This is the first DVD I have seen from Hong Kong Legends (HKL). I only say this because until now, I haven't been able to watch any Region 2 PAL DVD's. HKL is almost legendary in status so my expectations were pretty high. I can honestly say I wasn't disappointed.

The picture quality surprised me. The print that is used looks very good. Very minimal specks and the colors are rich. The transfer itself is also done well. The black levels are good and I didn't notice any artifacts. The only flaw I noticed is a line on the right of the screen in certain scenes. This also showed up on my computer. On my player, I was able to zoom in and get rid of it. This may just be do to overscan. Other than this minor flaw, the picture quality is great.

OPERATION CONDOR stars Jackie Chan as Asian Hawk, an adventurer who risks life and limb to obtain priceless artifacts. When his friend's girlfriend (Rosamund Kwan) is kidnapped, he must retrieve the Armour of God as ransom. He can only locate three pieces so he asks the owner if he can borrow it with the promise that he will bring back the remaining items for the complete set. The owner agrees but insists that his daughter go along. They must infiltrate a cult to rescue May, and retrieve the complete Armour of God.

OPERATION CONDOR is not my favorite Jackie Chan movie but it is still very entertaining. There are some great car stunts and the fight scenes are excellent. This movie has the famous scene of Jackie fighting the Amazon women. This movie also is the one where Jackie came very close to dying when a stunt involving him grabbing a tree branch goes wrong. This is a must for Jackie Chan fan's as this is probably the best version you will see of this movie.

The sound is also very well done. I watched the Cantonese track and most of the sound comes from the front speakers with very little from the back. The mix is well done. The dialogue is never drowned out by effects or music. There is one scene were the special effects are a little low but this may be intentional. It is toward the beginning when May is kidnapped. The machine gun sounds are very low compared to the music. This did not detract from my enjoyment of the film. There is also an English dub which I did not listen to.

The subtitles are a little small but easy to read. They are white and the spelling and grammar are fine. They are timed well with the dialogue.

The extras include two trailers, a photo gallery, and an interview with Jackie Chan. The interview is interesting and is one I haven't seen before. He talks about the fight with the Amazon women at the end of the film.

Overall, if you are fan of this movie and can play Region 2 PAL DVD's, this is a must have. This is the best the movie has looked. Hong Kong Legends really did a good job with this one. Miramax could take a lesson from HKL.