A Better Tomorrow II (1987)

A Better Tomorrow II (1987)

6/10

Starring

Dean Shek

Ti Lung

Leslie Cheung

Chow Yun-fat

Directed by John Woo

A better tomorrow second part to me was no where as good as the first. The acting and the story was a step up and I did not have to deal with the annoying character Kit (Ho’s brother) who in the first film over acted his anger at his brother to the point I wanted him shot. Kit here is still head strong and refuses to do what he is supposed to, but at least his over acting of an angered brother is no more.

The first film was so well done that Chow Yun-fat was catapulted to the limelight even though his character played a supporting role.

If you recall that in the end of the first film his character Mark dies. The way they could bring him back for this film is to say Mark was a twin and his twin lives in New York and he is just as good if not better with the gun. First thing that crossed my mind on seeing that play out, was how much this reminds me of soap operas.

Like in the first film there is a hell lot of gun play in the end when the men had to take on the main villain.

The movie plot is set years after the events of the first film, Ho and Kit are now reunited as brothers and all is well in the family at the moment, except Ho is in jail. Ho is serving time for his role in the crimes he did in the first film.

Ho is then approached to help bring down his old boss and mentor, Lung. He first did not agree to do it out of respect for his mentor, but when he heard that his brother Kit was already undercover in the Lung organization he agreed.

When he approached his mentor Lung, Lung tells him that he has abandoned the illegal business and is now going legitimate. The problem is counterfeiting is going on and all traces leads to him and his organization.

Things get crazy very quickly and soon we land in New York where Lung is trying to get control of things, while in Hong Kong Ho is getting far up in the organization wanting to know more about the dealings. It was in New York that Ken (Mark’s twin brother) took care of Lung until they both returned to Hong Kong.

How everything hit the fan and blew up is left for you to see when you get to see this movie. For me, see the first one and leave this alone.