A Better Tomorrow Trilogy: Hong Kong Cinema Classics – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)
Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1986 (A Better Tomorrow), Hong Kong, 1987 (A Better Tomorrow II), Hong Kong, 1989 (A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon)
Directors: John Woo (A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II), Tsui Hark (A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon)
Cast: Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, Emily Chu, Waise Lee, Kenneth Tsang, Tien Fang (A Better Tomorrow), Dean Shek, Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, Emily Chu, Kwan Shan, Kenneth Tsang, Shing Fui-On, Lung Ming-yan (A Better Tomorrow II), Chow Yun-fat, Anita Mui, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Shih Kien ,Saburō Tokitō, Maggie Cheung Ho-yee (A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon)
Release Date: November 18th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 95 Minutes 26 Seconds (A Better Tomorrow), 104 Minutes 30 Seconds (A Better Tomorrow II), 119 Minutes 13 Seconds (A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon),
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $99.98
A Better Tomorrow: "A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break." - synopsis provided by the distributor
A Better Tomorrow II: "A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter." - synopsis provided by the distributor
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon: "A man travels from China to Vietnam, on the brink of war with America, to retrieve his uncle and cousin but find complications when he falls in love with a female gangster with a dangerous ex." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Video: (All Films)
Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "4K Scan From the Original Camera Negative."
A Better Tomorrow comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.
Disc Size: 67.2 GB
Feature: 66.8 GB
A Better Tomorrow comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 44 GB
Feature: 26.1 GB
This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.
A Better Tomorrow II comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.
Disc Size: 72.5 GB
Feature: 72.1 GB
A Better Tomorrow II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 41.6 GB
Feature: 28.5 GB
This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.
Disc Size: 82.9 GB
Feature: 82.6 GB
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 45.9 GB
Feature: 32.6 GB
This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.
The sources for these three transfers look similar. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, these new transfers look phenomenal, and they represent the best appearance these films have ever had on home media.
A Better Tomorrow II workprint and A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon the Taiwanese cut come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 45.5 GB
Feature: 22.5 GB (A Better Tomorrow II Workprint), 22.6 GB (A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon The Taiwanese cut)
Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)
Each film comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon has some dialogue in Vietnamese and English. All of the audio tracks sound excellent; they are free of distortion and background hiss. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise action sequences sound appropriately robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and English SDH for the English language track. Language tracks and subtitles can only be changed via the setup menu and not during playback.
Extras:
Extras on the A Better Tomorrow 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with James Mudge, Hong Kong Film Critic at easternKicks.
Extras on the A Better Tomorrow Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (posters/Japanese press book/stills), two theatrical trailers (6 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside A Better Tomorrow (17 minutes 48 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with filmmaker Gareth Evans titled Better and Bombastic (23 minutes, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with filmmaker Gordon Chan titled Thoughts on the Future (8 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Chan Hing-ka titled When Tomorrow Comes (20 minutes 48 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with producer Terence Chang titled Between Friends (7 minutes 34 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with director John Woo titled Better Than the Best (34 minutes 26 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.
Extras on the A Better Tomorrow II 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with James Mudge, Hong Kong Film Critic at easternKicks.
Extras on the A Better Tomorrow II Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (posters/stills/lobby cards), two theatrical trailers (8 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside A Better Tomorrow II (10 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with film historian Frank Djeng titled Better Than Ever (18 minutes 58 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with director John Woo titled A Tumultuous Tomorrow (26 minutes 28 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.
Extras on the A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with film critic and author David West.
Extras on the A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (posters/stills), a theatrical trailer (5 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside A Better Tomorrow III (10 minutes 23 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English, no subtitles), an interview with Vietnam War researcher Dr. Aurélie Basha i Novosejt titled Nam Flashbacks: How A Better Tomorrow III Represents Conflict (16 minutes 55 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with Hong Kong filmmaker and academic Gilbert Po titled All Our Tomorrows, he discusses the A Better Tomorrow films (23 minutes 18 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with screenwriters iu-Ming Leung and Foo Ho Tai titled Third Time Lucky (24 minutes 33 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with David West.
Included with this release is a bonus Blu-ray disc that contains A Better Tomorrow II workprint version (141 minutes 39 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles) and A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon, the Taiwanese cut (129 minutes 57 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles).
