Product Details

• Actors: Leslie Cheung, Yun-Fat Chow, Emily Chu, Waise Lee, Yangzi Shi
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Republic Pictures
• VHS Release Date: January 2, 1996
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630320984X
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,223 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #7 in	Video > Art House & International > Asian Cinema > Hong Kong > Cops & Triads
  #9 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Chow Yun-Fat

• This is item 1 in The Better Tomorrow Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
The John Woo gangster classic that started it all, a romantic, violent, swirlingly stylish melodrama about dueling brothers--with a mesmerizing lead performance by Hong Kong's favorite actor, Chow Yun-Fat. In repose, Chow's sleepy magnetism recalls the glory days of Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Takakura Ken; when he's stepping high, Chow has a unique, ebullient star presence, a man who embraces life so unselfconsciously that he becomes vulnerable to all kinds of suffering and heartache (he endures masochistic megadoses of violence here). The sequence in which Chow's Mark avenges his betrayed best friend---by blasting his way into, and then out of, a Chinese restaurant, twin .45s blazing---is a swashbuckling standout. Woo's film technique may have been more polished in later efforts, but Tomorrow has a direct emotional power that is still unique. Kung fu star of the 1970s, Ti Lung is also terrific here as the 40ish established mobster, relied upon by all, who allows conflicting loyalties toward Mark and toward his younger brother, now a cop, to undermine the stability of his position. --David Chute

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie, Bad Collector's DVD, March 3, 2000

By	Derek K. Cheng "zoodc" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Better Tomorrow (DVD)

Okay... so if you're only interested in the movie, of course this is quintessential John Woo melodrama-action. Chow Yun Fat is the master of matches mouth moving and handgun hysterics. But the DVD is badly flawed. The subtitles are too big as the other review said, but they're also late (show up after the dialogue) and inaccurate (its text from the original) *I'm Chinese so I know--I just turn it off*. In addition, the description is incorrect--there's no "additional footage" or "behind the scenes stuff." Only the lightest production notes on the cast and crew--stuff you could get from IMDB. Also the transfer is a bit faded and lacks real richness that DVD is suppose to provide. In addition, the annoying startup promo (which lasts over 3 minutes) before the actual menu starts can't be skipped. I had rated this as 3 stars, but changed it to 2. I still love the movie, but feel a little jipped--especially since I bought the entire trilogy. Where's Criterion when you need them?

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic movie, HORRIBLE subtitles, March 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Better Tomorrow (DVD)

This movie is just awesome. It's not the action packed thriller you'd normally expect from John Woo, but it's one of my all time favorite movies. Chow Yun-Fat offers yet another brilliant performance in this drama about an aging gangster (Ti Lung) torn between his best friend (Chow Yun-Fat) and his brother (Leslie Cheung).

What keeps this product from a five star rating is NOT the film itself. The subtitles are so horrible, I can't understand how any professional film distributor could release this is as a finished product. Spelling mistakes and ridiculously poor grammar litter this otherwise great film. Who did they hire to translate this? Whoever it was obviously had only known the English language for approximately 3 weeks. In addition, the subtitles often appear AFTER the dialogue is spoken- which can ruin the effect of a couple of key scenes (if you've seen it, you'll know what I mean).

Besides the subtitles, the DVD itself is nothing special. In fact, its not even average features wise. It has basic chapter selection, an ad for other film's the "Media Asia Group" offers, and the trailer for the film. That's it. The "About The Film" section isn't even worth mentioning, it's just extremely brief information on those involved with the film. You would get much better information (and in more detail) from the IMDB (www.imdb.com) or any fan site.

The subtitles alone were so bad that I was tempted to return this, but since there is no other version available that I am aware of, I guess there isn't much choice. As a big fan of both Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo, this product was very disappointing. It's a shame- this movie deserves much better.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Five Star Film Ruined By Poor Transfer To DVD, February 19, 2000

By	Robert Cyr (Deerfield, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Better Tomorrow (DVD)

A wonderful movie overall, but the subtitles are terrible and distract from enjoyment of the film.

The letters are too big, and often only four or five words are fitted per line, so an additional line of subtitles is necessary, taking up the bottom 25 to 30% of the screen. Can't see the movie for the words! The same holds true for the sequels.

I'd buy another copy if only they'd fix this aweful production flaw.

DON'T BUY IT! Wait for an improved edition! Too high a cost for such a faulty product.