A Better Tomorrow IIJohn Woo and Chow Yun-Fat are back to bring us an even better tomorrow. Now, as for “A Better Tomorrow” which was pretty standard Woo action quality, the sequel is thought to be worse than the first installment. I have to disagree. To me, “A Better Tomorrow II” (original title: "Ying hung boon sik II") is better than “A Better Tomorrow”.
Supposedly, the producer Tsui Hark and John Woo had a strong disagreement how to helm the feature. Hark wanted focus on the character Sung, and Woo felt otherwise. This led to Woo ‘s disownment of this entire film, except the final showdown. So, if this story is true than “A Better Tomorrow II” is far from what it’s should’ve been, because Woo had little or no involvement in the editing (there are even some rumors that he filmed a 3 hour version of it). However, even in this “mauled” state, “A Better Tomorrow II” is an amazing piece of action cinema.
For those of you who’ve seen the first installment, and not yet the second, you’re probably wondering how the hell Chow is back when he died at the end of the first. The story is absurd, yes, but as simple as it gets – Chow plays the identical twin of his character Mark in “A Better Tomorrow” named Ken who lives in New York and runs a restaurant.
Ken is so much cooler than Mark, more badass. While I was kinda disappointed with Chow in “A Better Tomorrow”, not because of his acting, but because Mark wasn’t the cool badass I wanted him to be, Ken on the other hand, was exactly like I wanted – a don’t-take-no-shit-from-nobody guy. And he was funny, too. I cracked up in the scene involving a thug not liking his rice. (I’m still laughing when I think of what he says when the thug threatens him: “Oooh, I’m so scared I’m shaking. Mamma mia!”).
And the last showdown is a masterpiece. A sequence that must be seen to be believed. I consider it among the best finales and showdown in action cinema history, or any cinema for that matter.
I could not have asked for a better tomorrow.
Rating: 9/10RATED PURE GENIUS- review by Ventilation Shaft
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Last updated: 2010-04-14 09:50:29 by CoolAwesomeDuo
