Stars: Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Bridget Lin, Donnie Yen

Director: Li Hui Min

Summary: A high action story of Zhou Huaian, who is forced to take shelter at the Dragon Gate Inn.

This action-packed Hong Kong film, produced by Tsui Hark, is a clear predecessor of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. In the movie, an evil eunuch warlord (Donnie Yen) conspires against the Ming Dynasty and meets his match in the form of a motley band of acrobatic warriors led by the rebel Chow (Tony Leung) and the manager of the titular inn, the mysterious Jade (Maggie Cheung). This epic production features masterful fight sequences and a stunning finale shot in the Gobi desert.

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New Dragon Gate Innis the DVD title of the 1992 swordplay adventure Dragon Inn, producer Tsui Hark's follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Chinaand Swordsman 2(both 1991). In the wake of the huge success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonit is a film ripe for rediscovery. A pair of warriors (Brigitte Lin and Tony Leung), who only admit their love when it is too late, have to rescue two children from the clutches of a corrupt warlord. Fleeing through the vast, highly pictorial desert, they seek shelter in the isolated Dragon Inn run by the man-eating Maggie Cheung (traveller's tip, don't try the "mixed meat"). The scene is set for intrigue, romance and exhilarating wirework, as our heroes wait for the enemy to arrive in what is essentially the classic High Noonscenario. The build-up isn't always coherent, though that may have something to do with the subtitles, which are unnecessarily crude. Despite this the production values and high-flying fights are first-rate and the two actresses make the film, particularly the devilishly sexy Maggie Cheung. The final showdown in a desert storm is breathtaking.

On the DVD:In the cinemas this was an absolutely gorgeous 2.35:1 widescreen film, which here has been reformatted to 16:9 TV ratio, sacrificing important visual information at either side and significantly damaging the stunning cinematography. Enough survives to indicate just how beautiful the complete images are, and the anamorphically enhanced 1.77:1 transfer is sharp and clean on exterior shots, though some of the dimly lit interiors display considerable grain. Although only mono the sound is full and free from distortion, providing a good showcase for the atmospheric score. The film can be watched with the original Mandarin soundtrack and English subtitles, or dubbed. Included is an interview with Donnie Yen and detailed text biographies of the two female stars. The music promo is Hong Kong Legends' own trailer, included together with five further trailers for other releases. The original theatrical trailer is also present, and no matter what screen setting it is played at, everything looks vertically compressed. However, change the DVD player setting from widescreen to 4:3 letterbox and the trailer plays in the correct 2.35:1 proportions, confirming how the film was really shot. Though the DVD packaging bills this edition of Dragon Innas the full-length original version though there is no explanation of what footage has been restored from previous releases. --Gary S. Dalkin

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	Mandarin
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Music Promo, Original Theatrical Trailer, Donnie Yen Interview, Biography Showcase, Production Photo Gallery
Subtitles:	English
Year:	1992
Release Date:	July 17, 2000
Runtime:	99 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	M D V 374
Keywords:	New, Long, Men, Martial, Wide, Screen, Gate, Inn, Dragon, Arts, Ke, Xin, Zhan
Genre:	Martial Arts