The first three Die Hard movies are getting new limited-edition 4K steelbook releases. While the original 1988 film has been available in 4K UHD before, these new editions represent the first time the two sequels – Die Hard 2 and Die Hard with a Vengeance – will appear in the format.
These are top-tier action movies that helped boost Bruce Willis into movie star status and, frankly, they rip. They’re available for preorder now for $44.99 each (see at Amazon), with a release date of December 1.
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All three movies are also Movies Anywhere eligible, meaning you can watch the included digital copies on any participating streamer, including Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Fandango, and more.
Die Hard – Limited-Edition Steelbook
It’s no exaggeration to call the original Die Hard one of the best action movies ever made. Set during a company Christmas party in an otherwise deserted high-rise office building, it kicks off when a group of highly organized criminals take the partygoers hostage. What they don’t know is that out-of-town police detective John McClane (Willis) is also in the building and plans to stop them (his wife, played by Bonnie Bedilia, is one of the hostages).
This movie is as close to perfect as an action movie gets, with a script that keeps the upping the ante as the criminals discover McClane is in the building and the local police and FBI only cause further problems. The film, directed by John McTiernan (Predator, The Hunt for Red October), was so successful that it inspired a whole sub-genre of action films referred to as “Die Hard on a ____.” Speed is “Die Hard on a bus,” Under Siege is “Die Hard on a boat, Air Force One is “Die Hard on a plane,” etc. This movie also introduced Alan Rickman, a gift to all humanity.
Die Hard 2 – Limited-Edition Steelbook
In 1990, two years after Die Hard, the sequel arrived. This movie isn’t as fondly remembered as the original, but it’s not a bad movie by any means. Directed by Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea), it once again takes place around Christmas, but this time in an airport. John McClane happens to be there, waiting for his wife’s plane to land, when terrorists take over the air traffic control system.
This movie revisits many of the beats of the original. Again, McClane uncovers the terrorist plot early on and has trouble convincing the local cops the threat is real. Again, official law enforcement muddles things up and the media makes things worse. But it’s a solid action film, and it performed well enough at the box office for the studio to green-light a third installment.
Die Hard with a Vengeance – Limited-Edition Steelbook
Die Hard with a Vengeance came out in 1995, five years after the previous entry. But it was worth the wait. John McTiernan is back in the director’s chair, and alongside Willis, the movie stars Samuel L. Jackson, fresh off Pulp Fiction, as well as the excellent, villainous Jeremy Irons.
This time around the action takes place in New York City, McClane’s home turf, as Irons’s character “Simon” threatens to detonate bombs if McClane can’t solve puzzles he’s set up for him. This movie made $366 million and was the highest-grossing film of 1995. It still rules.
Special Features
Die Hard
- Commentary by director John McTiernan and Jackson DeGovia
- Scene-specific commentary by Richard Edlund
- Subtitle commentary by cast and crew
- The News Casts featurette
- Interactive still gallery
Die Hard 2
- Commentary by director Renny Harlin
- Deleted scenes
- The Making of Die Hard 2
- Original publicity featurette
- The Bad Guys featurette
- Behind-the-scenes vignettes
- Interview with Renny Harlin
- Special effects breakdowns and side-by-side comparisons
- Storyboard sequence
Die Hard with a Vengeance
- Commentary by director John McTiernan and Jonathan Hensleigh
- Alternate ending with optional commentary by John McTiernan
- Behind the Scenes: Die Hard with a Vengeance TV Special
- A Night to Die for TV Special
- Villains with a Vengeance
- Original publicity featurette
- Interview with Bruce Willis
- Visual effects breakdowns and side-by-side comparisons
- Storyboard sequence
For more, check out our often-updated list of 4K UHD Blu-ray release dates.