Ying hung boon sik III jik yeung ji gor (1989)

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Yiu Ming Leung (screenplay)
Foo Ho Tai (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 October 1989 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | War

Plot:

At the end of the Vietnam war, Cheung goes to Saigon, intent on bringing his uncle and cousin back to Hong Kong...

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Hong Kong | Vietnam War | Love Triangle | Shot To Death

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Yun-Fat Chow	...	Mark Gor (as Chow Yun Fat)
Tony Leung Ka Fai	...	Cheung Chi-Mun
Anita Mui	...	Chow Ying-Kit
Kien Shih	...	Mun's father
Saburô Tokitô	...	Ho Cheung-Ching / Tanaka
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wai Lun Cheng	...	Pat
William Cheng
Maggie Cheung Ho Yee
Ling Nam Lam
Wah Yeung		(as Andrew Kam)

Also Known As:

A Better Tomorrow III (Hong Kong: English title)
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (USA)
Ying xiong ben se III tzu yang tsu gor (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)

Runtime:

105 min | Germany:85 min | UK:111 min | Germany:112 min (extended version) | Taiwan:130 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

English | Vietnamese | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | Malaysia:18PL | France:U | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2004) | UK:18 | West Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vietnam

Company:

Film Workshop

Trivia:

John Woo (director of the first two films in the series) wrote the original screenplay for this third installment, but he never got to direct this third entry due to having had artistic differences with producer Hark Tsui during the filming of Ying hung boon sik II (1987). Instead, John Woo took his screenplay and made it into the film Die xue jie tou (1990). Hark Tsui himself would direct his his own version of Ying hung boon sik III. The two films have many parallels, most notably, both being set in the Vietnam War.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the subtitled version, Ho reveals that his real name is "Tanaka". However, later in the film he refers to his name as being "Tokito". The role was being played by 'Saburo Tokito'.

Quotes:

Mark Gor: Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring.

Movie Connections:

Follows Ying hung boon sik II (1987)

Different from the first two, but not a bad movie

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.