For this disk we still don't get a full widescreen version but one cropped to 1.85:1, dubbed in English and transferred from a video master. Its not all bad though because to make up for it (and probably the main reason why this disk has been released) also included is the ultra-rare never-seen-before director's cut of the film which was discovered in a film vault in Korea. This also has an aspect ration of 1.85:1.

I'll start with the English dubbed version. As transfers from video go this is probably one of the best I've seen. Although colour definition and picture resolution do not compare to a transfer from original negatives there are none of the pixellation problems or evidence of artefacts that have been present on a number of similar disks (e.g. MIA's early releases). The picture is definitely an improvement over the previous VHS release. The soundtrack is English dubbed stereo which sounds a little distorted but is perfectly functional. I did hear sound coming from the surround sound speakers of my Dolby pro-logic TV but only just.

The real reason to buy this disk is for the Korean version of the film, the only source which exists being the video tape found in a film vault on the outskirts of Seoul. This is a rough cut and has been edited by Hwang Jang Lee himself. It has to be said that the picture and sound quality is quite poor. The picture is a lot darker than the English or VHS version, there is a slight ghosting and quite frequent scratches from the video tape. Its just like watching an old video. Still the transfer has again been handled well so at least there is nothing to add to the problems of the source material.

The soundtrack on this version is mono dubbed Korean which at times suffers from background hiss and rumble. Again this is perfectly functional and as I don't speak Korean I wasn't really listening to it that much anyway - more for the fight sound effects than the dialogue. A new set of easy to read subtitles has been provided for this version.

So this might not be the best quality we've ever seen on DVD but the fact that we can now watch this version at all is something to be thankful for. For a comparison of picture quality between the English dubbed, Korean and VHS versions, go to the bottom of this page. Please note that the shots from the DVD have been squashed to fit them on.

Where it gets really interesting is in the differences between all three available versions of the film. Its to their credit that Eastern Heroes have given us something with this disk that we haven't seen before in the UK as neither of the versions are the same as the previous Mandarin VHS release and I would imagine it to be highly unlikely that we would ever see a complete digitally restored version of this film. The main points of difference are as follows :

1) The English dubbed version does not contain the first fight scene where Hwang Jang Lee stops a kid from picking his pocket, nor does it contain the fight between Eddie Ko and Fan Mei San over the snuff bottle. There are also a couple of none fight scenes missing, mainly to do with Fan Mei San and his troupe of child thieves.

2) The Korean version is missing some of the none-fight scenes. Like the English version it does not have some of the Fan Mei San scenes. It is also missing the sequences where Hwang Jang Lee tries to get past the gatekeeper of Shaolin. Instead it cuts straight to Hwang Jang Lee training.

3) The Korean version does contain nearly all of the fights. The one that is missing is where Hwang Jang Lee sneaks into the abbotts quarters and secretly watches a kung fu lesson. The scene is not cut completely but the fighting is missing. Of the rest of the fights many contain sequences that are not included in the Mandarin VHS or English versions; the main ones being:

• Hwang Jang Lee's first fight with Eddie Ko at night. There are a few sequences here not in the other two versions.

• Hwang Jang Lee's fight with the monks before leaving Shaolin. There are some extra slow motion sequences.

• Hwang Jang Lee's final fight with Tino Wong. There is a short sequence where Tino Wong tries to play dead.

• Hwang Jang Lee's final fight with Eddie Ko. There are some extra staff fighting bits and a short sequence where Eddie Ko uses drunken boxing techniques.

5) It does seem as if the Korean version has suffered from censorship as some of the more gruesome deaths (not by today's standards) are missing such as Hwang Jang Lee's sister's suicide, Hwang Jang Lee's brother in law getting his throat cut by Tino Wong and Tino Wong's death by drowning. In fact the whole of the rape scene between Tino Wong and Hwang Jang Lee's sister is missing. The fight scenes don't appear to have been censored however.

6) The Mandarin VHS version is probably the closest to being complete but it is missing some of the training and fight sequences seen in the Korean version.

7) The Korean version carries a completely different music score to the other two.

For a film as old as this the extras are, as you would expect, quite limited. There is the theatrical trailer in widescreen (as seen on the previous VHS release) and a Hwang Jang Lee kicking showcase taken from the 'Top Fighter' documentary and featuring some of the best moments from 'Hitman in the Hand of Buddha'. There is also a set of filmographies/biographies for Hwang Jang Lee, Eddie Ko, Tino Wong and Corey Yeun.

The disk also comes with some nice animated menus and is region 0. There are 12 chapters for each version. A slight niggly thing is that the chapter directory on the inside of the case doesn't quite match up.

Despite the lack of a widescreen remastered version of the film, if you're a Hwang Jang Lee fan and enjoyed this film the first time round then this is an essential disk. I doubt that there is going to be a better version available on DVD or that anybody else would have gone to the effort of giving us the Korean version.