A Better Tomorrow - Hong Kong Cinema Classics
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Synopsis
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
Cast
- Lung Ti
- Chow Yun-Fat
- Leslie Cheung
- Emily Chu
- Waise Lee
- Feng Tien
- John Woo
- Yanzi Shi
- Kenneth Tsang
- Shing Fui-On
Moviegoers are saying
John Woo's influential masterpiece earns praise as the blueprint for modern action cinema, with reviewers celebrating Chow Yun-Fat's iconic cigarette-lighting-with-burning-cash scene and the film's exploration of brotherhood codes. Critics recognize it as a genre-defining work that established the 'bullet ballet' template, though some note its earnest approach to male bonding and cop camaraderie.
Top Mentions
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews
Letterboxd User Reviews
3.9
77.7K
27.4K
27.4K
- Apr 1, 2026
Chow yun-fat fortnite skin i need it
KarstenApr 30, 2021Nobody understands the male friendship & brotherhood better than John Woo.
NakulMar 7, 2021Brotherhood and ethics vs. blood and fire. The DNA strand to just about every great action melodrama for the next two decades.
Josh Lewis - Sep 22, 2021
Chow Yun-Fat light his cigarette with a burning cash not even 5 minutes into the movie, 6 stars
BananaPuddingOct 10, 2021Somebody told John Woo that ACAB meant All Cops Are Bros and no one bothered to correct him.
CinemaVoid 🏴☠️Dec 11, 2023Don’t get me wrong, this is great, but it really needs a beaver with box braids.
Netscape - Jun 25, 2015
After an up and down decade as a director for hire in the last days of the Shaw Brothers, working alternately in the wuxia and wacky comedy genres, John Woo finally hit it big in 1986 when he teamed up with Tsui Hark and the Cinema City studio to remake Patrick Lung Kong's…
Sean GilmanJan 22, 2021Make action films gay again.
Josefina (Woman Of The Sea)Jul 4, 2015Finally having seen STORY OF A DISCHARGED PRISONER it seems very clear that Woo took inspiration from its social realism and tried to marry that to a Shaw-style story of martial brotherhood using their shared shifting codes of honor as a bridge. Once the catalyst for those…
matt lynch
Queue Community Reviews
100%
Community 195
Top Reviews
- Matt Ortiz lovedA Better Tomorrow
Chow Yun Fat is the coolest anyone has ever been on screen! An action packed tale of blood and brotherhood, this crime drama delivers the gun play and a great script to go with it! John Woo at the height of his directing power, this film is a must watch for any film enthusiast!
Patrick Bateman lovedA Better TomorrowPeak Hong Kong action and a good story of sacrifice and love
matthew likedA Better TomorrowSo dramatic
- kevo lovedA Better Tomorrow
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- JSJames ShandrowskiKDKelvin Dinh
Metacritic
Superlative action scenes, particularly a bloody guns-grenades-and-swords finale with a body count to rival the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan, help wash away many of the flaws. Action for its own sake may not have been the film's intended point, but it'll do.
Keith Phipps
The A.V. Club
A reminder of the astonishingly kinetic talent that John Woo maybe still possesses, this at times is on the verge of melodrama, but rescues itself from the brink with some fine gunplay.
Alan Morrison
Empire
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