The Water Margin [Special Edition]

"A kung-fu favorite has finally gotten an uncut release in the United States with this disc of The Water Margin. This version restores the film to its original cut and presents in a transfer that is letterboxed with anamorphic enhancement. Like most of the Image DVD's of Shaw Brothers films, it was converted to NTSC from a PAL video source and suffers from a minor but noticeable amount of motion blur as a result. Despite the problem, the overall image is still very attractive, with vivid colors and a nice depth to its level of detail. In terms of audio, the disc uses the original mono Mandarin mix and also includes a 5.1 stereo remix that adds some dimension and heft to the music and sound effects. English subtitles are also included. In terms of extras, this disc includes a tribute to director Chang Cheh and short but informative interviews with Ti Lung and David Chiang. Also included is an extended love scene that appeared in the American version of the film. The package is rounded by an insert with intelligent liner notes by Kenneth Woo that cover the film's production history in great detail. All in all, this is a worthwhile disc despite the minor transfer issues and kung-fu fans will be happy to see it."