A Better Tomorrow II (1987) [Film Review]

A Better Tomorrow II; or, Milking the Brand

     There’s only one way out and you’re coming with me. If we don’t fight, we’ll both die here. If we win, we’ll start all over again. I know you can do it, come on!

After the overwhelming success of the original A Better Tomorrow in 1986, the release of a sequel was only a matter of time. A Better Tomorrow II not only aspires to be bigger, louder, and more explosive, but also reunites the original cast for another triad tragedy epic. Does the sequel live up to the grandeur of the first movie? Let’s find out.

Release Info

Directed by: John Woo Starring: Ti Lung, Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Deng Shek

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 英雄本色2 Runtime: 104 min

 

Plot

Sung Tse-Ho serves his time in prison after the events from the original film. The police offer him early parole in exchange for doing a spy job on Ho’s ex-mentor, Lung Sei (Dean Shek), who is suspected of counterfeiting. Ho agrees when his brother’s wife Jackie (Emily Chu) tells him that Kit (Leslie Cheung) is working on the case. Ho reunites with his brother and they decide to work together, but soon after, Lung is framed for murder and he flees to New York. Ho and Kit try to protect his daughter, but she is killed by the triads. Upon hearing devastating news, Lung loses his sanity. Meanwhile, it turns out that Mark had a twin brother called Ken... (Chow Yun-fat) who also happens to live in New York. After Ho’s phone call, Ken finds Lung and nurses him back to health while attempting to flee from assassins sent by the triads. Eventually, Ken, Lung, Ho and Kit reunite together in Hong Kong and they decide to take down the man who betrayed Lung and took over his organisation, Ko Ying-pui (Kwan Shan).

 

True Colours of a Hero Fading Out

I have to be honest here, this movie is a real mess. It is not entirely bad, in fact it has many redeeming features, but the visible issue that ruins the whole story is an obvious lack of a coherent screenplay. The original A Better Tomorrow was a perfectly enclosed story and it didn’t need to have a follow-up. Yet, the pressure from the studio (and possibly the producer Tsui Hark) forced John Woo to come up with something that could ensure a lot of action and Chow Yun-fat’s comeback.

 

The plot is the first and foremost disadvantage of A Better Tomorrow II as it has so many twists and turns that it took me quite a while to logically sum it up above. It feels almost as if the film has no leading character. It is Lung? Is it Ken? Is it Ho? Is it Kit? The numerous shifts in tone and focus leave you wondering about this without providing any answer. In the first movie, Ho was the clear protagonist, but the sequel doesn’t dare establish its hero as if being afraid to undermine the dominating presence of Chow Yun-fat.

 

Chow Yun-fat is another issue of the picture. Naturally not the actor himself as he tries to do the best he can with the new material, but the creative decision to bring him back by the lamest excuse ever: Mark Lee had a twin brother (A twist certainly taken from a Brazilian drama). So, what we get to see as the final product is Chow Yun-fat trying not to play Mark Lee... while playing Mark Lee at the same time. A truly dissociative experience which is enhanced further by an unintentional parody of Rain Man as Lung, Deng Shek’s character, goes full retard and Ken has to watch over him even during shootouts and explosions. Bottom line: never go full retard.

 

Another creative decision which I found controversial was (spoilers!) killing off Kit. Getting rid of his character completely contradicts the ending of the first movie which clearly emphasised that brothers should always stick together. Even in the middle of this sequel, there’s a great fight scene in which Ho (while being undercover) has to prove his loyalty to Ko Ying-pui by killing Kit. Of course, everything is done in such a way that Kit survives, but even this scene underlines the bond between Ho and Kit. However, everything is thrown out the window 20 minutes later when Kit gets shot by Vernon Wells’ impersonator in a super cheesy and overly melodramatic showdown.

 

Alas, it is not the end of Kit’s misery in the movie as he bleeds to death in a phone booth, held firmly by Chow Yun-fat, while speaking over the receiver to Jackie who just gave birth to their daughter. Kit names the child Sung Ho-yin (literally: the Spirit of Righteousness) and finally keels over in vain. The scene is so over the top that it could have very well been used in Loaded Weapon 1 (1993). The only positive thing about this moment is Emily Chu’s performance who gets to shine for a brief moment after being underused in the first movie.

 

Now, moving on to the positives. While definitely not being better than the original, A Better Tomorrow is indeed louder, bigger, and more explosive. While the action is kept mostly low-key throughout the first half, it shifts into high gear halfway through the picture. Chow Yun-fat makes killing the baddies almost as easy as mowing the lawn and this is the movie’s primary entertaining factor. In addition, I have to mention the memorable finale in which Lung, Ken, and Ho (with the assistance of the great Kenneth Tsang) kill over a hundred of miserable triad cannon fodder.

