A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989) User Reviews

Different from the first two, but not a bad movie

[GIB 01 · 7/10 · 11 April 2000]

Though people have been saying how much of a disappointment this prequel is, I watched it anyways, being a fan of the first two movies. And to be fair, it wasn't a bad experience at all.

I can see how people would be frustrated going in expecting more of the same and getting an action/drama movie instead, but I was told that it was less action and more romance beforehand. So I was prepared to take it for what it is worth. Which is an above average movie overall.

The Good: Chow Yun Fat returns to his character from the first film, which is great. Imagine the movie without him. Can you? Anita Mui plays her part very well and at times you really believe that she is upset or frustrated. The storyline is decent, and done pretty well. No, there are no scenes like the finale of A Better Tomorrow 2, but come on, did you really expect that kind of scene again? The ending of A Better Tomorrow 2 is so spectacular, can you blame the prequel for not trying to top it and go elsewhere instead? The chemistry between Chow Yun Fat's Mark and Anita Mui's Kit is great, especially with Kit. The viewer really feels for her. Great job.

The not so good: Many people accuse John Woo's films of totally ignoring women. But when it comes to A Better Tomorrow, many people criticize part three for placing a woman in the mix. It's supposed to be a story of brotherhood and friendship. In a way I agree. There should be more women representation is some of John Woo's work, but with this series, many fans prefer a team of friends, guys, more specifically Ho, Mark, and Kit from the first in the series. I would rather have had part three be a true sequel picking up where the second left off [with Ho and Mark's brother Ken (also played by Fat)] and tell about there struggles and how they are getting over the events of the last movie. Then you can put Anita Mui in the storyline somewhere and have her help them out in some way.

Overall, A Better Tomorrow 3 is pretty good. Not much like the first two, but an alternative that strays from the formula and may be accpted by some, and not by others.

Chow Yan Fat is great the rest is bad

[chrichtonsworld · 5/10 · 30 January 2007]

I ordered this movie on tape (dvd didn't exist then). I expected the same classic shootouts and drama like the first two "Better Tomorrow"'s. I knew it was a prequel. The back cover said that this movie was about "Mark" becoming the hit-man he was in "Better Tomorrow 1". Boy was I misinformed. It did show some background on Mark's History. And the reason he became a killer. (Love for a woman who gets killed.) But that's it. Nothing more. Nothing about his adventures he told us about in Better Tomorrow 1. To not use this concept is the reason why this movie fails. To be fair there were some nice things like some action scenes,but they were nothing special. These action scenes cannot be compared to John Woo's sequences. Some reviewers call this the best one of the series. That really is a mystery to me,because this movie isn't even in the same league as 1 and 2. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion,but for me this was definitely the worst one of the series!

So-so

[preppy-3 · 5/10 · 28 January 2000]

If you compare this to the first two, this is pretty bad. If you take it on it's own, it's OK. The plot is by the numbers, ditto for characterizations and dialogue. The shoot outs also totally lack the energy and brutality the first two had. And Chow-Yun Fat gives an uncharacteristically bad performance. Still the film isn't totally worthless. The shoot outs, like I said, aren't up to previous directors' Woos shoot outs. But then again what are? They're OK, they're definitely not dull. And the lead actress Mui is fantastic! Unlike the women in Woo's films, she isn't a victim, a sex object or just scenery. She's strong, dynamic, full of energy and better than the men at shooting people down! When she starts blazing away the energy level in the film leaps forward. So it's worth seeing for her, but don't expect any great movie.

The best of the series...

[ecwaenigma · 2 May 2000]

ABTIII is easily the best of the entire series. While loyal John Woo fans (like myself) may feel offended that a sequel was done without his involvement, this film stands alone as a true masterpiece of Tsui Hark's. Anita Mui is fantastic and lends real credibility and sensitivity to this film as the woman who teaches Yun Fat's "Mark" how to both "be cool" and use 2 guns at once. This film also doubles as a sensitive portrayal of the Vietnam conflict from "the other side", a view most Americans are unfamiliar with. A superb, compelling film with excellent performances, ABTIII is a real treasure for those willing to give it a look.

vietnam story or Chinese story

[sunny8964 · 7/10 · 22 April 2022]

The film was shot in 1989. It's easy to think about Chinese students were parading, just like those students in Vietnam in 1974. Those demons such as all kinds of communist party are killing the hopes of their countries. It is massacre. Chow Yun-fat blowing up tanks means defiance.

No matter the Chinese in Vietnam or Hong Kong people even said they were Chinese in 1974 in the movie. Because a part of HK people in 1989 still had hope for this country. However, Chinese who are controled by ccp were smashing up the old world in 1974. We called it culture revolution. And then, ccp were killing people in 1989. So I don't understand why there should be hope for such a regime. Now everyone has taken the bitter pill. CCP raped HK in 2020.

Tsui Hark's unmemorable effort to capitalize Woo's first two movies

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 12 May 2023]

(1989) A Better Tomorrow III (In Chinese with English subtitles) ACTION

It was during the making of this film producer writer and director Tsui Hark decided to do the film himself without John Woo as director, even though the first two "A Better Tomorrow" movies were financially successful. What this film lacked are the male bonding and slow motion scenes often used in John Woo's Hong Kong movies. It was intended to be "A Better Tomorrow" prequel starring a much younger Chow Yun Fat during his days while in Vietnam but one can't tell by watching it, and Woo went off to show his intended prequel version of "A Better Tomorrow III" by making the much intense 1990 film "Bullet In The Head". And although this film wasn't as successful either, it still shows Woo's trademark. This film only gets a pass because it's still part of the series and anything more wouldn't be deserving.

A sequel/prequel that should have never been made

[jimniexperience · 4/10 · 25 March 2018]

This isn't A Better Tomorrow. It's a love story. A cliched love story at that. The love story was just as confusing as their one-handed machine gun wielding spraying, missing all of their targets (yet somehow still landing) .. Action plot was a mess, whoever gave Hark Tsui a go on this movie instead of John Woo should be fined .

The main actress was gorgeous though , with that - 5/10

Not a bad war drama.

[OllieSuave-007 · 7/10 · 30 January 2016]

This is the prequel to Chow Yun-Fat's bullet ballet A Better Tomorrow, where Mark Gor travels to Saigon near the end of the Vietnam war to get his cousin, Mun (Tony Leung Kai-Fai) and uncle out of jail. He falls in love with female gangster Chow Ying-Kit (Anita Mui), and her dangerous ex-boyfriend complicates the mission.

Like the original movie, this movie has a powerful plot from start to finish, from the intense drama between the Mark Gor and his cousin to the war suspense in Vietnam.

There is plenty of mind-blowing action, some to the point that is a little overkill. The acting was pretty good with its strong characters and there is a good balance of humor and drama. I just wished ***spoiler ahead*** that the ending could have been better and not so much a downer. ***spoiler ends***.

The theme song sung by Anita Mui is a powerful and haunting piece of music. Not a bad film overall.

Grade B-

If you're gonna make a prequel, do it right

[kjpsychology · 3/10 · 4 May 2006]

Tsui Hark should've stopped with the 2nd ABT. Even if he wanted to push the envelope on the series by making a prequel, he should've done a wayyyyy better job.

The storyline takes Mark back to Vietnam, where we learn his life as a younger, much less "gangly" individual. However, don't count out Mark when guns are ablazing wherever they may be. It also has a take on his romantic days with a mysterious mob boss' girlfriend, Anita Mui, and the love square they all shared with the Japanese boss and Tony Leung.

Let's talk what's important 1st in these movies. The action. Whatever you can expect in a late 80's, early 90's action Hong Kong film = it's all there. Tsui Hark definitely made it through with the gun fighting scenes. Yet - they weren't as stylish, and you could even say they can become boring once you recognize the similar scenes from other movies. Everyone's wielding an M16 or AK47 shooting the crap out of each other while Mark flies through the air with his signature double fisting handguns.

Where's the edge? Where's the coolness that Mark had from the 1st movie when he strolled through the restaurant nonchalantly dropping berettas everywhere, as he plans to slowly walk in to kill the boss while he's eating hotpot? Where's the climax that we felt in the 2nd movie where all three Ken, Lung and uncle Keen all dressed up and were ready to avenge Kit's death? Let's talk about the plot. Vietnam. WHAT?!? The 1st thing I thought of when I heard prequel was = How brother Lung and Mark started it all - from humble beginnings as street punks, to an established powerful gang where they both reign as kingpins. Or even how uncle Keen brought Mark and Lung into the gang, and how they became who they are today. However; what I found was a seemingly ridiculous plot where Mark is thousands of miles away fighting stupid wars that he got himself into. THEN he's somehow involved with Anita Mui. I'm sorry, but some scenes where Mark is caught up in love made me lose respect for the character of Mark that I know.

