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A Better Tomorrow

A Better Tomorrow

1986
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 35m
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break. (imdb)
Your probable score
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A Better Tomorrow

1986
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 35m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 60.96% from 693 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(693)
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Rated 11 Mar 2009
75
71st
A John Woo Classic.
Rated 19 Jul 2010
7
57th
Kit character can get on your nerves, teetering on the line of melodrama, occasionally crossing it but the story and action are well presented and involving. Better than everything he's made between 1993-2007.
Rated 16 Sep 2015
55
18th
I consider myself to be a 'heroic bloodshed' aficionado, having seen most of the important movies of the genre, I knew exactly what to expect. That being said, after a great first 20 minutes I lost track of the plot and characters. 3 Wikipedia sessions later my enthusiasm was replaced by boredom and frustration. Still don't know who is who and what is going on.
Rated 28 Aug 2022
86
83rd
Extremely enjoyable action film. Outstanding shootouts, great stunts, and a solid story. Ti Lung turns in a resonant performance as Ho, and Chow Yun-Fat oozes charism and passion (even as his character's fortunes change). The great soundtrack is a nice bonus! Includes the classic moment when Chow Yun-Fat lights his cigarette with a burning counterfeit $100 bill.
Rated 06 Jun 2007
80
68th
The movie that put John Woo on the map. Exciting large-scale action juuuuuuuuust the way we like it
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
91st
John Woo + Chow Yun Fat = pure Hong Kong awesomeness.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
66th
A bit too melodramatic for my taste, the lead's brother is a real jerk to his wife, but the action makes up for it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
58th
I can't remember which of the seriies is which. They were all okay.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
85th
This movie is pure class.
Rated 23 Jan 2008
22
8th
Low budget, bad cinematography, amateur directing, unconvincing acting, and a weak story all add up to a real mess. Avoid.
Rated 10 Feb 2008
78
53rd
Pretty campy and a touch ridiculous at some moments, but it really does nail down a few moments of emotional profoundity here and there.
Rated 26 Apr 2008
80
76th
Some rather outstanding melodrama from John Woo.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
96
99th
Very Great
Rated 27 Aug 2008
95
94th
One of the best action films, Woo has never done as well again. I do consider the characters "stubborn," but they are interesting enough for an action film. The acting is really superb, and so are the "gun fu" fights.
Rated 12 Oct 2008
8
85th
Chow Yun-Fat lighting his cigarette with the burning dollar bill begins the movie in the most badass possible way.
Rated 19 Apr 2009
4
71st
"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."
Rated 09 Jun 2009
50
23rd
I don't know. John Woo and Chow Yun-fat went on to do so much better, this movie seems to sit pale in comparison.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
80
69th
The movie was good, but sweet Jesus was the dub awful.
Rated 19 Aug 2009
80
66th
My favorite Woo is The Killer, but this is still good.
Rated 16 Oct 2010
71
84th
Melodramatic at times (as is most Hong Kong action) but well worth it. There is some truly fascinating choreography for the gun play and Chow Yun Fat is awesome. Woo is best in this medium.
Rated 26 Dec 2010
93
61st
An excellent action film, with a plot that keeps you interested and wonderfully directed and acted out action scenes that keep your eyes glued to the screen and your heart racing.
Rated 27 Feb 2011
70
58th
It's a good action-crime film, with a solid plot and some great scenes. Admittedly the Kit character is sometimes hard to sympathize with for most of the movie, but by the end there's a bit of a redeeming factor. The last shootout is actually amazing--both brutal and emotional. The real charm here is Mark, Chow Yun-fat's character. Woo has a knack for making Chow such a badass in every movie he's in.
Rated 04 Aug 2011
4
70th
A rock-solid stepping stone to Woo's later masterpieces. A Better Tomorrow's plot and action are both smaller in scope - less operatic and elegant - than The Killer or Hard Boiled (or A Better Tomorrow 2, for that matter), but it's still got plenty of high-octane action and the push-pull relationships between cops and criminals and their split loyalties is as well-executed as it would ever be in Woo's work.