Summary:
A Better Tomorrow: Triad members Ho and Mark help run a successful counterfeit business with some foreign criminals out of an office in downtown Hong Kong. Ho gets sent on another mission in Taiwan, where he’s betrayed by the crooks he was to do business with and he’s sent to a Taiwanese prison. Ho tries to start a new life free from his past, but he quickly discovers he must confront his past head-on as his only way out.
John Woo was at a crossroads in his career before A Better Tomorrow; although he had been successful making comedies, his real passion was making films like those of his idols, Sam Peckinpaw and Jean-Pierre Melville. The genesis of A Better Tomorrow can be traced to two films, The Story of a Discharged Prisoner and Hua Shan's The Brothers, and the cinema of Chang Cheh. In the case of the latter, John Woo worked with Chang Cheh on a few films as assistant director. Chang Cheh’s influence over John Woo’s cinema from A Better Tomorrow onward is undeniable.
Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s was going through several film cycles after years of martial arts cinema being the dominant force at the box office. Although martial arts cinema never really went away, it had undergone a transformation after the success of Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master, and there was a shift to make films set in the present. With A Better Tomorrow, John Woo would take Chang Cheh’s blood-soaked wuxia and bring heroic bloodshed into a modern urban setting.
While A Better Tomorrow began John Woo’s foray into brutal, bloody, and bombastic action set pieces, out of his six key Hong Kong films, it is actually the least action-heavy. Upon revisiting A Better Tomorrow, I was struck by just how much exposition it has and, more specifically, how well it blends its three central characters' stories. That said, A Better Tomorrow possesses a tremendous amount of emotional depth, and its explosive action set pieces are the cherry on top.
A Better Tomorrow is also a significant film for its three stars: Ti Lung (The Water Margin) is cast in the role of Ho; his character is essentially the protagonist. Although he had remained active before A Better Tomorrow, his days of being a leading man at Shaw Brothers were long behind him. Leslie Cheung (Farewell My Concubine) portrays Kit, Ho’s younger brother. His character aspires to be a police officer and his brother’s past harms his chances. Then there is Chow Yun-fat (City on Fire) in the role of Mark, a fearless character who often walks into the case of danger. A Better Tomorrow would mark the first of Chow Yun-fat's five films that John Woo directed.
Besides Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, and Chow Yun-fat, who are all outstanding in their roles, the rest of the performances all rise to the occasion. Waise Lee (Bullet in the Head) delivers a performance of note, portraying Shing, an ambitious low-ranking triad who is mentored by Ho and Mark. Notable cast members include Kenneth Tsang (The Killer), whose character Ken operates a taxi company that hires ex-cons; Emily Chu (Rouge), who portrays Kit’s girlfriend Jackie; and Tien Fang (Fist of Fury), who portrays Ho and Kit’s father.
It is clear to see how A Better Tomorrow forever changed action sequences in Hong Kong cinema. Most action sequences relied on hands, kicks, swords, and knives; A Better Tomorrow employed a firepower now known as gun fu, a style that integrated gunplay into martial arts choreography. At the beginning of A Better Tomorrow, a shootout in a restaurant establishes the template that all heroic bloodshed films would later attempt to replicate. What begins as a revenge killing quickly becomes a stylized sequence where every movement is perfectly choreographed for maximum effect.
A Better Tomorrow is a textbook example of a film where everything perfectly falls into place. The narrative does a superb job capturing its characters' highs and lows and building momentum to an explosive finale. The visuals and the score create a fusion that greatly enhances the mood. While the score primarily features music cues composed by Joseph Koo, it does feature a few recognizable cues, like music from Peter Gabriel’s score for Birdy and a track from Brian Eno’s Music for Films. Ultimately, A Better Tomorrow is an exemplary film about family, loyalty, and betrayal that sets the foundation from which all heroic bloodshed films followed.
A Better Tomorrow II: Now in prison, Ho repeatedly turns down a chance for early parole in exchange for being a police informant. When he finds out his brother Kit has taken on an undercover role in his place, he quickly changes his mind and agrees to help.
The success of A Better Tomorrow would spawn countless imitators, and when its producer Tsui Hark approached John Woo about a sequel, he jumped at the chance. While two key characters from A Better Tomorrow would return for A Better Tomorrow II, its main driving force is the addition of two new characters, Ho’s mentor Lung Sei and Ken, Mark’s twin brother. In the case of the latter, it gave a chance for Chow Yun-Fat to return despite his character dying in the first film. A Better Tomorrow II’s use of a twin brother would also launch a new trend in Hong Kong cinema.
