The latest martial arts gem rescued from near obscurity by the fine folks at Crash Cinema is most certainly a shining example of what makes this genre so great. Long thought lost and only available in non-subbed (or non-dubbed) 5th gen import dupes, Lady Whirlwind finally makes a respectable appearance on DVD in the states. In the end, the result is nothing too spectacular, but at the same time, it's nothing too short of spectacular either.

It's turn of the century China, and one of the greatest commodities is salt. In turn, there are those who smuggle the salt, and then there are those who rob from the smugglers. Polly Kuan plays the daughter of the local sheriff who is wrongfully imprisoned after a frame up between the salt bandits and the local law enforcement. Hell bent on revenge, Kuan must first infiltrate the bandit's society and become their ally before she can even think of an attempt to take them down. Considering the fact that she's told time and time again that it's a shame she's a girl and that she would be able to do so much more as a man, she does the one thing that should earn herself the respect she seeks from the bandits. She has to disguise herself, so she does so as a man (natch) while her younger brother (almost unwillingly and I don't blame him) transforms himself into her younger sister. In doing so Kuan is one step closer to bringing the whole bandit's operation down from the inside and saving her father from certain doom.

Lady Whirlwind is just full of incredible fight and action set pieces that are extremely well timed and executed. In addition, the ensemble cast is a joy to watch (look for a young Sammo Hung in a supporting role) and it's also good to note the dub job is not too atrocious and never seems to get in the way either. With much more to offer than just great fights and non-eventful scenes to pull us to and from each one Lady Whirlwind stands as one of the true greats. Mixing the best of hard ass fighting and bits of light comedy, the result is pure and effective. The story never seems forced or contrived... we like these characters, empathize with them and feel for their struggle just about every step of the way. Sure it's silly at times and a bit-lighthearted... all elements that are used wisely here, ultimately to the films full advantage.

Polly Kuan is simply stunning as the title character Lady Whirlwind and is also one hell of a fighter to boot. She's quick, graceful and extremely easy on the eyes, she lights up the scene each time that she enters the frame. The fighting is fast and furious and it only makes me question why Polly Kuan is not a name that I've heard more of. The real beauty of Lady Whirlwind lies within its simplicity. It's not in your face or over the top, the fight scenes just are and it's a great and happy medium.

Quality wise, we're given a respectable presentation of a pretty rare martial arts film that I'm glad to see has surfaced on DVD. The widescreen framing looks pretty accurate and the disc is cleanly authored with really no evidence of artifacting or pixilation. There is definitely a heavy presence of all sorts of print damage with some scenes faring better than others. There are scratches and speckles throughout but ironically enough, not a whole lot of grain is visible. Considering the rarity and the price point of the title at hand, there's really no room for complaint. I wouldn't hesitate to say that this is the best this film has ever looked and the chances of it looking any better on a future DVD release are pretty much slim to none. Fans of the martial arts should definitely be proud in picking up this title and not even hesitate in doing so.

Audio is presented in a decent mono mix that has a bit of the snap, crackle and pop from time to time. As with the video there are some scenes that fare better than others as the background noise and crackling only seem to appear now and then. For the most part the audio is quite fine and as reported earlier, the dub job is not half bad either.

Extras include a trailer as well as some notes about the production and a few filmographies.

Overall this is a fine presentation (and nicely priced) of one hell of a martial arts film. Lady Whirlwind is a joy to watch with great characters and incredibly fun action sequences. The A/V presentation is NOT reference quality, however, this film IS given a respectable treatment on DVD courtesy of Crash Cinema. You wanna show your friends the full capabilities of your home entertainment center? Then you pick up the latest THX release and show off until your hearts content. You wanna watch some kick ass kung fu and enjoy the pure adrenalin rush and the action this flick provides? Then you pick up Lady Whirlwind and the Rangers on DVD. Seems pretty simple to me.

Lady Whirlwind is part of Crash Cinema's P5 collection. It's available as an individual title or as part of a 5-disc DVD box set. This DVD is labeled as 2 of 5. If you purchase all 5 titles, you are eligible to earn a discount on a new gaming accessory that allows you to control your gaming experience with an interactive glove. For more info feel free to check out Crash Cinema online by clicking here!