A Better Tomorrow 2
Encyclopedia
A Better Tomorrow 2 is a 1987 Hong Kong action and crime directed by John Woo
and starring Chow Yun-fat
, Dean Shek
, Leslie Cheung
, and Ti Lung
.
A follow-up
to its popular predecessor, A Better Tomorrow
. A Better Tomorrow 2 is notoriously known for its over-the-top violence, exaggerated blood and gore, and body counts nearing the hundreds.
Although the film was initially panned for its rather campy feel and a much more soap opera
-like plot than its predecessor, with Chow Yun-fat
going on an over-the-top tirade in one point of the film over a bowl of rice, it is now considered a cult classic, with many fans considering it as equaling the first A Better Tomorrow
.
Director John Woo
and producer Tsui Hark
had disagreements over the focus of this film. Tsui felt that the film should focus more on the Dean Shek character. This led to the film being edited in halves by both Tsui and Woo. Woo has all but disowned this film apart from the final gun battle.
, Ho is drafted from prison by federal agents to spy on his former master, Lung, who is suspected of heading a counterfeiting operation. Ho considers this traitorous and declines with disgust. He changes his mind when he discovers that his younger brother, Kit, now an aspiring police lieutenant, and expecting a child with his wife Jackie, is on the same case. Ho takes the job to protect his brother. After being framed for murder, Lung seeks Ho's help. Ho helps him escape to New York
, but Lung becomes temporarily insane after receiving news of his daughter's murder and witnessing his friend being killed. Mark's twin brother, Ken, comes to the rescue, and the two go into hiding in a hotel. After a shoot-out with mobsters, Ken and Lung find themselves cornered. Lung snaps out of insanity and gets Ken and himself out of trouble. The two return to Hong Kong
and link up with Ho and Kit. The team then discovers that one of Lung's former employees, Ko, is responsible for trying to kill Lung. After doing some reconnaissance in Ko's mansion alone, Kit is fatally wounded, roughly at the same time that his child is born. He is rescued by Ken and manages, just before he dies, to name his child (in Chinese, "the Spirit of Righteousness"). The remaining three take revenge on Ko by attacking his mansion during a meeting with a counterfeiting client. At the climax of the film, an enormous gun battle ensues. The three kill approximately 90 others (including one man shot by Ken approximately 40 times). All three are terribly wounded. After killing Ko, the three sit down in the mansion and are surrounded by the police led by Inspector Wu, the officer who asked for Ho's help in bringing down the syndicate.
"Birdy's Flight (From 'Not One Of Us')"
Composer: Peter Gabriel
From: Birdy
(1984)
"Leo Gets It"
Composer: Gary Chang
From: 52 Pick-Up
(1987)
"The Set-Up"
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
From: Extreme Prejudice
(1987)
was the stunt double in the warehouse scene. He wrenched his back after slipping on water puddle while carrying Dean Shek. Also the stuntman for Leslie Cheung
who performed the speedboat jump landed incorrectly and broke his foot.
Mike Abbott appears at the hotel shootout scene. Mike Abbott was known by appearing in some ninja movies made by Godfrey Ho
.
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
and starring Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
, Dean Shek
Dean Shek
Dean Shek aka Dean Shek Tien is a veteran Hong Kong feature film actor and film producer with over 92 films acting credits to his name...
, Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
, and Ti Lung
Ti Lung
Tommy Tam Fu-Wing, also known as Ti Lung , or Dik Lung, is a Hong Kong actor.-Background:He studied Wing Chun under the martial arts master Chu Wan. In 1969, Ti was found by the Shaw Brothers and cast in Return of the One-Armed Swordsman opposite Jimmy Wang Yu, a role which would launch his career...
.
A follow-up
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to its popular predecessor, A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
. A Better Tomorrow 2 is notoriously known for its over-the-top violence, exaggerated blood and gore, and body counts nearing the hundreds.
Although the film was initially panned for its rather campy feel and a much more soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
-like plot than its predecessor, with Chow Yun-fat
Chow Yun-Fat
Chow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
going on an over-the-top tirade in one point of the film over a bowl of rice, it is now considered a cult classic, with many fans considering it as equaling the first A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
.
