Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Dragon Tiger Gate - Original Score by Kenji Kawai

Fans of action movie scores will be delighted with the thundering music composed by Kenji Kawai for Dragon Tiger Gate, a dynamic movie starring Donnie Yen Ji-dan, Nicholas Tse Ting-fung and Shawn Yue Man-lok.

The Japanese composer has penned a variety of scores, from the anime Ranma 1/2 and Ghost in the Shell, to horror flick Ringu, and Tsui Hark's martial arts epic Seven Swords. Characterised by straightforward melodies and simple structures, Kawai's music is highly effective in highlighting tension or conveying characters' emotions.

This soundtrack contains 20 tracks. Almost half are lively tracks from the action scenes, with plenty of uptempo strings and percussion to build tension.

Others are sentimental tracks that complement the subplots of the film, including the bitter-sweet love triangle between the characters Tiger, Dragon and Ma Xiaoling.

Encounter is the highlight with its glittering piano by Yasuharu Nakanishi and a poignant flute melody.

Unfortunately, there is little variation in Kawai's style, and there are striking similarities between this score and the soundtrack for Seven Swords.