Released in 1986, "A Better Tomorrow" was John Woo's first foray into the action film genre, after many years as a director of comedies and cheesy kung-fu flicks. First film to feature the team of Chow Yun Fat and Woo, Hong Kong's version of De Niro and Scorsese. The story centers on three main characters: Ho (Ti Lung), a career criminal and counterfeiter; Kit (Leslie Cheung), brother to Ho and an up-and-coming police officer; and Mark (Chow Yun Fat), Ho's best friend and partner-in-crime. As opposed to typical action films, "A Better Tomorrow" focuses a lot on character development and the relationships that bind them. Themes explored in the movie include brotherhood, loyalty, betrayal, and revenge. The movie opened in Hong Kong to an amazing reception and for a few years stood as the top movie in box office receipts there. Two sequels were filmed, with the second being directed again by Woo, and the third directed by Tsui Hark.

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