Rated 19 Jun 2012
80
74th
It's not a patch on Hard Boiled. But an average John Woo action flick is still much better than any other action flick. Sometimes the melodrama can grate though...
Rated 09 Aug 2012
6
55th
God Kit was a terrible character and so freakin annoying. Not one of Woo's best but still full of action and rarely a dull moment. The story is very poor though but they make up for it with some good action scenes and nice fight choreography. But you won't care about any of the characters or what happens to them. Chow Yun Fat is surprisingly not that badass for once
Rated 06 Jan 2013
84
79th
84.000
Rated 15 Jan 2014
80
95th
I used to be devoted fan of heroic bloodshed movies. Re-watching this essential gem of the genre I discovered it to be as cool as I remember. Formula of heroic bloodshed is simple - heavy melodrama, uber-cool outlaw protagonists and bloody, spectacular action. What surprised me is how good, fresh cinematography of this film is. This is Hong-Kong new wave at its best.
Rated 12 Nov 2014
75
66th
Overblown melodrama mixed with overblown shootouts and as much cool as Hong Kong had to offer in the 80s (that's a lot). What's not to love?
Rated 09 Aug 2015
78
54th
Decent Woo action-crime film. It has some great scenes and Chow Yun Fat looking cool, but the drama connecting the action scenes is rather uneven.
Rated 29 Apr 2016
70
29th
There is some great action here if it is a bit sparingly used compared to his other films. Where the film's main focus lies is in its characters and sadly I didn't care that much about them. Just in terms of eye-catching shots it might be one of his best shot films, I just wish I liked it more. When the action does come it's as cool as you'd imagine even if the budget is clearly smaller, but it left me longing. -a113er, https://redd.it/2rbds2
Rated 13 Nov 2016
30
19th
It's got the famous restaurant shooting scene, and I do like the fact that Chow Yun-Fat is a cripple for most of the movie, but holy shit is the script ever cheesy.
Rated 27 Apr 2017
80
85th
Woo's seminal actioner works both as a social drama about ex-cons and their hard time fitting society and a near musical of gunfights, bloodshed heroism and codes of honor that go beyond crime or law enforcement -- brotherhood stripped down to the very basic; there is love but also a wicked sense of identity (both as policeman and former gangster). It only takes a final gunfight to make the three fire together, although Mark (kind of) dies and Ho and Kit come out of hell as they are.
Rated 27 Apr 2018
30
19th
Hollywood import.
Rated 03 Jul 2018
94
81st
At heart this is a story of Brotherhood above all else. The John Woo style action is all present. Except far less excessive. This movie is a perfect intro to the directors impressive filmography.
Rated 14 Jul 2018
80
53rd
The action and acting in the first part of the film look sloppily edited and too slapstick, which is too bad since the film settles into a good rhythm with some compelling drama and gunfights later on.
Rated 24 Jan 2019
65
48th
rezalet bir altyazının bile yakıştığı, böylesine eğlendiren bir film için *guilty pleasure* ötesinde bir kategori gerekiyor. belki ilk anda manasız geliyor ama verdiğim *en yüksek 65 puan* bu olabilir.
Rated 29 Feb 2020
85
59th
Viewed February 27, 2020.
Rated 31 Mar 2020
70
23rd
Too melodramatic to stand up to the test of time, without the choreographic sophistication that puts Woo's later films on another level. An important Hong Kong movie but the formula would be developed better later on.
Rated 13 Feb 2021
78
72nd
Feels in many ways like a prototype for what Woo would go on to achieve over the next few years. Still incredibly entertaining in its own right
Rated 10 Jun 2021
70
44th
I truly hate to rank this so low as it's an absolute cornerstone and more or less the birth of modern action cinema with an excellent performance by Chow Yun-Fat, but the sad truth is that this hasn't aged particularly well except for the flower pot shootout.
Rated 06 Oct 2022
72
48th
Enjoyable action film with very strong gunfights and a good if somewhat familiar story (brothers--one cop, one ex criminal trying to reform himself but unable to escape his past, etc. etc.) It's John Woo, so it's no surprise that it's a bit unsubtle in the storytelling sometimes, but it's a likeable film all around.
Rated 19 Apr 2023
87
93rd
Unforgettable. It's cool and epic as f and the musical theme is just amazing.

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