It's Christmas time in L.A., and there's an employee party in progress on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Corporation building. The revelry comes to a violent end when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to steal the 600 million dollars locked in Nakatomi's high-tech safe. In truth, Gruber and his henchmen are only pretending to be politically motivated to throw the authorities off track; also in truth, Gruber has no intention of allowing anyone to get out of the building alive. Meanwhile, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to L.A. to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who happens to be one of the hostages. Disregarding the orders of the authorities surrounding the building, McClane, who fears nothing (except heights), takes on the villains, armed with one handgun and plenty of chutzpah. Until Die Hard came along, Bruce Willis was merely that wisecracking guy on Moonlighting. After the film's profits started rolling in, Willis found himself one of the highest-paid and most sought-after leading men in Hollywood.

Returning to true form, Warner continues its string of marvelous re-releases with this two-disc Special Edition. The image, framed at 2:35:1 and enhanced for widescreen televisions, has never looked better. The film may be more than 30 years old, but the transfer rarely gives away this fact. Restoration has been a significant benefit, and while there are some signs of age, the picture is solid in every way. Colors are vivid and well saturated, while the black levels are dense and show no signs of breakdown. The 5.1 English Dolby Digital track is fairly standard in its presentation. Sound is generally centered up front, with occasional use of surrounds for effect. Though the rear speakers are used sparingly, the overall sound scheme is very pleasing. Dialogue, partly dubbed into English depending on the actor, is by and large clear and distinguishable, and the sound effects, now a martial art cliché, are unmistakable. But, while the image and sound are top-notch, the real plus for fans will be the supplements. The first disc, with the movie, has far more extras than would be expected. Included is a scene-specific commentary with co-producer Paul Heller. He offers a range of anecdotal information, but there are plenty of gaps. While good, this track may have benefited from additional participants. A number of featurettes are also included here. The longest, entitled "Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon," is newly made, and includes interviews with most of the cast and crew and location shots that are fun to watch. Shorter, but no less interesting, is "Bruce Lee: In His Own Words," a philosophical exploration of Bruce Lee's knowledge and use of the martial arts. The final featurettes, in a section titled "Lair of the Dragon," include the original 1973 making-of piece along with an odd segment called "Backyard Workout With Bruce Lee" in which he beats up a bag and some assistants. Finally on the first disc is "Linda Lee Cadwell Interview Gallery," where Lee's widow discusses her relationship with Lee and who he was as a star. But all of this is simply the tip of the iceberg, as the second disc in the set offers so much more. While there is some repetition, two documentaries on the second disc look at the life and career of star Bruce Lee. Each is in-depth, with extensive interviews from colleagues, family, friends, and co-stars, behind-the-scenes location work, personal films, and much more. Curse of the Dragon, running 83 minutes, is a complete retrospective of his life, while Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey, at 98 minutes, is even more thorough in examining his career and personal life. Both documentaries provide so much information about the man that there is a new level of understanding, not only on who he was, but what he tried to accomplish in his short life. Rounding out this fine collection are four theatrical trailers for Enter the Dragon as well as numerous vintage television spots. After the disappointing sets for A Room With a View and Wyatt Earp, Warner has gone out of its way, producing a Special Edition that truly is special, in all respects.