A Better Tomorrow II (1988)

Review by All Movie Guide
It's a rare feat for any movie to top its predecessor, especially when the original virtually reinvented the genre and turned its leading man into a cultural icon. As improbable as it may be, director John Woo serves up a tasty dish that successfully tops all of the elements of the first entry by offering some of the most explosive action sequences ever captured on film. Unfortunately, the sappy melodrama of the original is also laid on extra thick. Though fans of Woo would see the sort of emotions that are displayed here handled much better in the subsequent Bullet in the Head, they thankfully don't detract from the mind-bending action sequences that have since become Woo's trademark. Viewers may initially scoff at the contrived device used to bring back the ever charismatic Chow Yun-Fat, but once the ball gets rolling there's no stopping, as each action scene furiously tops the last until the nearly unbelievable climax. In addition to Yun-Fat's now classic rice speech, Hong Kong cinema veterans Leslie Cheung and Ti Lung offer commendable performances as the conflicted brothers that must join forces in the name of defeating a common enemy. As with the previous entry, it's obvious that despite Woo's seemingly fetishistic approach to violence, he does truly detests the actions of his characters by offering that violence only begets more violence. Though in real life humankind has fallen into this tragic cycle from the earliest accounts of history, it certainly makes for an entertaining action film when Woo is the man delivering the message. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide