A Better Tomorrow 2: John Woo

A Better Tomorrow 2 is like if John Woo wanted to do an over-the-top tribute to John Woo. It takes everything that Woo did in the first film and amps it up to the nth degree: the obsession with honor and loyalty, the theme of redemption, over-the-top violence, and, of course, Chow Yun-fat being awesome. The last shoot-out is one of my favorite Woo sequences. And considering his pedigree, that is saying something. How can I not love a shoot-out that involves what I assume to be a samurai sword?  But what really tickles me pink is the film's conception of America: everybody is either armed to the hilt, a violent asshole, or a violent asshole armed to the hilt. The fried rice scene is pure gleeful lunacy. I don't know if any other actor other than Chow Yun-fat could have pulled it off. I also loved how the film dropped all pretense of having Ti Lung as the star: even though he's a "supporting character" this is Chow Yun-fat's film. He has the best scenes, the best lines, and the best action beats. And the bit during the final shoot-out where he repeatedly underestimates the power of his bombs and grenades was just adorable.

7/10