What makes these ABT films is through the theme of brotherhood - in this movie, there simply wasn't enough - or it just wasn't standing out. What your eyes see is romance romance romance. Not to say that a love story isn't nice once in awhile, but come on. As a prequel?! No - that just won't do.

If John Woo was involved in this movie, he definitely would've said - Ummm no - we're not going to shoot this movie because it's gonna be terrible. Looks like he dodged a bullet. (No pun intended) For an ABT fan, you might enjoy it because you get to learn more about Mark. But as a movie goer, avoid this one. It's a major disappointment and you'll be happy that you didn't waste 2 hours of your life.

Cliched , Tiresome & irritatingly over Melodramatic Prequel

[rossmcdee1 · 6/10 · 18 September 2023]

There are two great heroic bloodshed films by John Woo, and this irksome slog of a prequel.

Mark (Chow Yun Fat) owes everything to Anita Yuen- his shades, gunmanship, matchstick & trench coat- Anita is too amazing... she can fire a machine gun with one arm,pointing wildly around the room yet still mow down dozens of inept military personnel who just run into rooms. Her skills derive from being a nightclub singer, as they would.

The direction is clunky, editing laboriously bad , the dialogue cringeworthy. The love triangle is mawkish and feeble. The action scenes are uninvolving & predictable.

I watched this film not long after its release and actually enjoyed it mildly (though overall was disappointed) due to CYF's typically charismatic performance. I watched it again recently & it was an utter chore & bore to get through.

Its just far too contrived. Everything is a bit daft... eg- Opening scene- Mark has a cigarette in his mouth & the passport control admin points to a no-smoking sign. Mark hides the cigarette in his mouth, but could have just put it in his top pocket. Moments later he coughs up the now soggy mess of the cigarette for comic effect.

The is also a perfect leitmotif for the rest of the film-It is a soggy mess.

Others may claim this is a masterpiece, even the best of the series, I would seriously disagree and could list 50 films off the top of my head that were similar, yet far better made between the mid 80s to 90's in HK.

OK, but they should have stopped at 2.

[oneguyrambling · 5/10 · 14 November 2010]

Now this is a prequel to the first film, so rather than ABT 3 I might have suggested they call it A Better Yesterday, but I wasn't there at the time.

This time Woo is out and Tsui Hark is in the director's chair, (leading to the worst film in the trilogy). Is it any wonder that Woo and Hark were once peers and that only one went on to direct internationally while the other stayed in Hong Kong making films? (In Tsui Hark's defense Woo's only real strength is action sequences, his films are otherwise no better or worse. But this IS an action film.) At two hours long this drags mightily for quite a while, and the action is over the top without the Woo benefit of being dumbly entertaining. It is like Tsui Hark said I can't promise you'll enjoy it, so I'll make it bloodier and more far fetched.

A young Mark (Chow Yun Fat) goes to Vietnam in 1974 at the tail end of the Vietnam war to meet his cousin Mun as he released from prison for being involved in the black market.

Mun only turned to crime to assist his ailing father to leave Vietnam and return to Hong Kong, but he got caught up in the wrong crowd and ended up in jail. So they decide to re-enter the crime world to get quick cash so that they can have another crack at leaving the country, taking Uncle/Dad with them.

Now I ask you what could go wrong?

Mark was only able to get through Vietnamese Customs with the assistance of an unknown woman, and she turns out to be their first contact in the Vietnamese crime underworld named Miss Chow.

After their first job together goes wrong and a bloodbath ensues, Miss Chow turns into a female Rambo and blows dozens of bad guys away, and Mun and Mark acquit themselves well enough that the three of them get along like a house on fire and spend all their time together.

Now that they have the cash to leave Vietnam they sell up and head off, again nothing goes smoothly and it is only thanks to Miss Chow that they get through, with Uncle nearly dying in the process.

Back in Hong Kong a love triangle quickly forms, Mark and Mun both have the hots for Miss Chow, but she only has eyes for one of them, and it wouldn't be fair to say which here. Shortly after though the threesome becomes a foursome, with the return of Miss Chow's former boss and ex from an overseas stay.

