DVD Released by : Universe

Player reviewed with : Malata DVD-N996

Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925

Features:

Letterbox

Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound

Trailer

Premiere Show

Making Of Documentary

Press Conference

Stars' Files

NG Footage

Cantonese and Mandarin Soundtracks

THE LONGEST NITE is a gritty and brutal Triad story that stars Tony Leung as a corrupt cop and Lau Ching Wan as his nemesis. Two extremely powerful Triad societies want to unite to control the city together. Word gets out that the leader of one of these families is to be assassinated. Tony leung gets the assignment of finding out who it is. His first instinct is that it is Lau Ching Wan, a newcomer to the area. What unfolds is a psychological drama that keeps you guessing what will happen next.

The acting is great in this movie. Tony Leung is excellent as the cop who breaks the hands of those he interrogates so they can't pick up a gun to shoot him when he's done. It's little details like this that flesh out the character. He's active as a cop and a Triad. He's not just a cop on the take. Lau Ching Wan also does a good job as the outsider who shows up in town and get things in motion.

The picture quality is pretty good. The film print itself is in good shape. The print is virtual speck free. The transfer is also well done. The colors look good and the picture doesn't display any artifacts in the dark scenes, in which there are a lot of. Overall, the picture quality is above average.

The audio quality is also pretty good. It is a Dolby 5.1 mix and uses the front speakers mostly. There is very little activity from the back speakers. I watched the movie with the Cantonese soundtrack. The sound effects sometimes appeared to be a little bit off with the action but not too noticeable.

The subtitles are easily read. There are few spelling or grammatical errors. The subtitles do sometimes appear in the bottom black bar so they will be cut off if you have a widescreen TV. The only problem I have with the subtitles is that they sometimes disappear to quickly. They are sized well and are readable throughout the movie.

The DVD is loaded with extras. They only problem is that they aren't subtitled. There are some promotional videos with interviews and some NG footage. There is also a trailer. A lot of this stuff you would only watch once but it's nice surprise when you are lucky just to get a menu on some DVD's.

THE LONGEST NITE is definitely a keeper. It is at least worth a rental. The movie is good and the DVD gives a good presentation of the film. Fans of Tony Leung will want to check this out. His character in this movie is much more brutal than his other films.