 

Also the soundtrack definitely improved in comparison with the first movie. However, Peter Gabriel’s cues from Birdy’s Escape can be heard here and there. Additionally, the visuals and fight choreography headed by Ching Siu-tung are great. Unfortunately, the movie led to a split between John Woo and Tsui Hark, with the latter singlehandedly directing A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon.

 

Recommendations

Summing up, A Better Tomorrow II is only for the hardcore fans of John Woo. If you really want to check it out, I suggest turning a blind eye on the shortcomings which I have discussed in this review and enjoy the movie for the many of Woo’s trademarks and some great action. In my opinion, the story should have gone in a completely different direction, but, in spite of its flaws, what’s left still makes up for a good entertainment. Only for one time view. Now moving on to A Better Tomorrow III!

Overall score: 5/10
[Update: Tsui Hark provides some stories about the making of ABT II in this interview.]

A Better Tomorrow (1986) [Film Review]

A Better Tomorrow; or, Friends will be Friends

     You should quit. Your brother doesn't know what you have been doing. Still remember? You two played cop & thief when you were kids. He almost lost, but he still wanted to be a cop. I don't want you to play the same game again.

My re-discovery of Asian crime drama classics continues, this time with John Woo’s unforgettable A Better Tomorrow, starring Ti Lung, Chow Yun-fat, and Leslie Cheung. A bloody epic about friendship, brotherhood, and moral integrity which paved the way for a whole genre of triad movies.

Release Info

Directed by: John Woo Starring: Ti Lung, Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 英雄本色 Runtime: 95 min

Synopsis

Sun Tse-Ho (Ti Lung) is a trusted triad member who deals with distributing counterfeit dollars. His loyal helper and best friend is Mark (Chow Yun-fat) who is a cool-hand shooter. On the other hand, there is Kit (Leslie Cheung), Ho’s younger brother who joined the police academy and intends to become an officer. Ho supports his brother’s career choice, but does not reveal to him his real line of business. Ho decides that he will make a one more distributing deal in Taiwan and then leave the Triad for good. He travels there with a new guy called Shing (Waise Lee); however, all hell breaks loose and Ho is betrayed. In order to allow Shing to escape he turns himself over to the Taiwanese police. Three years later, Ho gets out of prison and he is determined to start a new life. He comes back to Hong Kong only to find that Kit (now a police inspector) does not want to speak to him and that Mark is a crippled beggar. Shing became the new leader of the Triad and he offers Ho reinstatement in the organisation. Ho refuses, yet he quickly realises that his brother is in danger.

 

True Colours of a Hero

First off, I have to say that this John Woo at his best. I know that I’m just a foreigner who is excited upon seeing a movie that is already a cult classic in Asia, but A Better Tomorrow is so damn good. Undeniably way better than any movie Woo did during his Hollywood years. This film has the story, the stakes, the weight, the action, and the payoff. It is a beautiful, and highly romanticised, ode to male friendship which rises above the label of being just a standard “shoot’em up thriller”.

 

Well, what did I really like about this movie? Two things definitely stand out and these are the following: the screenplay and cinematography. Woo proves that he is a master of his craft with every scene that is so overloaded with aesthetics (see for example the opening sequence or Mark’s memorable restaurant assault) that they could be used for vaporwave MVs. In fact, with some soundtrack changes, A Better Tomorrow would make a great City Pop movie.

 

Even though the movie’s running time is 95 minutes, the story does not run at a rapid pace as we are allowed to get to know the main characters. The conflict of brothers, the cop vs. the thief, is perhaps the most disheartening one as we see Kit determined to prove his worth in the force by taking down the syndicate and Ho trying to live a straight path while being branded as the black sheep by his younger brother. In between them, there’s Mark- suave, almost a chivalric-like (Woo said something along these lines in an interview) avenger, who becomes Ho’s brother by friendship. These kinds of complicated relations and the tragic finale in which Ho struggles not to lose both of his brothers constitute the ultimate onscreen bromance.

 

With regard to performances, all of the main actors are unforgettable in their roles. Waise Lee effortlessly plays the villain, yet he does a much better job with similar material in Bullet in the Head. Emily Chu plays Kit’s girlfriend, Jackie, but her role is quite limited. In addition, even though Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung were very well known at the time of making the movie, Chow Yun-fat was mainly recognisable from his work on television. The portrayal of Mark became a breakthrough performance for him, although he was not the main lead. The success of A Better Tomorrow ensured Chow Yun-fat a continuous cooperation with John Woo (with The Killer (1989), Once a Thief (1991), Hard Boiled (1992)) as well as with other directors in Hong Kong and beyond. Chow Yun-fat gave life to Mark Lee, but it was Mark Lee who launched Chow Yun-fat.

