Another fantastic example of "A classic always remains a classic" even after so many remakes, you just can't better it. Made on a meager budget - it was a blockbuster and even today when you see it after 25 years of its making, it doesn't feel one bit old and you remain truly hooked to the edge of your seat throughout the movie. What an experience it was. Found a dubbed version in english - it was a fantastic action thriller. The name "John Woo" is more than enough for any movie buff to watch it and you realize - he is actually the father of modern action movies. It was made in Hindi by Sanjay Gupta as "Aatish" which indeed shot Sanju baba, Aditya Pancholi and Atul Agnihotri to fame. I so much loved it that its still a part of my collection but after watching the original - respect for Sanjay Gupta has definitely gone down a few notches. How they botched it up for Indian market is unbelievable. The difference between both the movies is - when you see "Aatish" today - you actually end up laughing on half of the movie. And when you see the original - its serious business and action is so genuine and serious that you totally love it, even today. Still Aatish will remain a favorite for its mind blowing action and my all time favorite Sanjay Dutt.
A better tomorrow - is a story of two best friends (Sung and Mark) who work for a gang whose primary business is to print counterfeit dollars. They are both the right and left hand of the boss and very well respected members of the gang. Sung has a younger brother who wants to become a police officer. When he realizes his brother's actual job, he starts hating him and because of him their dad too is killed in a freak incident. Later Sung goes for a deal to Taiwan with a new member of the gang and is double crossed - he lands in jail for 3 years. By the time he comes back, everything has changed. His brother becomes a cop and his friend mark is in rags. The new member who double crossed him is the new boss now.
Sung wants to give up his earlier life of crime and tries to lead a good life by driving a taxi. He wants to win his brother back. He meets his old friend Mark too. Its such a classic scene when they both meet for the first time after he returns from jail that I just cannot put it here in words. It actually touches you deep inside. Sung and Mark are such great friends that they can die for each other and Sung loves his brother so much that he can kill anybody for him. They leave the crime world but the criminals don't spare them that easily. They are actually blackmailed into it and had to come back to a criminals life.
If they do not end it by ending the whole gang - Sung's brother and his girl friends life too are in danger. The action sequence in the ending half hour is simply superb, mind blowing old school action. You have to see it to believe it. Amazing is the word for it. The way hell breaks lose and the way they take their revenge and the final out come is totally heart wrenching. The whole movie in its entirety is an experience on its own - one that you just can't forget for quite a while. Rather you will end up digging its remaining two parts to know what happens next - right the way I am going to do now.
Some scenes which I will remember for quite sometime: When Mark goes alone to take revenge of Sung's arrest with the guy who double crossed them. He hides his guns in flower pots in the corridor and as they start shooting on him - he takes out those hidden guns and shoots them all.
After his release from jail when the two friends meet - the situation in which they were in - mark is a cripple, cleaning cars for a living, Sung is a taxi driver - their meeting is the emotional high of the movie. A scene of a life time.
Final revenge and the result - truly rocking.
Special mention should be made of its fundoo background score which gels so well with the happenings on screen.
Its a must watch for all action and thriller lovers. Its old school action - the one that we all grew up too with machine guns shooting, bombs blowing, lots of blood and gore. Not to be missed at any cost.
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