A Better Tomorrow II

1987 1h 44m CN

👍

7.1

SOLID

🍅

63%

FRESH

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 331🍅63%Rotten Tomatoes★7.2IMDB · 12,537

ActionCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ti Lung
Sung Chi Ho
Leslie Cheung
Sung Chi Kit
Dean Shek Tin
Lung Sei
Chow Yun-Fat
Ken Lee
Guan Shan
Ko Ying Pui
Emily Chu Bo-Yee
Jackie
Kenneth Tsang
Kin
Shing Fui-On
Pui's Partner

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Woo
Writers: Tsui Hark, John Woo, Chan Hing-Kai
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Tagalog
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Tagalog.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "A Better Tomorrow Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Woo, shot by Frank Prinzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Joseph Koo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Cheung Ka-Fai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung and Dean Shek Tin carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0094357 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Woo directs. Frank Prinzi behind the camera. Joseph Koo scores. Cheung Ka-Fai cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Tagalog.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

139 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Tagalog.
3Part of the "A Better Tomorrow Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by John Woo, shot by Frank Prinzi. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Joseph Koo. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Cheung Ka-Fai shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung and Dean Shek Tin carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0094357 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "new york city", "friendship", "husband wife relationship", "sibling relationship".
10Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Frank Prinzi
Original score: Joseph Koo
Editing: Cheung Ka-Fai
Production design: Andy Lee
Stunt coordinator: Phil Neilson
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $2,904,714
Original language: CN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: A Better Tomorrow II (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes: 63% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 12,537 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

2 nominations total

Part of

A Better Tomorrow Collection

This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around the split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs. Written by Victor R. Volkman