New Dragon Gate Inn

Everybody loves "Crouching Tiger", but this movie made more than 10 years ago is a much better martial arts movie. Instead of trying to be everything like "Crouching Tiger" did, it was just designed and implemented as a martial arts movie, and nothing else. This focus made it great to begin with.

In addition to a stellar cast, great action scenes, its plot is solid and intriguing. The final fight is one of the greatest martial arts scenes ever made, especially to those who grew up reading Chinese martial arts novels.

It is interesting that those who have a problem with the imagination of Chinese martial arts movies do not have any issue with that of "Matrix". In fact, the logic is very similar. "Matrix": with hi-tech, everything is possible, including dodging bullets; Chinese martial arts movies: with kongfu, everything is possible, including running on the roof.

Having said that, I understand that those who have never read Chinese martial arts novels may have trouble with some of the scenes, especially if you are trying to find medical evidence to verify the possibility of some moves. However, this is just a movie based on a novel, so why don't you just relax and enjoy?

This is definitely the DVD to own...(being completely disappointed and disgusted with "Ashes of Time" by Kar-wai Wong), "Dragon Inn" a film credited to Hark Tsui has restored my faith in action/martial arts fantasy films. Stunning cinematography, interesting and engaging storyline, and something that most other movies seem to lack and that is a general depth and interest for the characters. In "Dragon Inn" we actually feel and care about the protagonist and his love, and the third pawn, the beautiful owner of the Dragon Inn.

The sword fighting scene is spectacular. Every movement is "balletic" in the sense of being graceful and streaming. The inclusion of "traditional period-piece music" in the scenes was euphonic. The special effects were dazzling. The cast is indeed talented, how many people out there can actually do both acting and being athletic. The triangular aura between Brigitte, Maggie and Tony ignites a spark all on its own whether its Brigitte and Tony or Maggie and Tony or even Brigitte with Maggie...its almost Freudian. Lots of action films lose their audience because the ending becomes all too predictable. The action in Dragon Inn does not disappoint and doesn't lose any integrity with the audience from the beginning to the finale. Furthermore, the power of the Dragon Inn is that suddenly we realize that we are connected...Wow...

Superb reworking on the 1966 King Hu classic that pays greater homage to the old-fashioned swashbuckling epics of Hong Kong's yesteryear rather than a cash-in on the new wave crop: this is meatier than its contemporaries and offers expert choreography and top-notch performances throughout. Tsui Hark produces this historical affair, a costume drama detailing the plight of resistance fighter Zhou Huaian (Leung) and partner Qiu Moyan (Lin), relentlessly headhunted by evil eunuch Cao Shao-qiu (Yen), a powerful so-and-so and hottest contender for supreme control of the Imperial court. Zhou is his latest obstacle that deserves elimination and so he lures his orphan children into a trap, which summarily backfires and the resistance take up refuge at the isolated Dragon Gate Inn, situated in the middle of the desert. Cheung plays the delightful innkeeper in a light hearted and flirtatious manner, and truly shines in the role, however there are few comedic touches: the movie is dark and sinister due to its restrictions to the Inn, yet the action is lavish and radical, culminating in that legendary Gobi desert finale that'll just blow your socks clean off.

I saw this movie once as a 15 year old kid during a holiday in Hong Kong. Still, I will never forget the feeling I had then: absolutely stunning, the guys at school should see this, the best I've ever seen, there's nothing in the world that can beat this one. And after all these years, I haven't seen anything that reached the level of New Dragon Inn and gave me that wonderful, heart pounding feeling. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero are okay, but absolutely not comparable with this real Hong Kong martial arts classic. New Dragon Inn is absolutely on the list the next time I go to Hong Kong (I only want the original Cantonese version). There are a lot of people who won't understand the feeling a good martial arts movie can give you, but that doesn't matter. I know it's Hong Kong's no. 1 in the kung fu category. Absolutely.

Even as Hong Kong wuxia movies go, this one is wild, replete with a Hotel California in the middle of the northern Chinese desert, a marauding crew of arrow wielding horsemen, the evil eunuch from Butterfly and Sword, a lovable midget barbarian, the beautiful Maggie Cheung, and the gender bending immortal Brigitte Lin. Maggie Cheung carries the movie with hilarious style. Donnie Yen sweeps into the end of the movie looking like Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The final battle scene culminates in a sudden surprise so ludicrous that I laughed out loud, even though I was alone. The film's only disappointment is the wooden love interest Tony Leung (KF, not the much better CW) - why would Maggie fall for such a stiff? Dragon Inn is simply a fun film, and comparing it to the pretentious and boring Crouching Tiger, as other reviewers do, does it a disservice.