The boss immediately attempts to sever all of Miss Chow's distractions by initially trying to kill them, and then ordering them to leave Hong Kong immediately.

Of course this is never going to wash, so we have a deranged finale with Mun, Mark and Miss Chow joining forces in a bloodbath that leaves dozens killed and involves tanks, machine guns, standoffs and switching allegiances. Basically everything that John Woo would have included, but in a manner so clumsy that for half the time I couldn't work out what was going on, and for the rest I didn't care.

Final Rating – 5.5 / 10. A disappointing end to what was hardly an awe-inspiring trilogy to begin with. They should have stopped at two.

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A Better Tomorrow: The prequel. An underrated masterpiece.

[Captain_Couth · 10/10 · 24 June 2004]

A Better Tomorrow III:Love and death in Saigon (1989) is an underrated masterpiece. The film takes place during the final days of the Vietnam War. Mark Go (Yun-Fat Chow) and his friend (Tony Leung Ka-Fai) are in South Vietnam on a business trip and also to meet Leung's father. The two have a rough time getting into the country until they meet a mysterious gangster's moll (Anita Mui). Awhile later, the three form an unusual friendship. Mark Go learns a lot from Ms. Mui as she teaches him how to survive in a brutal environment.

A great film from the ever reliable Tsui Hark. What I like about his films is that he always has strong female characters. Anita Mui is simply wonderful in this movie. She also shows her vulnerable side (she's not always hard as steel). Mark grows up quick in war torn Saigon. Tony Leung Ka-Fai is good as well (serious for a change instead of playing his usual goofy gigolo persona). The action scenes are staged very well (they don't dominate the film). And what's a film starring Anita Mui without those skinny jokes (yes, a movie with Anita is not complete without a couple of skinny jokes at her expense. The movie was knocked in many ways because it's so different than the first two. I say,"So what!" The film is an essential action film from the master Tsui Hark.

Highly recommended.

Anita Mui also performs the songs in the film. Especially the haunting theme song heard in the middle and during the end credits of the film. A fitting song in so many ways.

Post-shoots Against the Background of War or Early John Woo: Part Three

[lyubitelfilmov · 6/10 · 26 August 2020]

Action movie. Prehistory of the first two parts, which tells the story of the formation of Mark - the hero of Chou Yunfat. This time, the director was Cui Hark - the producer of the first two parts, but as a result of creative (or other, we will never know) disagreements, John Woo left this episode, remaining in this part as a nominal producer. There were some fears about the third part - and they were partially justified, and here's my brief opinion - postrelushki against the background of the war. Not without its drawbacks, which I will definitely tell you about, but for now, let me draw your attention to the obvious advantages of this action movie. So the pros: 1. The story told - let's not touch on expectations now, but go through the essence. The film tells about the adventures of the still green Mark (the hero of the first part) in Saigon (now this city is called Ho Chi Minh City) at the end of the Vietnam War. He comes to Saigon to meet his cousin, getting to know a charming girl on the way, not suspecting that she is far from being as simple as it seems at first glance. The brothers will have to play a little naughty in the city, sort out their feelings (yes, they brought in a classic love triangle) and smash the adversaries under the roar of the advancing Vietnamese People's Army. The story turned out to be far from as boring as I thought, but clearly inferior to the early parts, at least in terms of emotions. And then I don't even know who to blame, the script or the actors. The villain turned out to be interesting, and not a walking cliche, with his own background, motivation, what kind of feelings, but still, this added the point to the picture, which I had previously taken away for unjustified expectations. But if you remove all my claims, and if you forget about the early paintings as an independent work, then it looks good. But it doesn't work out that way, and the point is in the name. I can't do anything about it. 2. Atmosphere - The Cultural Revolution in China, the Civil War in Cambodia, the war in Vietnam, ready to end with the complete victory of the communists - the whole of Southeast Asia is on fire. The atmosphere of a certain doom, expectation, hope is literally eaten under the crust. Saigon, the last stronghold of the South Vietnamese puppet regime, backed by the United States, reigning tension everywhere that awakens aggression, monstrous corruption that corrodes the puppet regime. Here is a great merit of Cui Harka, who knows this period not by hearsay, so you believe in what is happening on the screen. For this I can only praise. 3. Shootouts - they are good, and again realistic, but this time there was clearly not enough blood for me to believe it one hundred percent. And against the background of the final shootout from the second part - it looks faded. But it brings pleasure, no matter what. So the cons: 1. My expectations - I was expecting a crime thriller with unrealistically steep shootings, where two brothers create their own criminal empire against the backdrop of the ending Vietnam War, but I got something different, with a focus on war drama. Hurricane shootouts did not wait, there is not so much crime in the film, only Chow saved the day. Which confirms my theory that John Woo was only a nominal producer here, and also Victoria Peak, which constantly appears in every John film. 2. Humor - you will be surprised, but I didn't like the jokes here at all. Not even a slight smile was elicited, let alone a real laugh. Again the problem is in the script. It would be better if there was no humor here at all, honestly. 3. Music - or rather one melody, which is very much like another from the cult series of paintings. What is it? Plagiarism or coincidence? Decide for yourself. A little about the main characters: 1. Mark performed by Chou Yunfat is a young and daring gangster from Hong Kong who came to Saigon on business. It is here that Mark will be baptized by fire and become the tough guy he appeared in the first picture. Chow pleased me again with his acting. Bravo! 2. Moon played by Tony Leung Kang Fai - Mark's cousin living in Saigon, who is trying to save his family and take her to Hong Kong, but he cannot do without difficulties. Behaves like a real brother who always has his back. Tony played this role perfectly! 3. Chow performed by Anita Mui - a mysterious acquaintance of Mark, who turns out to be a real fighter, able to mow down a whole company of soldiers with one left. A strong girl, perfectly wielding weapons, with a delicate and vulnerable soul, in whose life love happened. A strong heroine who remained a woman. Anita played excellently. I have no complaints about her. It is a pity that she is no longer with us. To summarize under the entire trilogy, then it is a worthy representative of the genre, although the first part is better than the rest, and clearly did not need a continuation. The experience of staging this episode was very important for John Woo. It was thanks to him that he made his masterpieces of the period of "Hong Kong creativity" - "Hired Assassin" and "Hard Boiled". As a result, we have a good backstory for the adventures of the hero Chou Yunfat with an excellent military atmosphere, a good story, good shootouts, the best villain in the series and great acting work.

