Back in 1986, Chow Yun Fat, Leslie Cheung and John Woo were
all wanna-be and after A Better Tomorrow they have rose to the top and continued
to become Hollywood Superstars in John Woo and Chow Yun Fat and Leslie Cheung -
a HK veteran Superstar. Perhaps the only known actor at that time was Ti Lung a
movie action hero in the 1980s and early 90s. But this movie changed it all and
John Woo's footprints all over it. A Better Tomorrow is a ground breaking heroic
bloodshed film about triad loyalty, honor, family and love. Merely do you see an
action movie nowadays that has an complex and interesting plot and over the top
action sequences and an emotional finale of the definition of a True Hero.
Despite the action here is not as long and cool as John Woo's other classic -
Hard Boiled - it is better in nearly all other departments. Ti Lung is excellent
as good hearted and caring older brother, who actually outshine or out-acted
Chow and Cheung. Hollywood star Chow Yun Fat displays a much more complex
performances and also putting his usual self as a ruthless and overwhelming
risk-taking between his life and death. Cheung again displays some early signs
of a talented actor and his performance is quite similar to the way Tony Leung
plays the type of character. But at times Leslie can be a bit too over the top,
nonetheless his performance is very mature and very confident. To the movie
direction and action direction - John Woo the master of HK and Hollywood Action
Cinema is at his close to best and although probably 500 less bullets than Hard
Boiled, every bullet counts here and up till the final moment - no spoilers - is
immensely emotional and a sense of victor. If you haven't watch this film, you
don't know what you are missing and you are missing something that you don't
realize - A Better Tomorrow.
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