DVD Review: Die Hard Collection

It's been a good twelve years since Bruce Willis last took on the role of John McClane, the sharp-mouthed hero who always seems to stumble into trouble. Now we're only 8 days away from the next installment, Live Free or Die Hard. Of course, re-visiting a really popular action hero opens the door for all sorts of tie-in merchandise. For the Die Hard series, it's a new box set, rolling in just in time for a pre-Free, Die Hard marathon. However, there was already a big, super-packed Ultimate Collection from 2001, so is the Die Hard Collection, which is arriving in stores tomorrow, worth it?

Of course, the first disc is John McTiernan's original Die Hard from 1988. When John McClane's estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and co-workers are held hostage, he becomes a one-man army determined to foil the evil schemes of Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber – with a little walkie-talkie motivation from Reginald VelJohnson, of course. The extra features for the DVD are not new. There is the extended feature that shows a longer power shut-down scene, the commentary with McTiernan and production designer Jackson DeGovia, the scene-specific commentary by special effects supervisor Richard Edlund and the subtitle commentary, which can be played with any of the commentaries or the regular movie itself.

Disc two gives us Renny Harlin's stab at McClane with Die Hard 2: Die Harder. Holly and John are in happy, romantic bliss, and he is waiting for her plane to arrive in Washington DC for Christmas. Unfortunately, terrorists take control of the airport in an elaborate plan to rescue a drug lord, and McClane seems to be the only one with enough brains to stop them, as he clashes with airport personnel while doing his over-the-top best to take on bad guy William Sadler. The lone special feature for this installment is the old director's commentary with Harlin.

Disc three gives us the former final film when John McTiernan recaptured the reigns for Die Hard with a Vengeance. Teamed with the terse, ranting Samuel L. Jackson as Zeus, a dumped, drunk and unemployed John must stop the riddling Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons) and save a myriad of New York City locales from being bombed. Of course, like any DH movie, there are twists that make it much more complicated than a bomb-crazy man looking for some flying limbs. Like the previous disc, the film's lone feature is a commentary by McTiernan.

And then there comes the final disc, the little DVD morsel made to whet appetites and open up Die Hard fans' pocketbooks -- the "Yippee Ki Yay Bonus Disc." This disc holds three features: Wrong Guy, Wrong Place, Wrong Time: A Look Back at Die Hard Documentary, The Continuing Adventures of John McClane Featurette and the Live Free or Die Hard Teaser Trailer. I'm not kidding. That's it. The first two rehash mostly the same information held in the commentaries of the other discs. The other, it's just what you can see for yourself online.

They really missed the mark here. First, they're expecting fans to purchase a box set that strips away the mass of features from the previous Ultimate Collection -- each movie had an extra disc full of extras like outtakes, storyboards, interviews, an alternate ending and specials. This collection is just the first disc of each of the films -- those commentaries mentioned earlier are the same ones on the last box set. You're only gaining two features that have crew and a few side-cast reminiscing about the old films (which I'm sure will pop up in another box set when the new one hits DVD) and the Live Free trailer on a disc you didn't have to burn yourself.

So, what's the point? I'm not sure. Sure, it's great to have a slimmer set. Each film DVD is in one of those ultra-slim cases, which saves a lot of space -- but it's at the expense of special features. While it's the perfect option for someone who doesn't care about extras and just wants to get the three films, I'd imagine that most of those people have already added the movies to their collection. It's really too bad; this would've been the perfect opportunity to give some actor interviews, behind-the-scenes clips or even better -- a full scene from the new movie. Anything like this would make the pot a whole lot sweeter, instead of just seeming like a money-grubbing stunt.

The only other perk in this set -- you get a coupon for theater tickets to Live Free or Die Hard. It's a nice touch, but it's only the cherry to a lop-sided sundae. The Die Hard Collection is a decent bare-bones set for those who don't have the films yet and couldn't care less about special features, but it definitely isn't for big fans of the series.