Director John Woo
John Woo
John Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
and producer Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark
Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...
had disagreements over the focus of this film. Tsui felt that the film should focus more on the Dean Shek character. This led to the film being edited in halves by both Tsui and Woo. Woo has all but disowned this film apart from the final gun battle.
Plot
A few years after the events of A Better TomorrowA Better Tomorrow
A Better Tomorrow is a 1986 Hong Kong action film which had a profound influence on the Hong Kong film-making industry, and later on an international scale.Directed by John Woo, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung...
, Ho is drafted from prison by federal agents to spy on his former master, Lung, who is suspected of heading a counterfeiting operation. Ho considers this traitorous and declines with disgust. He changes his mind when he discovers that his younger brother, Kit, now an aspiring police lieutenant, and expecting a child with his wife Jackie, is on the same case. Ho takes the job to protect his brother. After being framed for murder, Lung seeks Ho's help. Ho helps him escape to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, but Lung becomes temporarily insane after receiving news of his daughter's murder and witnessing his friend being killed. Mark's twin brother, Ken, comes to the rescue, and the two go into hiding in a hotel. After a shoot-out with mobsters, Ken and Lung find themselves cornered. Lung snaps out of insanity and gets Ken and himself out of trouble. The two return to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and link up with Ho and Kit. The team then discovers that one of Lung's former employees, Ko, is responsible for trying to kill Lung. After doing some reconnaissance in Ko's mansion alone, Kit is fatally wounded, roughly at the same time that his child is born. He is rescued by Ken and manages, just before he dies, to name his child (in Chinese, "the Spirit of Righteousness"). The remaining three take revenge on Ko by attacking his mansion during a meeting with a counterfeiting client. At the climax of the film, an enormous gun battle ensues. The three kill approximately 90 others (including one man shot by Ken approximately 40 times). All three are terribly wounded. After killing Ko, the three sit down in the mansion and are surrounded by the police led by Inspector Wu, the officer who asked for Ho's help in bringing down the syndicate.
Cast
- Chow Yun-fatChow Yun-FatChow Yun-fat, SBS is an actor from Hong Kong. He is best known in Asia for his collaboration with filmmaker John Woo in heroic bloodshed genre films A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Hard Boiled; and to the West for his role as Li Mu-bai in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon...
as Ken "Gor" Lee - Dean ShekDean ShekDean Shek aka Dean Shek Tien is a veteran Hong Kong feature film actor and film producer with over 92 films acting credits to his name...
as Lung Si - Ti LungTi LungTommy Tam Fu-Wing, also known as Ti Lung , or Dik Lung, is a Hong Kong actor.-Background:He studied Wing Chun under the martial arts master Chu Wan. In 1969, Ti was found by the Shaw Brothers and cast in Return of the One-Armed Swordsman opposite Jimmy Wang Yu, a role which would launch his career...
as Sung Tse Ho - Leslie CheungLeslie CheungLeslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
as Sung Tse Kit - Emily ChuEmily ChuEmily Chu is a Hong Kong film actress.-Filmography:* Magic Sword * The Spiritual Love * Visa to Hell * Angel or Whore * Dignified Killers * The Plot...
as Jackie Sung (Kit's wife) - Regina KentRegina KentRegina Kent was a Hong Kong film actress who acted in some notable Hong Kong films in the 1980s.She acted alongside Brandon Lee in Legacy of Rage , Chow Yun-fat in A Better Tomorrow 2 and Jackie Chan in Project A Part II and Miracles . She disappeared from films in 1990 and nothing is known of...
as Peggy Lung (Lung's daughter) - Kenneth TsangKenneth TsangKenneth Tsang Kong is a Hong Kong actor. Tsang's career has spanned 50 years and included a variety of acting roles.Tsang was born in Shanghai, China with family roots in Jida, Zhuhai, Guangdong. He attended high school in Wah Yan Hong Kong and then Wah Yan, Kowloon...
