A Better Tomorrow

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Sams K Great movie! Everything's just insane. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Noah g there wasnt quite as much action as the other john woo and chow yun-fat collaborations, but it was still a great movie with a good story Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/19/24 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

A Better Tomorrow

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