Set in the middle of the Ming dynasty (1457), Dragon Inn is highlighted by the martial arts actions of a female knight who, along with her brother, attempts to defend the children of an assassinated minister after the children are exiled to the remote Dragon Gate Inn. Derek Elley writes in International Film Guide, “The inn is a staple ingredient of the Chinese action film, but Hu's use of its watering-hole qualities is consistently charged: here the inn is set amidst open, rock-strewn terrain, like some gigantic dried-up river bed, and the kernel of the drama is acted out during its quiet, off-season period. The inn functions both as a dramatic stage on which conflicts are played out and as a symbol of resistance to the ruthless suppression tactics of the Eastern Agency (tun ch'ang), the imperial Gestapo of the Ming dynasty...controlled by the court eunuchs. Hu's special gift for the pregnant, violence-charged calm before the storm--precariously balanced between humor and drama--is perfectly encapsulated in the early scene(s).... Tension is maintained as both sides gather at the inn, loyalties are revealed and critical mass is reached--the final resolution played out high up in the mountains....”