WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Die Hard
Genre:Action Adventure

Reviewed In Issue 31 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald Veljohnson, Paul Gleason, DeVoreaux White, William Atherton

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 4
Sound Rating: 5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number): 0890584
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $59.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 132
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1988
(LD Release Date): 10/98
(THX® Digitally Mastered): Yes

Credits Information
(Director): John McTierman
(Screenplay/Written By): Jeb Stuart & Steven E. de Souza
(Story): NA
(Music): Michael Kamen
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Jackson DeGovia
(Visual Effects): Boss Film Corp., Video Image
(Costume Designer): Marilyn Vance-Straker
(Editor): Frank J. Urioste, ACE & John F. Link
(Supervising Sound Editors): NA
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): Charles Gordon
(Co-Producers): NA
(Producers): Lawrence Gordon & Joel Silver

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Panavision
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.40:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.32:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): DTS Digital Surround
(Theatrical Sound): Dolby Stereo A & 70mm 6 Track Dolby
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital): No
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Back in 1988, Die Hard perhaps set the stage for suspenseful, humorous action thrillers to come. McClane launches his own one-man war against terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) who has taken hostages in a Los Angeles high rise building over the Christmas holiday.

LaserDisc Picture:


LaserDisc Soundtrack:
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz): Yes
(Aggressive System Surround): Yes
(Intense 25Hz Bass): Yes
(Deep Bass Challenging): Yes
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
(Aggressive Split Surround): Yes
(Center Back Surround Imaging): Yes
(Directionalized Dialogue): No
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Yes
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Yes
Superb Color Fidelity:
No
Superb Cinematography:
-
Reference LaserDisc:
No
Collector Edition:
No
DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
While an improvement over the LaserDiscs reviewed in Issue 2, Die Hard and Die Hard 2 feature the same transfers as the Dolby® Digital LaserDiscs reviewed in Issue 18, though none of these DTS versions are credited as THX®-certified. When compared to the LaserDisc reviewed in Issue 18, Die Hard With A Vengeance also exhibits the same transfer, that while generally pleasing, is marred with excessive noise to the point of distraction. Color fidelity is fully, if sometimes over saturated with slightly orangeish fleshtones, rich colors and deep, solid blacks that sometimes lack definition. Color fidelity is often natural and stylized, but often appears plugged up and wanting in clarity. None of the three LaserDiscs exhibit exceptional sharpness and fine detail. Still, noise and grain is not nearly as evident as on the earliest versions of Die Hard and Die Hard 2, which were released on LaserDisc in 1989 and rated a 5. Strangely, the oldest film of the three looks better than its sequels as far as color resolution and sharpness; though by today’s standards, this disc doesn’t compare to the superb LaserDiscs and DVDs available, and should earn a pleasing 4 score, instead of a 5. Similarly, Die Hard 2 is not quite superb, but is a generally pleasing 3.5. If these films are ever released on DVD, let them be anamorphically enhanced to help eliminate excessively apparent and irritating NTSC shimmering motion artifacts that are especially apparent in Die Hard With A Vengeance. When compared to all three previously reviewed, superb Dolby Digital soundtracks, the DTS Digital Surround soundtracks excel with even more spatially holosonic and coherent surrounds in terms of side and back wall imaging. The music’s harmonic structure is also better resolved, as well as interchannel separation. Like the sound design on the other LaserDiscs, the DTS soundtracks employ aggressive surrounds that are effectively discrete-sounding for even better defined spatial dimension, though such differences are not always dramatic. Nonetheless, the DTS rendering improves on the nicely presented holosonic experience delivered by the Dolby Digital versions. Bass extension is deep, to below 25Hz even in the surrounds, and the .1 LFE channel jolts with explosions. Dynamic impact and clarity is well-pronounced. Though the soundtracks are a bit bright in character with dialogue that is largely ADR-produced and wanting in spatial integration, they will not disappoint.