Comes out June 12th.

Finally, although I could certainly do without the last one. Still, it doesn't specify if the releases will have the theatrical or director's cuts.

The page was updated with the full list of special features

According to the comments on the page you linked to the specs are identical to the already released (and very cheap) UK set. As its Warner, I assume it's region free. I might get this, if only for the first two and the bonus disc.

2 is good, as is 3. 4 has it's moments, but pretty clear by then the franchise lost it's steam.


It is region-free, actually. And according to an extensive review on it's Amazon page, the films are the theatrical cuts. And according to the review, the "directors cuts" were actually put together by Warner Bros. without Richard Donner's involvement (though it had his blessing apparently). The scenes used in those versions are here as deleted scenes.

Maybe the US set will have new transfers? Anyway, I'm pretty sure I've seen both theatrical and director's cut versions, and the deleted material makes little difference. I'll probabaly get the UK set. Also, I prefer the fourth entry to number three. It may have less "charm" (though I'm not even sure I agree eith this), but it is also less stupid, less terrible, etc.

The first one is still the best, though a great number of people say 2 is better. It straddled the line between comedy and drama as best one can in a Hollywood action film, something lost gradually as the sequels piled up.

Is it safe to assume this was released in the UK first because of the hype surrounding you-know-who's controversy a few years ago?

It is a great example of a series getting more and more complacent and too in love with its main characters, and eventually its extended family surrounding them, turning from something relatively interesting and adult for a mainstream genre film in the first to a total love-in by the fourth (at least have Joe Pesci killed off to create some drama! No? OK then). Number 4 is particularly terrible because it also totally wastes Jet Li in his US debut by reining him in due to the focus being on the two geriatric cops lumbering around. It would be akin to hiring Jackie Chan and then making him do CGI enhanced stunts or buddy comedy rather than lots of action showing off his physicality.

Though the fourth does feature (unfortunately) my father's favourite film line, spoken by one of the Chinese bad guys, which he insists on quoting at the most excruciatingly embarrassing moments: "I said fried rice, you plick!"

Blu-ray.com review. Really quite bummed there's no isolated scores or anything of length on the documentary disc about Kamen, Clapton and Sanborn's work.