In the opening moments there is a flashback that gives an overview of A Better Tomorrow before launching into the narrative. The narrative is actually a very satisfying balance of action and exposition, despite being more action-heavy than its predecessor. One of the most impressive moments of exposition is a scene that explains Ken, Mark’s twin brother. That said, like its predecessor, A Better Tomorrow II does an exemplary job weaving multiple characters' stories.
While family bonds are central to A Better Tomorrow II and its predecessor, both films explore the lengths law enforcement will go to to bring down criminals. Betrayal is a theme that drives A Better Tomorrow II; Lung Sei is a former criminal who now runs a legit business, and when he refuses to work with those from his past, someone close to him betrays him. That said, characters in John Woo’s heroic bloodshed films have a humanity to them that is lacking in most heroic bloodshed films made by his contemporaries.
The three principal actors from A Better Tomorrow return: Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung, and Chow Yun-fat, and they all deliver exemplary performances that elevate everyone around them. The main cast addition is Dean Shek (Warriors Two) in the role of Lung Sei. He delivers a performance that exudes empathy; his character is a broken man after the death of his daughter. Another performance of note is Lung Ming-yan’s portrayal of Chong, a cold-blooded assassin who lets his gun do all of the talking.
Sequels are known for taking elements from their predecessor and magnifying them. When it comes to its action sequences, A Better Tomorrow II is bigger and more bombastic than its predecessor, and with each new action sequence, it somehow tops itself. Of course, it saves its best for last, a lengthy, non-stop action set piece that features a Mexican standoff between Ken and Chong. Instead of taking advantage of Ken being out of bullets, Chong gives him one of his backup guns. They then slide the guns across the floor and have a samurai-like duel. That said, despite John Woo having created so many memorable action sequences throughout his career, this sequence is arguably his most inspired.
In its current form, A Better Tomorrow II clocks in at around 104 minutes. John Woo’s initial cut of A Better Tomorrow II reportedly clocked in at 160 minutes, and his version was drastically cut down and the focus of the narrative was altered by producer Tsui Hark. That said, these disagreements would alter their working relationship, and they would part ways shortly thereafter. Ultimately, A Better Tomorrow II is an exceptional film that’s on par with its predecessor.
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon: At the end of the Vietnam War, a man goes to Saigon to bring his father and cousin back to Hong Kong before it's impossible to leave. While there he meets a woman and falls in love with her, only to face separation when he and his father and cousin flee Saigon.
Tsui Hark directed A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon. He’s known for Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, Peking Opera Blues, Once Upon a Time in China, The Banquet, Twin Dragons, and Time and Tide. Besides directing, he’s also produced these notable films: A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow II, A Chinese Ghost Story, The Killer, Iron Monkey, Burning Paradise, and Black Mask.
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon is a prequel to A Better Tomorrow that focuses on the character Mark, and it serves as his origin story. Although A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon is connected to the two earlier A Better Tomorrow films directed by John Woo, he had ended his working relationship with Tsui Hark prior to its production. From there, John Woo took his original idea for A Better Tomorrow III and transformed it into the film Bullet in the Head.
Tsui Hark is an exemplary director in his own right and yet one cannot help but notice the absence of John Woo. Their filmmaking styles could not be more different, and tone-wise, A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon bears no resemblance to the two John Woo-directed A Better Tomorrow films. That said, despite these differences, Tsui Hark delivers a solid prequel that holds up well on its own.
Chow Yun-fat (Full Contact) is the sole returning actor from John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow films. He delivers another captivating performance that further develops a character who has become one of his most iconic. This time, he is joined by Tony Leung Ka-fai (The Lover), who plays Michael, Mark’s cousin, and by Anita Mui (The Heroic Trio), who portrays Chow Ying-kit, an arms dealer that teaches Mark how to become an exemplary marksman. While all of the performances are excellent, it is the three leads who really excel.
The narrative effectively sustains momentum with a series of tense moments that build to its bombastic finale that serves as a perfect coda. Besides being a story about survival, there is also a love triangle between Chow Ying-kit, Mark, and Michael. That said, as engaging of a story as A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon is, it lacks the emotional depth of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow films. Ultimately, A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon is a worthy companion piece that would be held in higher regard if it were not linked to John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow films.
These three films have not been easily available, and more importantly, their releases have left much to be desired. My only complaint about this release is that it lacks a booklet, similar to what Shout Factory provided for Hard Boiled and The Killer. A Better Tomorrow Trilogy gets an exceptional release from Shout Factory that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.
Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.
Written by Michael Den Boer
