REVIEW: ‘DOA: Dead or Alive’ (DVD – Dimension Films)

Having arrived in the $5 bin at a local retailer, Dimension Films’ release of Corey Yuen’s DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE has finally drawn my attention long enough to review it. The disc is part of The Weinstein Company’s “Dimension Extreme” series. Even with Yuen at the helm, it was a smart choice not to force the release onto the company’s Dragon Dynasty label which so far has been reserved for Asian action imports. The cover artist gets kudos from me for including a picture of Collin Chou despite his limited role in the film.

As expected, picture quality is fine. English and French 5.1 soundtracks are included, as well as removable English and Spanish subtitles. Bonus content is underwhelming but appropriate given the limited interest this title generated in the U.S. This is not the type of film that typically attracts the martial arts movie faithful who are always hungry for more extras.

East Meets West: Behind the Action of DOA (11 minutes) - Excellent behind-the-scenes featurette is informative but short and to the point. It contains interviews with all the main cast members and footage of Corey Yuen working with them in China where the film was shot. As with any good bonus material, you’ll come away from watching this having a better understanding of the work that went into making the production. It was very nice to hear Devon Aoki, Jaime Pressly and other cast members speak well of Yuen, in addition to explaining from their perspective his method of working with Western actors despite knowing limited English.

Theatrical Trailer

• Format: Region 1 NTSC DVD
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
• Audio: English 5.1, French 5.1
• Subtitles: Traditional Chinese, English
• Length: 86 minutes
• Release Date: 2007.09.11