Disappointing

[Vartiainen · 5/10 · 14 February 2016]

Chow Yun-Fat reprises his iconic role as Mark Lee, the epitome of cool gangster immortalized in the first A Better Tomorrow film, directed by John Woo. This time around we get a prequel, depicting Mark's early days in the midst of the Vietnam War as he tries to rescue his uncle and cousin from amidst the horrors of war, in the process meeting a woman and learning the skills he would later use to rise to the top echelons of the Triad.

It's a workable plot and definitely something anyone who has seen the original films would be interested in seeing. The problem is that they changed the director from John Woo to Tsui Hark, and unfortunately he doesn't have the skills of the master whose boots he's supposed to fill. John Woo still produced the film and you can see touches of his style in the film, but overall it feels like a cheap imitation. The action scenes lack the impact of the previous two films, the characters are not as deep or as well-defined, and the overall story lacks coherence and tension.

Now, that being said, it's by no means a bad film. It still has Chow Yun-Fat playing Mark Lee, which alone makes the film worth checking out if you liked the originals. And the new characters are not bad either, with Anita Mui's Kit being an excellent female protagonist, who teaches Mark everything he would later use in his life.

The film isn't as good as it could have been. The originals worked because Woo was able to insert them with such style that you could overlook the limitations of the story. Here those limitations are not as well covered and the whole film definitely creaks under its own weight. Still, it has Mark Lee in it, which makes it worth watching. Though only just.

On a different road but still going fast.

[the_saint_107 · 19 August 2002]

Different to John Woo's original two films, but it's almost as good. Chow (coolest man in the world) yun fat, gives a very charismatic performance, hilarious in the opening scenes when he walks around the airport with an unlit cigarette hanging from his lip, and gives a raw, powerful, emotional performance at the end. The action scenes although lacking the finesse of the John Woo trademark mayhem, are still high velocity and powerful. Aided well by the soaring soundtrack, this film although it can be a little slow, is a welcome and worthy addition to the better tomorrow films. I just loved every second of it. Although the subtitles were a little tricky to read in places but you can't blame the film for what someone else did to it. The major problem is the badly done music editing after the credits have rolled. However seeing as the actual film had finished by that point, not many people would notice.

