A Better Tomorrow Trilogy 4K review by Bobby Blakey
Throughout his career John Woo has set the standard for action with some of the greatest action films including Hard Boiled, The Killer, Face-Off, Hard Target, Mission Impossible 2 and so many more. In 1986 he teamed up with Chow Yun Fat for the first film in a trilogy A Better Tomorrow. Now all three films are coming to 4K in one collection for the first time ever.
​
A Better Tomorrow follows a reforming ex-gangster who tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break. Two friends, Ho and Mark, are triads in a counterfeiting operation who end up doing ‘one more job’ and what do you know, this one more job gets messier than they had hoped…
​
The duo of John Woo and Tsui Hark is an iconic pairing which makes sense why this series is so beloved. Bringing Chow Yun-Fat along further cemented the series and his status as an action star. This first film I the series is the perfect gritty crime thriller filled with plenty of drama, twists and turns and outstanding action. With the signature John Woo gun play it never disappoints when the bullets start flying.
​
​
On the surface it’s just a crime film, but there is a aspect of betrayal, loyalty, family and redemption that sets it apart from just the average entry into the genre. The story isn’t overly complicated but makes sure to be crafted to not just serve the action, but the characters and their journey into the violent finale. All the cast is great and it’s never a bad thing to see Chow Yun-Fat wielding his now signature dual Berettas and rocking the trench coat.
​
I really loved getting to revisit this classic action feature and was reminded how great it really is. I remember being so confused before seeing the next film to how Chow Yun-Fat returns after his fate in the first outing, but with the use of a typical trope they pull it off in what some consider the superior second film in the series.
A Better Tomorrow II follows restaurant owner Ken Gor, twin brother of Mark Gor, who teams up with police detective Kit and his struggling ex-con brother Ho to avenge his old friend’s daughter’s death by a Triad gang.
​
This chapter brought the gang back together with Chow Yun Fat now playing the twin brother of his previous character, which typically is a silly direction, but manages to mostly work here. It is a smart direction to be able to bring him back to a film that was likely never intended to exist. I think the first film is still a better film in regard to the story, but this chapter does do a great job pushing the story of these characters forward in a way that makes sense and allows them to evolve from their previous outing.
​
Where this film is superior is in the action department. I feel like there is less of it this time around, but it’s just better executed
and more of a spectacle especially in the final blood-soaked act. The stuff that is here is more intense and brings some iconic imagery for the genre. It’s always a treat to see Chow Yun Fat unloading on the bad guys, but letting the trio bring the barrage of bullets, grenades, and sword play isa fun kick ass bloody good time.
​
This film is not only a great follow-up of action and character development, but the perfect end to all their stories that could have only ended this way. Much like the previous film it then makes you wonder how do we return to this series once again with another entry after the film has a finite ending with no one left to return? A prequel of course.
A Better Tomorrow III follows Mark Gor, who travels to war-torn Vietnam to get his uncle and just-out-of-jail cousin Cheung Chi-Mun to Hong Kong. Gor finds complications when he falls in love with a female gangster with a dangerous ex.
​
Of the three films this is my least favorite of the bunch. It’s not horrible or anything, but it just feels like it takes forever for anything to happen and gets redundant after a while. For the length of time this film runs you would think there is more to it, but instead it just feels more like an unnecessary chapter to the Mark story. Of course, any chance to see Chow Yun-Fat on screen is great, but it doesn’t bring all that much to the series other than a chance to have the character back again.
​
There isn’t a ton of action either, but what is here is decent enough with the iconic trench coat wearing version of Mark showing up in the final act. This whole film felt like it was leading to just the birth of that popular look as he is even gifted the iconic coat in this film. When its all said and done it’s a decent enough film, but wholly unnecessary to the rest of the series. It would have been interesting to see John Woo’s original script to this film before he left and retooled it into Bullet in the Head.
​
This release features new 4K scans of these three movies, a payload of bonus content, and the inclusion of the workprint version of A Better Tomorrow II, recently unearthed during Shout’s restoration process. This rare cut of A BETTER TOMORROW II features over 30 minutes of footage that has never been seen by the public, as it was removed prior to the film’s original release.
​
Grab your copy of A Better Tomorrow Trilogy when it is unleashed onto 4K for the first time ever on November 18th from Shout Studios!
​
For more information or to order your copy head over to www.shoutfactory.com