'Live Free or Die Hard' - High-Def Digest review

[jed]

Just posted Peter's review of 'Live Free or Die Hard.' He's a fan of the flick itself, and says this Blu-ray boasts great video, even better audio, and a strong enough batch of extras that fans shouldn't go away disappointed. Unfortunately, Fox's decision to *not* include the unrated cut of the film on this high-def edition (as they have on standard-def) makes this one a less perfect package than it might have been. Still, a solid recommend all around...

Full review here:
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1093...ordiehard.html

[Micker]

Dam, PG-13?? Bad choice to not release the unrated version. Yippie Kiyaa mother*beep*.

[LiK]

thanks for the reivew, i will wait for the unrated edition on BD

[fbm2000]

I just purchased the Die Hard Collection (Box Set) on Blue-Ray. This is one of my most highly anticipated set of films to own on Blue-Ray. However, I'm experiencing issues with all the movies.

Live Free or Die Hard I put in and noticed a flicker on the Warning Screen. The first actual video to come up is the Simpsons Movie Trailer. The trailer had video, but no audio. At the end of the trailer the screen went to black and nothing ever came up. There was no loading icon or nothing. Just blackness. I did this a couple of times and the same thing. I tried to hit the next button on the remote and it froze up my player.

Die Hard would not load. I had in my player for 20 minutes and it would not load.

Die Hard 2 and 3 loaded the first time I put in the player, but now when I put in neither film will load.

I own a Samsung BD-P1000. I have the latest firmware update from October which was a firmware update to help play FOX BR DVDs (Day After Tomorrow and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer). I own both of those movies and they play fine. I also own 4 other Fox BR titles, and do not experience any issues with those as well.

Is there an issue with this Box Set? I spent a $100 for a Box Set that will not play. I'm tired of hearing about firmware updates, especially when I just did one a month ago to help play FOX titles. I don't have any problems with any other BR titles from any of the other studios. Also, a year into the format and there are still issues like this.

I'm getting to the point where I might just have to stick with Standard DVD for my FOX titles if this is going to be an ongoing issue.

[bodin]

Just update firmware again i guess

[nexpos]

Keep us posted on your issues. I want to pick this up today, but no stores near me have the boxed set.

[bone crusher]

I think I will pick up Live Free today at FutureShop.

[lukusno1]

Originally Posted by fbm2000

I just purchased the Die Hard Collection (Box Set) on Blue-Ray. This is one of my most highly anticipated set of films to own on Blue-Ray. However, I'm experiencing issues with all the movies.

Live Free or Die Hard I put in and noticed a flicker on the Warning Screen. The first actual video to come up is the Simpsons Movie Trailer. The trailer had video, but no audio. At the end of the trailer the screen went to black and nothing ever came up. There was no loading icon or nothing. Just blackness. I did this a couple of times and the same thing. I tried to hit the next button on the remote and it froze up my player.

Die Hard would not load. I had in my player for 20 minutes and it would not load.

Die Hard 2 and 3 loaded the first time I put in the player, but now when I put in neither film will load.

I own a Samsung BD-P1000. I have the latest firmware update from October which was a firmware update to help play FOX BR DVDs (Day After Tomorrow and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer). I own both of those movies and they play fine. I also own 4 other Fox BR titles, and do not experience any issues with those as well.

Is there an issue with this Box Set? I spent a $100 for a Box Set that will not play. I'm tired of hearing about firmware updates, especially when I just did one a month ago to help play FOX titles. I don't have any problems with any other BR titles from any of the other studios. Also, a year into the format and there are still issues like this.

I'm getting to the point where I might just have to stick with Standard DVD for my FOX titles if this is going to be an ongoing issue.

Yeah I get a fireware update needed on my Pioneer BDP-LX70A and the machine only came out monday! Good old Fox and BD+
Everything else works fine. I hope I don't have this with all Fox titles, they are shooting themselves in the foot otherwise. I can pretty much guarentee the UK release of The Day After Tomorrow will have issues.
Thankfully my copy does play past the firmware though on Die Hard 4.0 , and does look -amazing- but it's still hassle to get upto this screen in the first place. I rang pioneer monday and they are looking into it as I'm one of many who've rang up.
I think Fox should do quality control testing of their discs on a good few models before just putting out something to the public. Never has these issues with the other format. But i'll let them off due to how good the film looks

[fbm2000]

Originally Posted by bodin

Just update firmware again i guess

Already tried that, but did not help.

[HiRez]

I'm so conflicted on this one. I really want to add this to the collection, but I don't like my John McClane all watered down. It's inevitablet hat Fox will release the Unrated version on BD, but who knows how long that'll be! HELP!!!

[SBrooks1]

Can someone who owns the entire collection give me an idea of the PQ on Die Hard 1.0? I'm really curious.

[dalamchops]

4.5 stars should be highly recommended o.o

[enigma63941]

Originally Posted by HiRez

I'm so conflicted on this one. I really want to add this to the collection, but I don't like my John McClane all watered down. It's inevitablet hat Fox will release the Unrated version on BD, but who knows how long that'll be! HELP!!!

I feel they same way. Its not quite the die hard movie until you hear THE WHOLE yippee kay yhay. You can get the first three, but I guess you should wait on the third. On the waiting part I have noticed that no high-def has been released for adding on a high def track, or another version of their film yet. The studios just continue to put out movies finished or unfinished. They seem to just try to stick to release date. Maybe they should follow Disney's lead and not put out a movie until all the bells and whistles are ready. The P.O.C. and trilogy and hopefully the Jerry Bruckhemier trio, "The Rock", "Crimson Tide" and "Con Air".

[booboo]

I was appalled when I was sitting in the Theatre watching this movie because it was obviously 'cut' and re-edited for PG-13. Its unmistakable when he is swearing because the onscreen lip movements dont match the voice, especially with a picture filling your entire field of vision. Also noticable major edits whenever anything 'good' was about to happen.

To be sure, I felt like I was being slapped in the face, because I paid money to see this in the theatres in its 'original' form, only to get a TV re-edit.

When I watch movies in the theatre, the first thing I think of now, is how good the movie will be when I finally get it on home release. This movie was on my 'must-buy' list, simply because I was looking forward to all the unnecessary cuts I missed at the theatre. Alas, I am not buying this boo-ray, nor am I optimistic it will be corrected for YEARS to come with this now in the 'catalogue'.

So sad.

[Parodius]

I just watched the unrated version on the DVD and it does feel quite R-rated. Not watered down at all with lots of profanity. The decision to make the BR PG-13 forced me to watch the DVD and forego purchasing the BR. How the review can recommend it is beyond me...

Is it just me or does John McClane feel like too much of a superhero in this one. Slamming into cars head first and basically getting right up, jumping off exploding jets, and so on? The every-man quality of the character is missing in this one.

I also felt like the story was all over the place. The first two movies were confined and more claustrophobic. This one and the third one are just all over the place.

There are also lots of plot questionables in this one. It felt like they had to add a lot of ADR in post to make it make sense. "Oh, the turbines must be in the basement" or whatever for example, even though there is really no reason for them to have this information. There is lots of dialog that feels dubbed in after the fact to explain something that wasn't clear, or didn't make sense.

I also found it a bit racist and sexist. Kung Fu is somehow cheating, or at least no match for good-old American fisticuffs? They sort of ran into the same problem as Lethal Weapon 4. In that film Jet Li is so superior to the protagonists that you want him to win.