As Jackie Chan's "Shanghai Noon" has been described as an 'Eastern Western', one might tempted to describe "New Dragon Gate Inn" as an action-filled 'Eastern "Casablanca" '. What is certain here is that this is a stunning DVD of a breathtaking film.

Produced by Hong Kong legend Tsui Hark, this tale of a resistance fighter Zhou Huaian (Tony Leung) up against the evil and mighty Cao Shao-qin (Donnie Yen) is bloody stuff. Victims are wiped out like insects and honour and revenge are the main motifs of what is at times a confusing film. Stick with it though as there are many pleasing moments and the sweeping battle scenes in the Gobi desert are truly stunning.

As with most Hong Kong films the picture has a slight bleached quality to it that lends itself to occasional graininess. This is not an issue though as fans of Eastern films will be delighted by the quality of the print and the clear remastered subtitles.

The sound is firmly rooted in the centre speaker but it's clear and precise. The only flaw is the music of the film, which has been poorly thought out and is like putting a Bontempi score to "Lawrence of Arabia".

As with previous releases from Hong Kong Legends like "The Black Sheep Affair", the attention to detail on this disc is excellent. The animated menus sell you the film before you've even seen it but if you can hold off then look through the original trailer and an interesting interview with Donnie Yen.

Chapters: 30
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
Extra Features: Scene selection, UK music promo, theatrical trailer, Donnie Yen interview, biography showcase, production photo gallery, full length original version of film, animated menus.