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A Better Tomorrow 2 -
Why did I watch part two instead of part one? Umm, well...it's bloodier, that's why! Perhaps the bloodiest movie in this thread so far, it has the brothers on the opposite sides of the law from part one, police officer Kit (Leslie Cheung) and gangster Ho (Ti Lung), investigating and later assisting Lung (Dean Shek), a most unlucky counterfeiter and shipping magnate. Not only does his partner betray him and encourage much worse bad guys to take over his operations, but Lung also loses almost everyone close to him. However, he's not totally hopeless because in addition to the brothers coming to his rescue, his nephew is gangster turned rice-loving restaurateur Ken (Chow Yun-Fat, back by popular demand).
This movie is likely famous for its eyebrow-raising scenes (which I'll discuss later) and its over the top violence above all else - well, that and appearing in True Romance - but it's just as well known for its troubled production. Besides stunt mishaps that caused broken limbs and one that almost engulfed Chow Yun-Fat in flames, director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark had opposing ideas about the story, so much so that they hired a third party to make a proper edit before the scheduled release date lapsed. I approve of the end result, so much so that I think it’s on par with the best of Woo's movies from this era. I have no trouble following the story, and what messiness results from Woo and Hark's contention adds grit and memorability. Also - and most importantly - the snafu did not dilute Woo's talent for directing action. He knows how and when to use slow motion as well as the appeal of one-man armies, the highlights being Ken taking out hordes of gangsters who ambush him at a hotel and of course the blood-soaked mansion finale. If there's a scene as bloody as that one in any action movie period, I'd like to see it. As for Woo's flair for melodrama, the results are, well, different. There's the notorious "rice" scene, in which Chow Yun-Fat acts out every emotion as if he's going through the seven stages of grief over all the spilled rice on his restaurant floor, and all the while, you can't help but think "this is still going on?" as every minute ticks by. Nonetheless, the bigger oddity may be the "orange" scene. In it, Ken and his traumatized Uncle Lung celebrate the latter's desire to eat again by sharing oranges while practically writhing in ecstasy. Having said all of this, am I complaining these scenes or praising them? I'm not sure. All I know is that I wouldn't change anything about them.
Like I said, the action is over the top, so much so that it strains credulity at times. Our four heroes take so many bullets and survive that Daffy Duck would be jealous. Speaking of cartoons, as thrilling as the action may be, that one person can take out dozens of equally armed to the teeth gangsters and survive made me feel like I was watching one at times. With that said, flaws and all, I still think it's one of Woo's best, and it has all of the qualities from its stunts to its charismatic performers to its machismo that made me love this sub-genre. Oh, and if you love city settings as much as I do, the footage of Hong Kong and New York is a joy to take in.
My guy (or gal): Ken. He's just as cool while strafing dozens of bad guys as he is cooking fried rice.
Why did I watch part two instead of part one? Umm, well...it's bloodier, that's why! Perhaps the bloodiest movie in this thread so far, it has the brothers on the opposite sides of the law from part one, police officer Kit (Leslie Cheung) and gangster Ho (Ti Lung), investigating and later assisting Lung (Dean Shek), a most unlucky counterfeiter and shipping magnate. Not only does his partner betray him and encourage much worse bad guys to take over his operations, but Lung also loses almost everyone close to him. However, he's not totally hopeless because in addition to the brothers coming to his rescue, his nephew is gangster turned rice-loving restaurateur Ken (Chow Yun-Fat, back by popular demand).
This movie is likely famous for its eyebrow-raising scenes (which I'll discuss later) and its over the top violence above all else - well, that and appearing in True Romance - but it's just as well known for its troubled production. Besides stunt mishaps that caused broken limbs and one that almost engulfed Chow Yun-Fat in flames, director John Woo and producer Tsui Hark had opposing ideas about the story, so much so that they hired a third party to make a proper edit before the scheduled release date lapsed. I approve of the end result, so much so that I think it’s on par with the best of Woo's movies from this era. I have no trouble following the story, and what messiness results from Woo and Hark's contention adds grit and memorability. Also - and most importantly - the snafu did not dilute Woo's talent for directing action. He knows how and when to use slow motion as well as the appeal of one-man armies, the highlights being Ken taking out hordes of gangsters who ambush him at a hotel and of course the blood-soaked mansion finale. If there's a scene as bloody as that one in any action movie period, I'd like to see it. As for Woo's flair for melodrama, the results are, well, different. There's the notorious "rice" scene, in which Chow Yun-Fat acts out every emotion as if he's going through the seven stages of grief over all the spilled rice on his restaurant floor, and all the while, you can't help but think "this is still going on?" as every minute ticks by. Nonetheless, the bigger oddity may be the "orange" scene. In it, Ken and his traumatized Uncle Lung celebrate the latter's desire to eat again by sharing oranges while practically writhing in ecstasy. Having said all of this, am I complaining these scenes or praising them? I'm not sure. All I know is that I wouldn't change anything about them.
Like I said, the action is over the top, so much so that it strains credulity at times. Our four heroes take so many bullets and survive that Daffy Duck would be jealous. Speaking of cartoons, as thrilling as the action may be, that one person can take out dozens of equally armed to the teeth gangsters and survive made me feel like I was watching one at times. With that said, flaws and all, I still think it's one of Woo's best, and it has all of the qualities from its stunts to its charismatic performers to its machismo that made me love this sub-genre. Oh, and if you love city settings as much as I do, the footage of Hong Kong and New York is a joy to take in.
My guy (or gal): Ken. He's just as cool while strafing dozens of bad guys as he is cooking fried rice.