A badder tomorrow

[kosmasp · 4/10 · 6 April 2007]

Tsui Hark, who did us a favor in not directing part one of this series, is here to remind us, that it better that way. Since John Woo(ldn't) want to have any of this sequel/prequel or whatever you like to call it, they had to find somebody else. And although the idea is nice, it was completely unnecessary and uncalled for. Not every movie brand needs a trilogy ...

Although you have familiar actors here, the stories just don't seem to mix up, with what happened or will happen in the A better tomorrow movies. You will also notice a change of style here. Now I won't hold it against Hark that he tried something different here (it's the "damned if he does, doomed if he doesn't" situation), but it just doesn't work. Watch "Bullet in the Head" instead to see, how this could've looked like, if Woo directed it! :o)

I love John Woo and his films but this was terrible...

[djpure1 · 3/10 · 23 May 2020]

I love John Woo and his films but this was terrible. He is trying something different here with more drama but it does not work. Dodgy acting and soundtrack do not help.

A Better Tomorrow III: Love And Death In Saigon (Tsui Hark, 1989) **

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 12 April 2006]

I had watched the previous two entries in the series also featuring Chow Yun-Fat but it's been too long to really make comparisons, except to say that I recall enjoying them. Actually a prequel, set in Saigon at the time of the Vietnam War, this was made with no involvement from the director of the earlier films (John Woo). The action highlights, as can be expected, are quite good - even if displaying a tiresome over-reliance on slow motion effects. However, it's bogged down by a dreary romantic triangle plot line...

Even if I was disappointed by this third film in the series (there's yet another follow-up, from a new director, called RETURN TO A BETTER TOMORROW [1994] - which is available at my local DVD outlet...but I don't think I'll be renting it anytime soon), I still have another Tsui Hark epic waiting to be watched this week, SEVEN SWORDS (2005), which does sound promising...

Prequel to John Woo's first two "Tomorrow" films

[Bogey Man · 8/10 · 1 August 2002]

Tsui Hark directed this sequel (1989) to John Woo's classic heroic bloodshed films Better Tomorrow 1 and 2 made couple of years earlier, and this third installment is more a prequel than sequel. It concentrates on what happened before the first two films and has more drama than action in it. Chow Yun Fat is again Mark Gor who is in Vietnam and meets there his cousin Mun (Leslie Cheung) who is just released from prison when Mark arrives in Vietnam. They meet mysterious female assassin Kit (the beautiful sweetheart Anita Mui) and both of the men are attracted by Kit. The film concentrates pretty much on the war infested Saigon and the hell that's free in there, so there isn't any particular plot in the film, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting.

I think there's couple of strong scenes of social criticism, mostly the horrific "customs scene" at the airport when Mark, Mun, Kit and Mun's father try to travel away from the country and are abused by the corrupted custom officers. Also the scene at the hospital is very harrowing and is there to underline righteously the state of the world of that time, and unfortunately there are even today places with same kind of circumstances in our world. Fortunately Tsui's attitude isn't this time as underlining as in his Once Upon a Time in China (1991), and Tomorrow 3 is therefore perhaps more noteworthy film as commenting society.

The visuals are also brilliant as can be expected from this director. There are great use of blue smoke again and the gun fights are incredibly beautifully shot and are more effective than any gun fight in some Western effort. The slow motion death scene of one important character in the film's finale is perhaps among the most beautiful "heroic death scenes" I've seen and it is finished very carefully and thus it has such a power. After that scene everyone should know what this name "heroic bloodshed" for this genre means and what makes it so unique. The end is very sad, too, but as we know how Mark ends up in his subsequent adventures, it gives some positivism for the sad ending of this third film. The ending is little irritating due to it's prolonged gun battles and fire power, and I think it should have stopped little earlier in order to be more effective finale for the otherwise pretty great film.

Better Tomorrow 3 is not as great and interesting as Woo's films, but still this is much more than average effort from Hollywood, and due to Tomorrow 3's great look and visuals, I give this gladly 8/10 rating and think this is among the greatest films Tsui Hark has directed himself. He has produced perhaps as many films as he has actually directed and many have said he is better producer than director, but this film shows that he really knows how to direct noteworthy films, too.