 

Recommendations

If you are new to John Woo, I suggest skipping his Hollywood follies like Hard Target (1993), Face/Off (1997), or M:I-2 (2000) and try to discover the man at his roots. A Better Tomorrow is a great movie (and time) to start with. As I said earlier, it is a wonderful story about brotherhood and plain decency with gunfights and explosions in close foreground. People need more movies like this nowadays, especially when we are flooded with ideologically-driven blockbusters every month. We need modern knights with dark glasses, long coats, and pistols who take a stand in defence of their friends rather than to make a political statement. With A Better Tomorrow, as Ho and Kit are walking together handcuffed, I’m hoping for a real better tomorrow for modern cinema.

Overall score: 10/10

The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) [Film Review]

The Good, the Bad, the Weird; or, Once Upon a Time in Korea

     I'll tell you a big secret about that map. You know what it says? “Treasure, Buried, Dig up, Large volumes”. That's what it says on it! It's a treasure map! So you and me can go find it! If there's a treasure, we split it 60-40. Me 60, you 40. How 'bout it? That's how you make a deal, man!

This week I would like to take a look at a cool film which I have recently checked out. I’m embarrassed to say that I hadn’t known what kind of awesome gem I was holding in my hands until the opening sequence rolled in. Let’s talk about Kim Jee Woon’s The Good, the Bad, the Weird from 2008.

Release Info

Directed by: Kim Jee Woon Starring: Song Kang Ho, Jung Woo Sung, Lee Byung Hun

Language: Korean Original Title:좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 Runtime: 136 min

 

Synopsis

Manchuria, year 1939. A professional hitman called Park Chang Yi [the Bad] (Lee Byung Hun) is hired to retrieve a map from a Japanese official travelling by train. However, before he gets his chance to do so after stopping the train, the map has already been stolen from the official by a thief known as Yoon Tae Goo [the Weird] (Song Kang Ho). What is more, Park Do Won [the Good] (Jung Woo Sung), an excellent marksman and a bounty hunter, appears on the scene to hunt down Park Chang Yi. The three men get entangled in a bloody pursuit after the map that allegedly leads to riches buried in the desert by the Qing Dynasty. In addition, it is also sought by the Manchurian bandits and the Japanese Imperial Army. Who will find the treasure and stay alive? Sit back and watch this spaghetti western made in Korea.

For a Fistful of Wons

First of all, I’m amazed that I have not heard anything about this movie for so long. I stumbled across it by complete accident while flicking through Song Kang Ho’s filmography. Then, fortunately, Polish dvd was available within reach. Connect the two and I was in for an experience which could be described as the kick-ass mash-up of Sergio Leone, Mad Max, and Indiana Jones.

From the very first action sequence we get sucked into the action as Song Kang Ho’s character is rushing through the train carriages and the bullets are flying in all directions. The movie relies heavily on the style of spaghetti western, but it is not afraid to stray away from the inspiring genre in order to achieve other means. Rather than ripping off the classic with Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef, it pays homage to its father picture and other movies by blending intense camera work with up-beat music, practical effects, massive shootouts, blood, and explosions.

 

Director Kim Jee Woon created a cult film in every sense of the word; yet, it did not receive the attention it deserved outside of South Korea. My response to this: shame! The Good, the Bad, the Weird is a brilliant roller-coaster of ridiculous fun (and with a great cast!). Additionally, the search for a hidden treasure is a sure-fire premise for an intense adventure.

 

Speaking about the cast, all three main actors shine in their respective roles. Jung Woo Sung is excellent as Clint Eastwood-like cowboy claiming bounty on people who act above the law. Song Kang Ho, on the other hand, is the most memorable as the weird-ish thief/scoundrel with his two pistols and a flight cap with goggles. Jung Woo Sung does an outstanding job with playing a bad guy as he’s mercifully menacing in every scene in which he appears, yet at certain times, he seems to overdo things a bit.

 

Talking about the action in details would consume the space of a whole another review, so I will just limit myself to say that there are lots and lots of gripping moments. The definite icing on the cake is the 11-minute-long (yeah, I counted) chase scene which, in my opinion, is close second to the greatest chase of all time from Mad Max: Fury Road. It is sheer awesomeness and every kid’s dream about living the adventure encapsulated in the impetuous race through the desert. It is a must see!

 

The alternative cut...

As with many international releases of Asian movies, obviously, The Good, the Bad, the Weird had to suffer the butchering as well. Approximately 7 minutes were cut out of the picture. The cuts mainly involve shortened sequences, but the whole ending was changed as well. In the original uncut ending, we see the Weird and the Good survive the standoff, while the international version implies that the three protagonists killed off each other... Why does the distributor have to make everything so downbeat? Anyways, if you don't have the full copy of the film, you can watch the original ending here.

 

Recommendations

Highly recommended to anyone who wants to feel some action and adventure in the Asian setting. You can freely suspend your disbelief and enjoy the film for its entertainment value. This movie desires more love and recognition than it gets. In other words, The Good, the Bad, the Weird guarantee a well spent Saturday afternoon. It is a well made (Korean) Western indeed.

Overall score: 9/10