as Ken (The taxi manager from the first film) - Ng Man-tat as (Mr Wong) during the early stage of his film career
- Siu-ming Lau as Inspector Wu
- Shan Kwan as Ko Ying Pui (The main antagonist)
- Man Yan Lung as Chong (Ko's cold blooded hitman)
- Peter Wang as Sam (Lung's priest friend in New York)
Theme song
Will Rush Toward Future Day (奔向未來的日子)- Lyrics: Wong JimWong JimJames Wong Jim was a Cantopop lyricist and writer based primarily in Hong Kong. He was also a well known in Asia as a columnist, actor, film director, screenwriter and talk show hosts. He took part in creative directing positions within the entertainment industry in Hong Kong...
- Composition and Arrangement: Joseph KooJoseph KooJoseph Koo Kar-Fai, MBE, SBS is one of the most respected composers in Hong Kong. He used the pen name Moran for Mandarin songs. He is the younger brother of famous Chinese singer Koo Mei .-Career:...
- Performance: Leslie CheungLeslie CheungLeslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
Music cues
This film contains music cues from other films. Here are the films and the songs that were used:"Birdy's Flight (From 'Not One Of Us')"
Composer: Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
From: Birdy
Birdy (film)
Birdy is a 1984 American film directed by Alan Parker and starring Matthew Modine and Nicolas Cage. It is based on the novel of the same name by William Wharton.- Synopsis :...
(1984)
"Leo Gets It"
Composer: Gary Chang
From: 52 Pick-Up
52 Pick-Up
52 Pick-Up is a 1986 crime thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. The film stars Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret and is based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.-Plot:...
(1987)
"The Set-Up"
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
From: Extreme Prejudice
Extreme Prejudice (film)
Extreme Prejudice is an American action film originally released in 1987.The film was directed by Walter Hill; it was written by John Milius, Fred Rexer and Deric Washburn...
(1987)
Stunts
This film was notorious for stunt mishaps. Chow Yun-Fat was almost blown up when the explosion outside the mansion door was more powerful than expected. Some of his hair was singed, and he was blasted forward. The shot in the film is his real reaction. Director Ronny YuRonny Yu
Ronny Yu Yan-Tai is a Hong Kong director, producer, and movie writer. Yu was born in Hong Kong and graduated from Ohio University. He has worked on both Hong Kong and American films.- Career :...
was the stunt double in the warehouse scene. He wrenched his back after slipping on water puddle while carrying Dean Shek. Also the stuntman for Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
who performed the speedboat jump landed incorrectly and broke his foot.
Mike Abbott appears at the hotel shootout scene. Mike Abbott was known by appearing in some ninja movies made by Godfrey Ho
Godfrey Ho
Godfrey Ho is a former Hong Kong-based prolific film director and screenwriter, sometimes considered the Ed Wood of Hong Kong cinema. Ho is believed to having directed more than one hundred films, including over 80 movies from 1980 to 1990, but only one film since 1995, apparently retiring from...
.
Film references
- The group of teenagers come into Ken's diner dressed in duster jackets and aviator sunglasses. When Ken's inquires as to their appearance, they respond that they are dressing like Brother Mark. The previous film in this series was so popular that young people in Hong Kong dressed like the lead character that this style of attire became known as "Mark Gor Lau", literally, "Brother Mark's coat", and the scene comments on that trend.
- In the 1993 movie True RomanceTrue RomanceTrue Romance is a 1993 American romance crime film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette with an ensemble cast consisting of Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin...
, directed by Tony ScottTony ScottAnthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
and written by Quentin Tarantino, Patricia ArquettePatricia ArquettePatricia T. Arquette is an American actress and director. She played the lead character in the supernatural drama series Medium for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series....
's character is watching A Better Tomorrow 2 on TVTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. - One scene in the movie references The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
. In The Godfather, characters who purchase, eat, or are shown with oranges are killed as sort of a foreshadowing. In a scene in A Better Tomorrow 2, every major character is offered a single orange as snack before a job. They all refuse the orange, and every major character is either dead or heavily wounded by the end of the movie.