The DVD is one of The Criterion Collection's earlier film releases (2001) and lacks many features.  Included are a long theatrical trailer and an interview with George Lucas called "Lucas On Kurosawa." In the interview, Lucas tries desperately to equate his schlock with this terrific movie, but had Lucas not mentioned this film's influence on his films, I doubt many others would notice the similarities.

Unfortunately, there are only white subtitles with this release, which often wash out against pale backgrounds. Examples of this are the scenes that pan the rocks of the mountains where the Princess's clan has their titular Hidden Fortress, but this is only a small portion of the film. However, with a film like this, any of the already pale arguments against dubbing the film into English are mooted. This is a comic swashbuckling film, and the fealty to realism and dialogue that anti-dubbers obsess over (albeit wrongly) is not even present. Also, the subtitles in this edition are sometimes anachronistic. For example, the fools use terms like, 'It sucks,' and the Princess tells the General not to try and use reverse psychology on her when he wants her to feign muteness to avoid detection. This is a comedy, so such anachronisms are not that big a solecism. Dubs are best used in comedies; a voice can intone things in ways that no word for word translation can. While the former translation is silly, the latter may not be a subtitling error, but rather a script flaw in the screenplay.

Fortunately, the occasional anachronism is about the only thing wrong with the tale. The Hidden Fortress is a great adventure movie, as well as very funny. That said, I can state with the utmost seriousness that I know Akira Kurosawa. Akira Kurosawa is a friend of mine. And you, Mr. Lucas, are no Akira Kurosawa. If only Tahei and Matakishi were around to beat him, as he so richly deserves.