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4K UHD Blu-ray trilogy (Shout!) with workprint on bonus Blu-ray |
Comparison between the theatrical version and the workprint, both included on the American 4K UHD/Blu-ray set from Shout!
- 188 differences
The sensational news of the year 2025 for action fans is that the US label Shout! has licensed the complete film catalog of the legendary Hong Kong production studio Golden Princess, finally enabling fresh 4K restorations of numerous classics by John Woo, among others. Arrow Video is following suit in the UK with a slight delay, and the complete package has also been licensed in Australia (Imprint Films) and France (Metropolitan) – hopefully it's only a matter of time before it also arrives in Germany. The box set of the A Better Tomorrow trilogy, available for the first time from Shout! since November 18, 2025, offers a spectacular highlight as a bonus. Disc #7 in the box set is a bonus Blu-ray that not only contains the Taiwanese version of Part 3 in a new HD scan, but also, for the first time, a 35-minute longer workprint of Part 2. In the German report for the Eastern Edition, we had already presented a summary of the bonus featurette on the German Blu-ray which collected deleted scenes. Several snippets from the early trailer and stills suggested that much more material had actually been shot that never made it into any released version of the film. Woo's original cut of the second part was significantly longer. This went too far for the studio, and as a harbinger of the situation with part 3, Tsui Hark took over the final cut - or rather, he and three other editors divided up different sections of the film. This explains (at least in part) the many logical gaps and unresolved plot lines in the version we know. The fact that this archive find now gives us the opportunity to see Woo's presumably more or less final vision for the film for the first time after all these years is truly as sensational as the rediscovery of Sunset Warriors in Korea (report). Quality of the theatrical version and the workprint on the Shout! releaseUnsurprisingly, it can be said for the theatrical version that the film has never looked better. This was already evident in Shout!'s earlier VOD release, and it looks even better on the disc with its high bitrate. As a reminder, there has been no true HD version to date, and various Blu-rays in Asian countries, Italy, and Germany only contained an SD upscale. As usual, the 4K Blu-rays are region-free and therefore of interest to anyone worldwide. The Blu-rays in the set (including the bonus disc with the workprint of Part 2) are Code A, so non-US buyers will need code-free equipment. On the one hand, it can be said that despite color correction, the workprint is vastly inferior to the theatrical version in many scenes, especially when compared directly. Much of it has a strong blue or green tint, and particularly dark scenes sometimes sink into black, see, for example, the car ride with the injured Kit at the end. There are also occasional dropouts and typical damage around reel changes or splices. On the other hand, the version is at least available in true HD. Those who are otherwise familiar with workprints are certainly used to much worse fifth-generation VHS copies and the like. Also nice: the English subtitles are only optional and not permanently burned into the image, as is often the case with rare versions of Asian films. Conversely, there are no really relevant “gaps” compared to the theatrical version, and in terms of music and other post-production, the “workprint” already makes a complete impression. However, this is also due to the once again superb fine-tuning by Brandon Bentley, who was also significantly involved in the reconstruction of Bruce Lee's Final Game of Death and the Mandarin Cut of The Big Boss, for example. With the intro text mentioned at the beginning of the report, he was able to reveal some background information about the version before its release. In principle, one could still ask whether a DIY version based on the new 4K master and inserts for each bit of additional material would have made sense. Nothing like that is confirmed yet, but maybe Arrow or other labels worldwide will go down this route. However, the source material of the workprint differs significantly from the well-known theatrical version in terms of color and quality, so the inserts would clearly stand out. The (as the above-mentioned total number suggests) really high number of differences also leads to the conclusion that this extra effort does not really result in a pleasant viewing experience, so the decision to offer the workprint in one piece from the original source is understandable. The additions already known from the trailer First, the somewhat disappointing part: in the trailer, there is a scene about 20 seconds long at the 4-minute mark in which Chow Yun-Fat's Ken holds a bird in his hand and tries to cheer up the still-distraught Lung (Dean Shek). This scene is also missing from the workprint. Admittedly, Dean Shek's character, or rather the longer phase in which he completely lost the will to live, was always a somewhat “strenuous” part of the film. In that sense, many fans may not miss it quite so painfully. The best known is certainly the scene shown fragmentarily in the trailer in which Kit (Leslie Cheung) is beaten up. This is now shown in detail in the middle of the film. In addition to the additional bits of violence, this is also interesting in terms of content, because how and why Kit infiltrates the organization now seems much more coherent. This also includes the scene that follows directly after and is also hinted at in the trailer, in which a clearly battered Kit then comes home to his sleeping girlfriend Jackie (Emily Chu). His double life between his growing family and his stressful job is summed up quite well here. Apart from that, the trailer also featured a few very short shots from scenes that are only extended in the workprint and not entirely absent. These can now also be seen in the film itself, for example when Ken