Dragons Forever (2 Disc Ultimate Edition) [DVD]

This is a classic Jackie Chan,Samo hung & Yuen Biao romantic comedy movie which should not be missed...10 out of 10 for Jackie and the guys.

BUT...
This so called '2 disk special edition' is a BIG LETDOWN.
The main feature itself is a seriously cut version of the film. Having previously owned the VHS version i was surprised to see this dvd version has even more cuts than the old VHS with numerous scenes cut including most of yuen biao's comedy scenes and also at least 2 fight scenes of Jackie Chans.
The Special features disk does have a nice interview with jackie,samo & yuen (all filmed seperately) but the remaining special features are quite strange to say the least.. one with Bey Logan showing us around certain places in Hong Kong that were (get this) 'much like' the filming location of certain scenes in the movie but unfortunately they were not the locations at all(apart from 1 location in a car park..although the fight scene in this release was some 3 mins shorter than the original).
All in all, don't bother with this release as you may be able to find an import version which has not been shredded by Bey Logan/Hong Kong Legends.
I'm thankful to have picked up the original release in Hong Kong recently with no cuts and also featuring the original soundtrack with english subs and deleted scenes.

Avoid this release unless you have no other choice.

Dragons Forever marks the last time that Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan appearing together in a feature film. The result is a fun film featuring some fantastic fight action. All 3 stars get to let loose in the film but the most screen time is given to Jackie Chan. Here he is given the mojority of fight scenes and they do not disappoint. The fights are frentic and hard hitting though featuring less acrobatic moves from the likes of Chan and even less death dying stunts that one might expect from Chan. The final throw down with Benny "the jet" Urquidez is amazing and they exchange fist and feet like one would expect from a kickboxing match, both being of equal skill levels. Though it does not quite live up to there first match-up "Wheels on Meals". Instead the more acrobatic movements is given to Yuen Biao who does some fantastic flips and kicks against kickboxer Billy Chow. Sammo Hung also enters the fray in some brutal fight scenes that appear painful for the poor stunt men on the recieving end. As always Sammo conveys great power and agility in his fights. The film also has a first ever brief fight between Jackie, Sammo and Biao which is great if a bit short.

The problem with the film comes in the form of logical story telling and any real emotions. Also the comedy is a bit hit and miss. During the slower periods of the film such as the romantic sequences or any real attempt at telling the story things become a bit of a bore. Unlike "Wheels on Meals" or Project A" where there was a perfect balance of successful comedy and action with good pacing, "Dragons forever" is more sparondic in terms of balance of action, comedy and romance.

HK action cinema fans will have a joy spotting the likes of Yuen Wah, Dick Wei, Yuen Cheung Yan, James Tien, Lau kar Wing and many regular faces of HK fight films. Though some appear to get punished by the likes of Chan and co. it is still a fun little distraction.

The picture quality is great and the wealth of extras on offer is a fantastic supplementary to the film. With interviews with Brad Allen, Andy Cheng and Joe Eigo. Each gives fascinating insight in there careers as stunt men. A Making of featurette with interviews with Benny "the Jet", Sammo Hung, Yuen Wah and for some reason Brett Ratner(WTF). with a few other extras that round of the package making it the definitive version to view.

Recommended for fight fans.

prior to a previous review about "dragons forever," i couldn't spot any scenes that had been cut or tampered with during the running time. on disc 2, there are 2 previously deleted scenes which might add a bit more to the plot.
with regards to the film, i enjoyed it very much. as always, we get to see jackie put his life on the line as he almost effortlessly performs those daring stunts that he's known for.
hung and biao provide brilliant support, especially sammo hung who has a natural gift for comedy and slapstick.
the climax is a great one in the drugs factory, although it got a bit too nasty at times, in comparison with other chan pictures.