Having made a deal with Shout! Studios, Arrow Films continues its support of re-releasing John Woo’s films, pleasingly restored, with the theatrical release of his 1986 A Better Tomorrow.

It’s probably most note-worthy for being the first collaboration between Woo and Chow Yun-fat, who would work together a further four times, including the classic Hard Boiled and Bullet in the Head.

Here he plays a gangster, with a bright future ahead of him, with his friend.

Making a nice amount of cash counterfeiting US dollars are Ho (Lung Ti) and Mark (Chow). They have a big job ahead of them, as their boss is sending them to Taipei; Mark decides to let the youngster Shing (Waise Lee) go in his place instead, to learn the ropes.

Ho doesn’t mind as he’s decided this is his last job; he’s made the decision with his younger brother Kit (Leslie Cheung) graduating from the police academy to become a cop.

Unfortunately the job in Taipei doesn’t go to plan, and sees Ho taking the rap and allowing Shing to get away, and getting three years in prison for his troubles.

When he gets out he discovers that everything has changed, and although wanting a clean slate, he finds himself dragged back into the gangster world.

The theme for this Woo flick is most definitely brotherly love. It’s almost a love triangle between his best friend Mark, and his brother, with his allegiance to both tugging hard.

And it focuses on these relationships throughout, and how they overcome the obstacles that come their way. Thankfully guns are mostly the answer, allowing for Woo to go to town with his trademark gun play, resulting in some hugely entertaining gun fu.

All the emotions are heightened, as is the way for a Woo film, as is the soundtrack, which is a little too prominent, telegraphing nearly every movement the protagonists make; one word you won’t find in Woo’s film dictionary is ‘subtle’.

It also marked the first film for Woo to direct a sequel, which came the following year, and then yet another in 1989 which he chose to only produce.

It’s classic Woo as he explores relationships between men with a violent persuasion – either inherent in them or teased out of them, that often results in some frantic gun scenes.

If you enjoy this outing, you may well have its sequel to look forward to, with its possible re-release coming to a cinema near you soon, fingers crossed.