Both dvd releases are available from Mega Star (only a 1 disc version is available currently of Three... Extremes. The initial pressing had a bonus disc with the making of's). The 1.78:1 framed anamorphic transfers look pretty much identical, revealing good sharpness, detail and colours. Some small pieces of print damage can be seen but nothing that will detract.

The original audio track mixes Cantonese, Mandarin and the options on offer are Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and DTS-ES 5.1 but as I'm not equipped with such a system, my assessment of this disc aspect will be left off this review.

The English subtitles between the versions are in meaning the same but they seem a little less refined on the long version. Traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles are also included.

3 making of programs accompanied the 2 disc edition while Dumplings for obvious reasons only features the Hong Kong segment. Clocking in at 14 minutes and 33 seconds and featuring the same subtitle options as the feature, some decent exploration of casting and thematic intentions are on offer. It would need more running time to dive deeper into any issue though but as subtitles are available, it's definitely worth a look. Remainder of the extras contains a not so thrilling text screen with the synopsis, the trailer, cast & staff listing and English/Chinese language biographies/filmographies for Fruit Chan (also contains a well-written director's statement), producer Peter Chan and actors Miriam Yeung, Bai Ling and Tony Leung. Unusually informative, it's only Fruit Chan's biography that seems awfully short. Nice touch of Mega Star to list various awards for his films though.

Region: 0

Distributor: Mega Star

Chapters: 12

Picture: Letterbox 1:85:1. A great transfer here captures the beautiful photography in all three films, but particularly the first two.

Main Menu Chapter Selection

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS soundtracks with Chinese and English removable subtitles. Good, error free subtitles

Trailers: Two trailers, one for 'Three... Extremes' and one for 'Dumplings'.

Extras: Whereas Panorama's release of 'Three' boasted disposable biogs, Mega Star has put together a rewarding 2 disc special edition here, with a second disc given over to supplementary material. Text plot synopses are more useful than they sound, especially for Miike's 'Box', making the opaque story somewhat clearer.

Each film has a short "making of..." featurette, all lasting approximately twenty minutes. The featurettes for 'Box' and 'Cut' have intermittent subtitling, but feature interesting cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes production material. The featurette for 'Dumplings' is completely subtitled, offers compelling interviews and behind the scenes footage and is a great companion piece to the movie. Credit information rounds out a great package.