited amount of color shines through wonderfully. While there are a few brief moments of shimmering early in the film, they are not an annoyance. The sound, which includes both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 tracks, is very strong, but there isn't enough use of the back surrounds. Still, the front sound, which is separated liberally, is powerful enough to rate highly. DVD owners have come to expect big things from two-disc special editions released by Fox, and they will not be disappointed. The first disc is the starting point. Along with the movie, there are two audio commentary tracks, the first from director John McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia and the other from special effects supervisor Richard Edlund. Along with this is an optional subtitle "commentary track" that features key crew members plus actor Alan Rickman. This track is surprisingly well organized, but does move at a breakneck pace, making it a bit difficult to keep up. Along with this is the option of adding in an extended scene (which is also available on the second disc) with work-print visual effects. Finally, if all of that weren't enough for the first disc, it includes DVD-ROM content to view a script-to-screen comparison. But the second disc is where this DVD really stands out. Here viewers will find a treasure chest of supplemental material, including deleted scenes, an extensive interactive photo gallery, the complete screenplay, and a cutting room area where viewers can assemble parts of the film their own way. In addition there are lengthy in-depth articles from Cinefex and American Cinematographer, the "newsreel" footage seen in the movie, and numerous theatrical trailers and television spots. There is more, but it is far too much to mention here. All in all, one couldn't ask for a better DVD. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide