Region 4 Winners and Losers

    The Region 4 is a port of the Region 2, with different trailers.

    The US Region 1 has a couple of trailers, but is not 16x9 enhanced and is a cut version. The cuts were not made for censorship reasons but to tighten the narrative and reduce the running time. The outtakes at the end of the film are also missing. The Region 4 is uncut.

    The All Regions Hong Kong disc from IVL (also containing the sequel) has photo galleries, trailers and ten minutes of deleted scenes. It also has a dts 5.1 soundtrack as well as Cantonese and Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1 and Cantonese Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks. Reports on the audio tracks are not favourable, with the dts track having the same bottom-heavy sound as the Region 4, and the original audio being shrill and uncomfortable to listen to. Another earlier release from Mega Star was not 16x9 enhanced.

    Unless you really want dts sound, the Hong Kong Legends release is the winner, particularly given the large quantity of extras. The Region 4 version is less expensive and more accessible than the UK version, so prospective buyers should check their local outlets. However, Hong Kong Legends have just announced that the film and its sequel will be released in a box set at a reduced price in the UK later this year, so if you want both this might be the least expensive option.