A Better Tomorrow Trilogy: An Impressive Release of a Mixed Collection of Films (4K/Blu-ray)

The Films:

World-renowned action director John Woo has been known for a number of remarkable works throughout his incredible career, including "The Killing" and "Hard Boiled," as well as a number of American films, such as "Face/Off" and "Mission: Impossible 2." However, one that doesn't seem to get mentioned all that much is the dramatic actioner "A Better Tomorrow," a film that would go on to spawn a whole trilogy. In celebration of these films, the first of which is about to turn 40, Shout! Studios is unleashing an incredible new set featuring all three films on 4K & Blu-ray, with each one including bonus materials, so now it's time once again to delve back into the past to see what these films have to offer.

Starting from the top with the original "A Better Tomorrow" from 1986, the film primarily follows three main characters: Ho (Ti Lung) & Mark (Chow Yun-fat), who are in the business of counterfeiting money, and Kit (Leslie Cheung), a cop who happens to be Ho's younger brother. Ho is ordered by his boss, Mr. Yiu (Sek Yin-tsi), to go to Taiwan with another member of their business, Shing (Waise Lee), to conduct business with another gang. However, the gang tries to ambush them, resulting in Shing escaping and Ho getting captured & sentenced to three years in prison. This alerts Kit to his brother's activities, causing a major rift between them.

When Ho finally returns home, he tries to go straight by getting a regular job at a taxi company, but he soon comes into contact with Mark, who was injured taking revenge on the gang that ambushed his friend, resulting in his being tossed aside by Shing, who gained some power over the past three years. Will Ho be able to resist the urge to return to his life of crime, or will he be compelled to remain loyal to his old friend and help set things right?

"A Better Tomorrow" is often referred to as an action film, and there is indeed a fair amount of action in its climactic confrontation near the end of the film, but it might actually be more accurately labeled as a family drama, which is not to put it down in the least, but rather to temper any expectations of it being packed with wall-to-wall action sequences. In fact, it's the family drama between Ho & Kit, as well as the familial-like bond between Ho & Mark, that make the film as compelling as it is.

Ho wants to go straight after his life of crime, and truly wants to prove his intentions to his brother, but Kit finds himself unable to believe or forgive him, which only serves to exacerbate the aforementioned rift between them. Likewise, Ho finds it hard to turn down his long-time friend to prove that he can change who he once was in hopes of healing the rift. What results is a fascinating drama that, while it does indeed contain some great & exciting action, engages its audience through its captivating & compelling narrative & character developments, ultimately making for a marvelous start to the trilogy.

Moving on to "A Better Tomorrow II," we begin with Ho (Ti Lung) being offered parole for his assistance in a case involving his old mentor, Lung Sei (Dean Shek), who is believed to be involved in a counterfeiting scheme. Ho refuses, but quickly changes his mind when he finds out that his brother Kit (Leslie Cheung) is working the case. The two brothers reunite, but shortly after, Lung, who is trying to go straight, is framed for murder. This forces him to flee to New York, where he has a mental episode after receiving the news of his daughter's murder, causing him to be institutionalized.

Meanwhile, Ho discovers that his best friend Mark has a twin brother named Ken (Chow Yun-fat) living in New York, one that used to be a gangster, but now works in a restaurant. Ken gets Lung out of the hospital and begins to take care of him, but assassins looking to kill the latter soon come calling, forcing Ken to protect him. During the shootout, Lung finally comes out of his mental break and helps finish the job. Afterward, the two return to Hong Kong and join up with Ho & Kit, with the intention of stopping Lung's enemies once and for all.

"A Better Tomorrow II" feels as though it must have been a response to those who felt that the original film didn't have nearly enough excitement in it, for it becomes rather clear early on that the primary focus of the film shifts from the drama between the characters to the plethora of action sequences scattered throughout the film. That's not to say that the film doesn't have any of the compelling drama that made the first one work so well, with little bits of it being placed here and there (including a remarkably tense scene that has the brothers confronting each other while trying to be undercover), but rather that it just doesn't have nearly enough of it to make it anywhere near as engrossing as the previous outing, which is on top of the fact that the focus & the turns that the film takes aren't quite as engaging either.

What we end up with is a sequel that simply goes too far in the wrong direction, one that unfortunately chooses to emphasize the action, which consequently causes the story to suffer. There's nothing wrong with adding a little more excitement, but with the scales being tipped far too much in its favor, it's hardly a surprise that the result ultimately turns out to be a bit of a forgettable disappointment.

