Movie:
The Duel is the English title for Jue zhan zi jing cheng zhi dian, which was originally released in February of 2000 overseas. Directed by Andrew Lau (The Storm Riders), the film stars Andy Lau (Yip, "Sword Saint"), Ekin Cheng (Snow, "God of Swords") Nick Cheung (Dragon 9), and Vicky Zhao Wei (Princess Phoenix).

After years away, master swordsman Yip Ku-sing, known better as the Sword Saint, returns to the Emperor's palace and challenges Snow, also known as the God of Swords, to a duel on the apex of the Forbidden City on New Year's Eve. The Emperor grants his request, as Yip Ku-sing is of royal blood, and will allow eight people to witness the fight. In charge of determining the eight is Dragon 9, who is one of the best imperial agents and a personal friend of Snow. In the days leading up to the duel, several murders take place in the palace, and the evidence points to Snow. Refusing to believe his friend is guilty, Dragon 9 is determined to uncover the true culprit. But what he discovers in his search is something more sinister…and threatens the life of the Emperor himself.

The Duel was my first Andrew Lau film, and I must say that I'm impressed. A great combination between comedy and action, along with a touch of mystery and romance, The Duel is a film well worth checking out. Though he received third billing, the main actor in the film is Nick Cheung, who provides a great deal of the film's comedy. Both he and the other actors do a terrific job, both in their acting and in the martial art fight sequences. Speaking of which, the martial arts in the film are quite good and are a combination of special effects and wire-fu. The movie is a bit confusing at times though, especially towards the end when everything is revealed in very quick fashion. But overall, it's an above average Hong Kong action film with great characters and wire-fu.

Picture:
The Duel is presented in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is quite good, but for a film less than two years old, I expected a bit better. There are quite a few marks and specks throughout the film, though less than in other Hong Kong DVDs I've seen. There is also some slight film grain in a few scenes. Colors are natural, though a bit muted in appearance and flesh tones are accurate throughout the film. Blacks, however, do seem a bit light in the film.

Sound:
The Duel is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in Cantonese, Dolby 2.0 Stereo in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin, and an isolated track with the film's score and special effects in Dolby 1.0 Mono. The 5.1 surround track is fairly impressive, and though the track is mostly based in the front surrounds, there are some excellent rear directionality effects. The music sounds much more full and rich in 5.1, especially compared to the isolated score in 1.0. The English subtitles, which were redone for this release, are quite good. Though there are a few bad grammar spots, they are easy to understand and highly recommended over the very terrible English dubbing.

Extras:
Previously available with only a few extras, Tai Seng's loaded release definitely earns the "Special Edition" tag. First up is an audio commentary with Ric Meyers and Frank Djeng. Meyers is the author of "Great Martial Arts Movies : From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More" as well as a columnist for "Inside Kung Fu" magazine. Frank Djeng is the translator of films at Tai Seng and redid the subtitles for this release of The Duel. The two discuss the film in depth, comparing the film's story to its origins in the TV series and the novel. Meyers often points out the people in the film and gives the viewer some background information on them. Though I would've liked to have a more technical commentary, I did enjoy it, and I look forward to hearing future commentaries by them. Next is the twenty-minute featurette titled "Making of the Duel" with hard English subtitles. It features interviews with the cast and crew, a plot synopsis, and a brief glimpse at how the special effects in the film were accomplished. There is also a photo gallery, which is a slideshow of behind the scenes photos and poster art that runs about two and a half minutes. Trailers are also here for The Duel (two Hong Kong and one US), Dragon Inn, Armageddon, Fist Power, Running out of Time, Body Weapon, and Deadful Melody. Filmographies are available for Andy Lau, Andrew Lau, Nick Cheung, Vicky Zhao Wei, and Ekin Cheng. And there is also the aforementioned isolated score.

Summary:
Tai Seng's release of The Duel provides great picture, sound, and some terrific supplements – the only thing missing here is 16x9 enhancement. Needless to say, fans of the film will definitely want to give this release a look and fans of the director, stars, or wire-fu martial arts will want to at least give it a rent. Recommended!