Not bad, but not as good as it should have been given the talent involved

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 28 February 2020]

LOVE AND DEATH IN SAIGON is the third instalment of the A BETTER TOMORROW series, but lacking John Woo who went off to make his own Vietnam-themed movie, BULLET IN THE HEAD. The Woo film turned out to be one of his masterpieces, wheras this is more of a potboiler and a bit of a disappointment given what came previously. There's something about Tsui Hark's movies that I just can't get excited about, and that's true too of this one, which feels overlong and drags during the middle part of the running time.

There's nothing particularly bad about it, and the love triangle between central characters Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung and Anita Mui is certainly enough to keep you watching, but it's never as involving or as exciting as it should be. The action is minimal and highly stylised, Hark staging shoot-outs at night which are too dark for the most part, although the crazy Tiananmen-influenced climax is a highlight. Shih Kien's touching relationship with the young Vietnamese guy Pat was the highlight of this film for me.

A different ABT

[toyguy · 8/10 · 7 December 2004]

A lot of people tend to think this movie is inferior to the first 2 ABT's. If you are one of these people, keep in mind that its pretty much due to the story. I think the direction and acting wasn't bad at all. Like many prequel/sequels, it suffers from hype and expectations. If its made exactly like the previous movies, then we have a rehash. If it goes in a different direction (like in this case) it runs the risk of alienating a lot of loyal fans.

Not sure how many of you knew the storyline prior to watching the film. I was at least privy to the plot summary before watching it in the theaters way back when. So I at least knew it took place in the 70s in Vietnam. Right there and then, I knew it would be very different from the first 2 films. War-torn Vietnam of the 70s would hardly be the kind of place where you find our heroes riding around in Rolls Royce's, making high stake deals in fancy hotels or mansions, wearing Fracescetti suits, etc. A lot of the "cool" element of the original is due to Chow of course, but settings and atmosphere had something to do with it as well. And Vietnam is not the kind of setting we're previously used to.

What the film does show, is probably a more realistic side of smuggling and counterfeitting. You make your deals at night in dark alley ways, your clothes are cars are are much less flashy (to avoid attracting attention to yourself). And of course, Mark hasn't acquired his cool persona yet, so we're missing that important element throughout most of the film.

In short, much of what we see is not entirely unexpected if you took the time to read the synopsis on the video box. Because the movie takes place at the time and place it did, I'd say the crew did an OK job.

As a prequel to ABT, I am a bit surprise at the choice of location if not the time. I remember a scene in the original ABT where Mark talks about the "old days" of making counterfeit deals with Ho in Indoesia!! That was suppose to be 12 years ago according to movie dialog, which would place us in the early 70s as well. So the movie would've been more continuous if we had Mark working for the H.K. crime organization already, and making drops in Indonesia (with or without Ho, depending on whether they can get Ti Lung back for the role). I also think it might have been more interesting this way. Anita can still play Mark's love interest, and much of the current ABT3 storyline can be incorporated; as long as Mark isn't so goofy and inexperienced.

Excellent

[Cyber256702000 · 8/10 · 23 April 2002]

A Better Tomorrow 3 takes place during the Vietnam war and goes back to show how Mark became the professional killer that he is. Cool action scenes, but low on the gore from the other films. The story is very well done for an action movie adding a romantic aspect to it. Excellent.

***1/2 out of ****

This beautiful romantic action-drama classic is just another proof that Woo has NOTHING on Tsui Hark's genius !!

[stendhalsyndrome · 10/10 · 5 March 2006]

Sure, it's not a crowd pleaser and exactly as enjoyable on a superficial level like Woo/Hark's previous good installments... this film has something Woo never had, and that's a very good idealistic, detailed but at the same time a complex screenplay that is also opening the door for many various interpretations of the viewer as far as characters beliefs and motivations go; very long spontaneous but also intense dramatic moments led sometimes by the three characters at the very same time, brilliantly structured moody cinematography and "many" distinct characters differing one from another with their own issues interconnected throughout the story, and most of all the ability telling a story mainly only by the images and songs. Not to mention the fact that this film features much more flushy and opulent deeply profound story-line than anyone could have ever witnessed in any J.Woo film to this day! Although, one thing one could find lacking here that many fans of the first two films were affected by, which are the action sequences that this film has clearly no such interest in or simply not being as focused on as many Woo's films, though, such scenes appear here now and then if sporadically but when they show up they're coming with a sense of the unanticipation, shock and philosophical meaningness. As one biographer wrote: "In The Killer Woo shows two men firing guns, back to back, a sort of enclosed circle; Tsui Hark has the same shot in A Better Tomorrow III, except that it's Ho and Kit! Likewise, Tsui has no interest in copying Woo's "bullet ballet" style of directing action sequences; instead, Tsui emphasizes the characters and the situations. Woo directs action for the sake of the action; Tsui directs it for the sake of the story!"