Finally we come to "A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon," which acts as a very loose prequel to the previous films. Taking place in 1974, Mark Lee (Chow Yun-fat) comes to Saigon in the hopes of bringing his Uncle (Shih Kien) and Cousin Mun (Tony Leung Ka-fai) back to Hong Kong with him. With the Vietnam War still raging on, security is incredibly tight, causing Mark to be detained at the airport, where he's rescued by Kit (Anita Mui), who is involved in certain criminal activities. She begins to train them in these activities, during which both men form an attraction to her, though she specifically likes Mark, who rejects her feelings out of respect for Mun.

Kit is eventually able to get Mun, Mark, and Mun's father back to Hong Kong, where the three of them start a business, but it's soon interrupted by the return of Kit's former lover, Ho (Saburō Tokitō), an arms dealer who becomes jealous of the men's relationship with Kit. This jealousy causes him to lash out at them, resulting in great tragedy and the start of a personal war that has Mark & Mun on a quest for revenge.

It was certainly quite an intriguing idea to try doing a prequel for the third outing instead of just moving forward, an idea that apparently had director John Woo switch to just being a producer because he felt it should have gone in a different direction, but it turns out he may have been right given that the result is something of a mixed bag. The first half starts off well-enough, with Mark's quest to bring his Uncle & his Cousin Mun home with him to Hong Kong providing a fair amount of drama & action along the way, especially in their exciting last-minute escape at the airport.

However, when it comes to the second half, it's more of a strange mix of elements that feels like they tried to cram too much into it. It tries to be dramatic (often melodramatic), romantic, and action packed, with random side-villains popping back up just to add to the mayhem of its climax. I mentioned earlier that the second film felt like a response to a complaint regarding a lack of action in the original, but now this third film feels like a response to those who complained that the second didn't have enough of a story to go along with all of the action.

This results in a film that tries to pack more into its narrative while maintaining the high level of excitement with a multitude of intense action sequences, which causes the film to be just a little bit of a mess. Both sequels really needed to take a page from the original and allow the action to support the narrative & characters, not overwhelm them. In trying to please both groups, the filmmakers have ended up with a film that simply tries to do too much, ultimately making for a final outing that, much like its direct predecessor, sadly doesn't leave much of an impact.

Video/Audio:

This set of the "A Better Tomorrow Trilogy" comes with the films on both 4K (2160p, UHD) and Blu-ray (1080p, HD) in 1.85:1 transfers of marvelous quality. The new 4K scans from the original camera negatives have cleaned up the films beautifully, giving you a perfectly clear & sharp picture throughout the entire duration of each film. Likewise, the Mono DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are outstanding, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Shout! Studios has done a fantastic job in both areas for the trilogy's new upgrade.

Special Features:

A Better Tomorrow

Audio Commentary with James Mudge, Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks

Better Than the Best (34 Minutes): An interview with director John Woo.

Between Friends (8 Minutes): An interview with producer Terence Chang.

When Tomorrow Comes (21 Minutes): An interview with screenwriter Chan Hing-ka.

Thoughts On the Future (8 Minutes): An interview with filmmaker Gordon Chan.

Better and Bombastic (23 Minutes): An interview with filmmaker Gareth Evans.

Hong Kong Confidential (18 Minutes): An appreciation by author Grady Hendricks.

A Better Tomorrow II

Audio Commentary with James Mudge, Hong Kong Film Critic At easternKicks

A Tumultuous Tomorrow (26 Minutes): An interview with director John Woo.

Better Than Ever (19 Minutes): An interview with film historian Frank Djeng.

Hong Kong Confidential (10 Minutes): An appreciation by author Grady Hendricks.

A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon

Audio Commentary With Critic and Author David West

Third Time Lucky (25 Minutes): An interview with screenwriters iu-Ming Leung and Foo Ho Tai.

Hong Kong Confidential (10 Minutes): An appreciation by author Grady Hendricks.

All Our Tomorrows (23 Minutes): An interview with Hong Kong filmmaker And Academic Gilbert Po.

Nam Flashbacks (17 Minutes): An interview with Vietnam War researcher Dr. Aurélie Basha i Novosejt.

Bonus Disc

A Better Tomorrow II Workprint (144 Minutes)

A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon - Taiwanese Cut (130 Minutes)

Conclusion:

The "A Better Tomorrow Trilogy" offers a mixed collection of films, the first of which is a marvelous outing that balances its drama & action quite well, while the latter two entries have a little trouble maintaining that same balance as the filmmakers try different levels of these two elements. That said, Shout! Studios' new 4K/Blu-ray set of the films is still a rather impressive release, featuring the trilogy in excellent quality and plenty of insightful extras, so if you're a fan of the series, you'll likely find it worth adding to your collection.

Score: 3/5

Available on 4K/Blu-ray starting tomorrow.

Follow me on Twitter @BeckFilmCritic.