A Better Tomorrow Blu Ray + DVD Combo [Blu-ray]

Fantastic (apparently remake) movie with excellent acting, tone, and story progression. Very similar to some of the "gangster" miike movies and other recent korean action movies (such as the man from nowhere). As with most of these movies they are not wall to wall with action and have better stories than typical action movies.

The action sequences are extremely well done and memorable; actually 3 of them you will remember for a long time (deal gone wrong, revenge, and the finale). The ending is more jaded than typical action movies so it's not for everyone but if you like American and Japanese action movies there's no real reason why you won't like these Korean action movies except for the subtitles. There might be dubbing on the home release...

I've often joked that you cannot put weight in calling yourself a man unless you have seen at least one John Woo film. His early work especially was filled with epic gunfights, explosions, and just all around awe-inspiring action sequences. The only downside is that many of his older films featuring Chow Yun Fat all feel so similar that it's really difficult to distinguish one from another. The storylines are almost exactly the same and many of the same cast members are utilized in each film. It has literally been years since I've seen the original A Better Tomorrow. I was mostly hoping for an upgrade of sorts from Dragon Dynasty since their 2-disc and Blu-ray releases of classic foreign cinema are always top notch. Nevertheless, I do remember holding both the original film and sequel in high regard. I wasn't even aware a Korean remake was on the cards until I received an email informing me of the DVD and Blu-ray details. Given the amount of remakes that hit US shores at such a quickened pace, I was a bit weary of giving this film a chance. But then I began to realize how much I love Korean film and came to notice that John Woo produced the film. So A Better Tomorrow was given its proper chance and folks, maybe it's because I haven't seen the 1986 version in so long but this remake almost seems as worthy as the original film.

Before I get ahead of myself, I love John Woo's film. I want to make that point crystal clear. A Better Tomorrow features some of the most influential action sequences not only of the 1980s, but perhaps of all time. The remake takes a bit of a different route and is more story-driven. There are only a handful of action sequences, but they feel strategically placed and mean a bit more in the long run. Character development is key. The action is only there to compliment the drama. While the original theme, location, and character names may have been changed, much of the impact of what these characters are going through is still rather strong. The majority of the film is carried by the brothers Hyuk (Jin-mo Ju) and Chul (Kang-woo Kim) and their relationship or lack thereof. Hyuk abandoned Chul and his mother years ago. With their mother now dead, Chul seeks revenge and only wants to see his brother dead while Hyuk just wants Chul to be a part of his life. Hyuk is a policeman who illegally deals guns on the side. His partner Young-chun (Seung-heon Song) is more than likely the coolest guy you've ever come across while Tae Min (Han Sun Jo) is the lackey who dreams of becoming a gangster boss.

The film looks stunning. It's beautifully shot and features some amazingly vibrant colors along with some really impressive lighting. The Young-chun gun scene with the arms dealers from Thailand near the beginning of the film is where things begin to get interesting. The interrogation scene where the brothers meet for the first time after many years of separation show how powerful the performances of Jin-Mo Ju and Kang-woo Kim are going to become. But the massage parlor scene with Young-chun is where the film begins to show its first signs of John Woo influence. While the action scenes are fewer, everything seems to be riding on the final gunfight which is pretty extraordinary. The relationship between the two brothers is what drives the movie forward, but the way Young-chun tries to make himself part of that equation and the monster Tae Min becomes is what makes the film at least a little special.

The few reviews I'm seeing online of this film are saying things like it lacks the very important theme of the John Woo film and that there isn't as much action. There's also a lack of female roles, which I agree with. This version of A Better Tomorrow is good for different reasons than its predecessor. I feel like the performances were much stronger in the remake and that the story, even though it deviated quite a bit from John Woo's version, took a front seat rather than the action. The Korean remake is slower and not quite as violent. My only complaint falls onto the ending, which is way too anticlimactic.

A Better Tomorrow is not the same movie it's labeled as remaking and that's a good thing. Strong performances and fewer action sequences help pave the way for more meaningful character development and a story with a bit more of an impact. Maybe I'm biased because I love depressing films, but A Better Tomorrow is well worth giving a chance if you can settle with the fact that it's different and altered from the source material; arguably not for the better but enjoyable in a contrasting way.

Special features are pretty minimal. It says there are 27 minutes total of special features in the set, but I believe the same set of special features are on both the DVD and the Blu-ray. So it's more like 13 minutes of the same features on both discs. There's a three minute Character Intro Cast Interview that introduces the characters and shows you a little bit behind the scenes, a four minute Making of featurette that goes into more detail behind the scenes and gives you more information about the film including it being filmed in Thailand, the type of blood packs they used, and action scenes being shot from a helicopter. Challenges & Transformations is nothing more than a two minute interviews with director Song Hae-sung and producer John Woo (separately). Throw in the original trailer and a bonus trailer and that sums up all the bonus material. Keep in mind both the DVD and Blu-ray of the film are included in one package.

A Better Tomorrow is presented in widescreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and features stereo 5.1 HD Surround Sound along with Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The film is in Korean with English subtitles and is approximately 123 minutes long. The A Better Tomorrow DVD/Blu-ray combo package is available in retail stores and most online retailers now.

I have read in other places around the internet about the inferiority of Seung-gi Kang's South Korean remake of the much beloved 1986 Hong Kong film "A Better Tomorrow", which in itself was a remake of a little known (in the U.S.) 1967 movie called Ying xiong ben se (Story of a Discharged Prisoner). I guess a movie with this much baggage behind it is not going to get a fair shake, and how could it, not only did "A Better Tomorrow" launch the international careers of director John Woo and co-star Chow Yun Fat, start a franchise (sequels, knockoffs, etc.), but it started the whole heroic bloodshed movement in HK cinema, and is ranked as the second on the list of the 100 greatest Chinese Motion Pictures. In HK, and other countries, the look of Chow's character Mark led a generation into dressing in long trenchcoats called "dusters" and wearing ray-ban sunglasses while chewing on a toothpick, some even feared it would lead the youth to choose a life of crime and degradation. I have such a strong affinity for the film myself that I can say it is easily one of my favorite films, top 250 for sure. So how does a remake live up to all this, well it can't, but I knew that, and so should you, but based on it's own merits this a is a worthy successor.

Over the past decade or so, South Korea has been a hot bed of exciting, daring and original filmmaking, director Hae-sun Song and his team of screenwriters have tackled the subject of A Better Tomoorow and brought it into a new light just by changing the location of the story. Told from the point of view of two brothers, who were separated years earlier in a semi-failed attempt to cross from North to South Korea: Cheol has never forgiven Hyeok for abandoning him and their mother (i.e. making it across), and the consequence of their failed escape from repression. Otherwise, the story follows Woo's original quite closely, this is version may be a little less violent, though it is R-rated for "strong bloody violence throughout." The writing and production are top notch, the dramatics as strong as the '86 film. Woo himself felt strong enough about the movie that he and his longtime producing partner, Terence Chang, are listed in the credits as executive producers. This is a darker, more bleak film in many respects though.

The only real let down would have to be with the new cast, the three leads who I am not familiar with, having never seen them in any films prior. They are Kang-woo Kim, Jin-mo Ju and Seung-heon Song, and while they do a fine job, they lack the chemistry and charisma that Leslie Cheung, Ti Lung and Chow Yun-Fat brought to the original film, their dynamics were a big part of the success of that movie's. Otherwise, only the freshness of an original work is missing. This is a good film, and if you enjoyed the Woo classics, this is a welcome return, putting the heroics back into the bloodshed.