Why people usually prefer the first one to this much dramatically superior film was already many times explained before and one of the things very often mentioned is the element of the commercialism and the appeal well-disposed to the western tastes that was ironically and effectively sold out. This film is totally different by its Chinese aesthetics that works in a more operatic, dreamy, poetic and sometimes fully surrealistic and artistic way J.Woo could only dream of to achieve. This time the meaning of the film is not about the traditional honor, loyalty or brotherhood we've already seen in a never ending line of similar maudlin homo-erotic movies; Here we are introduced to the very meditative themes about the complexities of love and equality, and above all Tsui Hark makes a much more ambitious effort as he brings these themes to a world swallowed by chaos. In the process of portraying the relationship between the main characters, he humbles the viewers with the realization of how insignificant each one of us can be in the face of change. Yet, he does not drag us into the abyss of desperation, as he offers hope and redemption for those who keep trying. Otherwise he brings plentiful other themes resonating with the modern time, among the politics, the fear of the 97 handover and the sprawling examination of gender roles, the film's background centers on the celebration of the Chinese nationality by the usage of the mutual heritage in favor of all or the Chinese notion of fate circling around all the main characters, basically involving Anita Mui's meditative Kit pondering over all her doomed life that's conversely gonna reflect the life of Fat's Mark Gor later in his gangster period (previous sequels -- mind you).

Each 24 or 20 frames per second are filled with an incredible ingenious sense for the timing and meaningful idea that both come along making a totally explosive impact on the mind of the viewer, either verbally or visually. The film employs a jaggy, documentary style to capture the chaos of its time; then later in more quiet moments of the film's time-frame it's creating a lovely montage of Mun, Mark and Kit shopping, using gradated filters for a dreamy, romantic feel that's bringing a sort of allegorical meaning that life continues even under the worst situations, and can also continue with joy.

There's another thing that makes this timeless masterpiece different from other installments: this is one of the very few films that can never be REMADE. Possibly the best and the most provocative T.Hark movie ever!

Let me say that now it doesn't quite surprise me that most of the critics were praising this film as the very best one in this classical series... they could never be more right this time.

A TIMELESS CLASSIC... I wish i'd say that about ABT1/2 that sadly with the coming years only decreased in quality and really got far from the grandeur of this masterpiece

[chambara8112 · 10/10 · 9 June 2006]

I remember how once i purchased this film hoping for an action film along the lines of the first two entries in the series. What I got was an epic love story set during the waning days of Saigon. And I loved it! The emotions in this film are real and the response to the them are earned. As a fan of the John Woo films I hate to say it but the gunplay in this film interfered with the human interactions. Not just a mindless action sequences. As a Chow Yun Fat fan I was really impressed with the range he displays here. Instead of the brash cowboy he played in the first two films he shows depth, vulnerability and the best portrayal of this character. And what can you say about Anita Mui: beauty, brains, brawn, and charisma. A true cinematic masterpiece on par with the best Melville, Renoir or Shaffner could have offered there. But then again, who would have thought that exactly this film will be still so cherished after many years. It seems that only the fools reward the films for not being ahead of their time. Wait, what's that... ah i guess i hear as Tsui Hark is having the last laugh there. OK, he deserves that this time.

10/10

Lacks the magic from its older brothers

[action-6 · 8 June 2000]

A Better Tomorrow 3 is not a sequel to A Better Tomorrow 2, but a prequel to A Better Tomorrow 1. We get to know how Mark Gor(Yun-Fat`s legendary ultracool gangster from ABT1) became a gun-toting gangster in Vietnam in the 1970`s. The movie itself is okay, but a lot worse than its legendary older brothers. The action is directed by Tsui Hark, a very good actiondirector, but not a patch on John Woo. Also, the gunfights lacks the intensity, smoothness and violence that we have come to expect from the ABT-series. If you`re a fan of Hong-Kong-cinema, ABT3 is worth a go, but remember that the other two are a lot better. 5/10