DVD Released by : Columbia/Tristar

Player reviewed with : Sony S3000

Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925

Features:

Menu

Cantonese and English Soundtracks

5.1 Dolby Digital Surround

Making Of Feature

Portugese, Spanish, and English Subtitles

Widescreen and Full Screen Presentations

Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs

Running Time : 101 mins.

TOKYO RAIDERS is a pleasant surprise. Tony Leung is a James Bond-type of spy who is great at Kung Fu and has several tricks of his sleeve. Ekin Cheng is a body guard who is protecting a client's daughter (Kelly Chen) as she looks for her fiancé who misses her wedding. The movie is fast paced and features a lot of start and stop editing and effects.

TOKYO RAIDERS is a fun movie and has more hits than misses. The movie is very lighthearted and never takes itself too seriously. If you are looking for a blood soaked Triad drama, this isn't it. This is more of a Jackie Chan type film without Jackie Chan.

The picture quality is very good on this DVD. Though not quite the quality of a major Hollywood release, the colors are very good. The black level is also well done. The film print is almost totally free of any specks and there aren't any scratches in the film. The DVD is enhanced for 16:9 TV's. In comparison, other than being 16:9 enhanced, the picture is almost identical the Universe version.

The sound is also well done. There are several sound options, I chose the Cantonese 5.1 track. There is a good balance between the dialogue, music, and sound effects. There is a lot of music during the fight scenes which gives them a lot of energy. I did notice that the bass is not as heavy as the Universe version. This was most noticeable with the music and explosions.

The subtitles appear on the black bars at the bottom of the screen. They are very easy to read and free of any spelling or grammatical errors. They are also in sync with what is said even though at times it seems like the subtitles are a little short compared to what is said on the screen.

The menu is rather plain when compared to the animated menus of the Universe version. The extras consist of a making of featurette. This is subtitled and sometimes the subtitles appear at the top of the screen instead of at the bottom. It is the same one that is on the Universe DVD. It gives a really good look at the making of the film and how laid back everybody seemed making the picture.

Overall, if you like movie, don't hesitate to get the DVD. Which one? The Universe and Columbia Tristar version are both well done. If you have a 16:9 TV, you should get the Columbia/Tristar version since it's anamorphic. If you have a good sound system, the Universe would suit you better. If you don't have an anamorphic set, the Universe version is fine.

TOKYO RAIDERS is a very entertaining movie. It is a must see for fans of Ekin Cheng. It may be a little "light" for some but overall I would recommend it.