M R
Great action film with a beautifully told story.
Grade: 86/100 B
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
10/02/23
Full Review
DanTheMan 2
Considering A Better Tomorrow was produced on a relatively small budget and sent into cinemas with virtually no advertising, it's simply incredible to witness what is the birth of Hong Kong gangster cinema as we know it today. Pretty much any of the film's wonkier moments are bolstered by its captivating musical score by Joseph Koo, the gripping story, epic shootouts and incredible leading performances of Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung and, the epitome of coolness himself, Chow Yun-fat. In 95 minutes, John Woo redefines his entire filmmaking career into one that is very often imitated but never matched, his ballads of heroic bloodshed and emotional male leads leave me enchanted every time. A Better Tomorrow is simply marvellous.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
06/05/23
Full Review
William L
"Babe, why do all the potted plants have fake pistols in them?"
".... Who knows what could happen."
While it doesn't necessarily have the tight narrative design that some of his later films do, and relies much more heavily on melodrama, A Better Tomorrow is still classic Woo - boys supporting boys. A pioneering film in the history of Hong Kong action cinema, this film had more prominent cultural impacts closer to home but its influence can be felt in productions across the world, hinting at a string of films to come that invited emotional conflict to pair with the intensity. Though at times objectively silly (particularly the ditzy, clumsy nature of the film's only female character, Emily Chu's Jackie, whose mannerisms and presence feel rather unnecessary), this film kicked explores masculine relationships in a context that had really been ignored previously - Woo creates bonds between his male characters that are close and intimate without losing any of the perceived 'manliness', in a decade where Schwarzenegger lathered in baby oil was considered the only type of healthy masculinity.
Much of the plot is driven by character, decisions made by weighing loyalty, honor, and morality, with antihero characters that had much more interesting facets to their personalities than had been seen previously. The story is probably the weakest aspect of the film, but as a proof of concept made with very stable components, Woo would create an entire movement in action film. Still a classic, and very watchable with its excellent action and relatively short runtime. (3.5/5)
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
06/05/22
Full Review
Audience Member
A great gun fu movie that is full of great action scenes but suffers a little from plot holes and entertaining but nonsensical action scenes.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
08/22/21
Full Review
Audience Member
One of the most groundbreaking and stunning work produced by HongKong cinema. This sylish, thrilling, action and tension-packed, and sentimental masterpiece noir action film defined John woos cinematic style of his career, both in Hong Kong and Hollywood. It is also the pioneer film of the golden ages of Hong Kong cinema. The fastidious, furiously paced, exaggerated shootouts and aestheticising violence is engaging and influential, a style that inspired generations of director in the future, including Quentin Tarantino. However, other than just the solo heroes fighting with double beretta that seems to have endless ammunitions, A better tomorrow is also a noir-thriller. It is a film that explores the characters particularly Mark, Sung Tse-Ho, Sung Tse-Kit(who, especially the role Mark, played by Chow Yun Fat have presented to us his flawlessly convincing acting, which could be considered his finest) and their loyalty and sense of morals, their betrayal, forgiveness, and their brotherly relationships and love that bonded them together, seeking for a better tomorrow in a bleak world where problems can be solved with only bullets and violence. The great camerawork captured the details and gripping tension and beauty of the action, as well as the characters journey to thriving in the mafia society of Hong Kong. Not to mention the classic original song "In the Sentimental past" sang by Leslie. The film is a meticulously crafted tale of revenge, brotherhood, and redemption. A better tomorrow has a touching plot that explores the realism and cruelty of living in the mafia world, and the difficulty to get out of such environment. A better tomorrow is perhaps the greatest and deepest action film ever made. It should be studied by all action-film directors. The film, however, does have action sequences that although infrequent and less absurd compared to A better tomorrow 2, is a bit over the top, like most of John Woos films - a lone hero carrying double berettas that have seemingly endless bullets - extremely unrealistic and a disappointment for perfectionists and those who pay attention to the details and realism of films. The film, like most low budget hong kong films during the 80s, have poor cinematography. First rate film, worth rewatching, memorable quotes, A better tomorrow, although rather rough in cinematography and exaggerated in its themes of brotherhood and the violence, is a classic.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/27/23
Full Review
david f
The themes of family, betrayal, and right vs wrong take a backseat to the stylized violence and attitude.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
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