Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Member since:11.07.2000
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For those who've read my previous dvd opinions you'll know that I'm a string supporter of multi-region players. Well once my advocation of Region One releases has been justified. America has just seen the release of a breand new box st that features all three Die Hard films with dvd treatments they deserve. Over in the UK we'll have to be content with a standard movie, featureless affair for now. A different studio also holds the rights in the UK so the chances of seeing this dvd in all it's glory are slim.
But still that's enough of the boring stuff, lets get on to the meat. Die Hard 3 is a rare beast. With sequels the quality often fails to match the predecessors but this one actually manages to be better then the second film and punches itself close to the first.
Bruce Willis returns as John McClane who's a bit more washed up and currently on suspension from the police force. Then in mid-morning New York a terrorist makes himself known by blowing up a large part of a city street. He'll only speak to John for
reasons unknown and soon John is drawn into a battle of wits and meets an unwilling partner in civilian Zeus (Samuel L Jackson). Together the pair are lead on a race around New York as Simon the terrorist plant bombs around the city.
The film is full of explosive set pieces that include the blowing up of a subway station, a taxi cab chase through Central Park and an elaborate heist. Willis is back doing what he does best while Jackson once again shows why he is the coolest actor on the planet (TM). No one can ever better Alan Rickman as a villain but Jeremy Irons has a good try and his biting rivalry with McClane really makes the film. It's action packed, exciting and everything you'd expect.
The dvd itself is a two-disc affair. The first dvd has a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer of the film. It's a remaster so the quality is excellent throughout with very little sign of flaws.
The sound is the real reason to get this set. There are Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 mixes. This was the Die Hard film that was created in a digital age. So as a result the sound is excellent with the bass really kicking in from the outset with the bomb explosion. Rears get a fearsome workout throughout as bombs explode and general mayhem ensues. Of course the DTS track stands aboove the Dolby mix by having more punch and depth.
The only extra on the first dvd is an audio commentary with Director John McTiernan who has additional comments from some of the crew. McT is quite informative on the film and his role in the story and also being a producer on the film. This is certainly a better track than he's done for some of his other films.
Pop in the second disc and after the cool animated menus you are confronted with a whole host of dis hard goodies.
The major extras is an alternate ending to the film. Unlike some other discs this is actually 'alternate' and is far more subdued than the ending in the final cut. It features an over the table confrontation between Simon and John.
Next is a series of 'making of' features that run for just under an hour in total. They are promotional but feature a lot of behind the scenes footage on the stunts and some interesting interviews with cast and crew. They are certainly better than the usual 'making ofs' that say "go see the film-its good".
Next is a series of featurettes that run just under 30 minutes in total. They feature some of the special effects sequences such as the subway sequence and the taxi cab ride through central park. They are very interesting and just show how much planning, time and effort goes into what amounts to a minute of screen time.
Bruce Willis also contributes an interview about the film which gives information about his character, the story and the Die Hard series in general. Again it's a bit promotional but has some interesting information.
Some of the major sequences feature in a storyboard section where you can seen the original drawings for the stunts and effects sequences before the cameras rolled.
Finally there is a comprehensive section that feautures trailers and TV spots. Loko hard and you'll also find a small collection of out-takes that are quite amusing with Bruce losing control of his bicycle in a scene.
This is the kind of dvd that make shelling out for that multi-region player worthwhile. You can't buy this edition of the film on it's own at present but I'm sure it'll be made available in the future. However I'm sure if you like this film you like the previous two. If that's the case then £40 for a six dvd set is small change.
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Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 1995 - Action/Adventure - Director: Tom Clegg - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Sean Bean, Daragh O'Malley, Allie Byrne, Oliver Cotton, Emily Mortimer, Michael Cochrane
Production Year: 1996 - Action/Adventure - Director: Tom Clegg - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Daragh O'Malley, Oliver Cotton, Jason Durr, Sean Bean, Allie Byrne
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Advantages: Exhilarating sequences that reside in you, a sense of anticipation for the next.... Disadvantages: The logic is occasionally flawed and when the film sags, it sags....
the_grouch 03.06.2001 (03.06.2001)
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Review of Die Hard 3
Jul 22nd, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
