The One-Armed Swordsman is a great film. Its story does not offer up any real surprises as it moves along its singular track. What it does do is bring a more realistic vision to martial arts films, delivering a brooding hero who displays great honor and embodies the conflict of class distinctions and the alienation of youth.

Jimmy Wang Yu carries the emotional weight of the film as he struggles to find his place and reconcile his desire to honor his adoptive father, with his desire to leave this world behind and forge ahead with Xiaomann. It also displays Chang Cheh's vision for realistic martial arts films, as well as his penchant for spurting blood. It does not look terribly realistic, but represents something new to these films, which Cheh loved to poor on. The fights are not nearly as complex as they would later become, but they are nonetheless engaging and exciting.

Audio/Video: Both are superb. I cannot believe that this has looked this good since its theatrical release. For those who have fallen in love with the chopped, dubbed, faded, lousy videos and TV presentations, it is like seeing it for the first time. The colors are still a bit faded, but they are still vibrant and everything is crystal clear. The audio is also very nicely represented in both Mandarin and English dubbed form.

Extras: Dragon Dynasty is doing a great job of bringing these films to region 1 with some nice extras.

• Interviews: There are two interviews here. First up is a new interview with Jimmy Wang Yu, who talks on how he got into movies and his experiences on the set. Secondly there is an interview with critics David Chute and Andy Klein who speak on the importance of this film in Hong Kong.

• Featurette: "The Master Chang Cheh."A twenty minute featurette on Chang Cheh and his vision. It includes interviews with Tsui Hark, John Woo, and others.

• Commentary: The track is quite informative and interesting. It features David Chute and Andy Klein. The case claims that Quentin Tarantino is on the track, but he is not.

Bottomline: This movie is a blast, with great acting and exciting action. It features some nice cinematography, and camerawork. If you have any interest in martial arts cinema, or just good movies, make a point to see this one. Dragon Dynasty has delivered a fine disk.Recommended.