throws more things from the refrigerator at Lung. The differences in the workprint of A BETTER TOMORROW IIFirst of all, it should be noted that the large number of differences includes many insignificant moments at the beginning/end of shots or rather redundant reaction shots to the various characters. Almost every single scene has such differences in detail, which together account for most of the difference in running time. In some cases, it is understandable why the film was reworked and why some scenes were simply sped up a little. This is also noticeable in some of the action scenes: in the theatrical version, material was removed in between, which slowed down the pace a little. At the same time, however, it can also be said that the film in the workprint simply has much more “breathing space.” Woo has, of course, staged all of this masterfully, and actors such as Chow Yun-Fat and Ti Lung are automatically enjoyable to watch for longer. Small gestures and nuances of the characters often come across even better this way. On the one hand, Leslie Cheung's character Kit deserves special mention, because it is really striking how much more screen time and entire scenes can be found with him. As already mentioned, the longer section in which he is beaten up and then returns to his pregnant wife is a good example of this. Further dialogues between Kit and Jackie underpin this storyline. But even before that, his relationship with Ti Lung's Ho is better developed, and it now seems much more understandable why Ho has to shoot him in front of Ko. In a conversation with Police Chief Woo and Ho, Kit's fundamental motivation and loyalty to his “big brother” is discussed, and the significantly longer dialogue between Ken and Kit in the car also fills in a few small gaps.  The other big difference can be found in the final shootout, which is significantly expanded in the workprint and actually accounts for almost a third of the following report. For many (including Woo himself!), this wild showdown is known to be the clear (or possible even: the only) reason to like the film, and now there is even way more to enjoy. On the one hand, these are small additional moments of violence, some of which are probably only missing for the sake of streamlining, but some of which also smack of censorship. In any case, Shing Fui-on's “partner” character grabbing Ho's chest wound again and delivering a headbutt is a pretty brutal moment. A sword fight with Ho adds about two minutes, and the same adversary, Chong (Lung Ming-yan), gets to duel with Ken in much greater detail afterwards. Hong Kong enthusiasts will particularly enjoy how Ken coolly pulls out his matchbook instead of a weapon. It's also interesting that the storyline involving Lung (Dean Shek) now works a little better. As mentioned, his mental illness is certainly not a very popular part of the story among many fans. However, thanks to many more moments with him (before he is betrayed and also during the “healing process” driven by Ken), this is now way more believable. His downfall takes place gradually and does not come into play in such an over-the-top manner, as is often typical in Hong Kong cinema. Even moments that seem choppy and out of place in the theatrical version, such as Ken's visit to Lung in the mental hospital (here after receiving relevant information from a police officer friend), are neatly introduced in the workprint and thus make sense in the course of the plot. How the triads were able to track down Lung in New York and how Lung and Ken learned of Peggy's death are now also easier to understand. Last but not least, there is a quasi-alternative ending with our trio in prison. It comes right before the final moment in Ken's restaurant and rounds off the story a little better than the abrupt cut in the theatrical version. The cuts were probably made primarily for trimming the running time, and the same applies to some of the re-edits – as mentioned at the beginning, in action scenes, but also in other places. Short parts of scenes were often moved around a bit in the theatrical version to speed up the plot or reduce the scenes to the essentials. As a result, the workprint seems less rushed than the sometimes rather erratic theatrical version. All in all, due to its excessive length for the average viewer and purely in terms of quality, the workprint is of course only recommended to a limited extent for a first viewing. For fans of Woo and especially the film, however, it is truly a minor revelation. Both in terms of action and content, it offers considerable added value. The film simply “flows” better; Woo sensibly slowed down the pace at times and developed various main characters in much greater depth. Some things still don't seem quite complete, but it's a clear improvement on the half-baked theatrical version. Finally, it should be noted that we do not mention (minor) deviations in the score or music cues between scenes in the report. As expected, there are also quite a few of these, although the version itself is cleanly scored and, unlike other workprints, is not unfinished in this regard.
Running times are listed according to the following scheme
The Shout 4K version starts with two in-house notices.
+ 18 sec
Instead, the workprint has a short intro at the beginning of the film file, which was also shared in advance by Brandon Bentley on X. According to this, the version was discovered only by chance on the basis of incorrectly labeled audio files. Instead of English sound, a total of 140 minutes of Cantonese was found here. Upon inquiry with the Hong Kong Film Archives as to where this was sourced from, corresponding film reels were discovered that had also been incorrectly labeled as English image masters at some point. They apologize for the quality of this version, which of course does not meet the usual standards, and emphasize that even Woo himself did not know that the material still existed anywhere.
In the scenes from Part 1 at the beginning, the workprint still has burned-in subtitles, but fortunately the rest of the actual film is clean in this respect.
02:01-02:02 / 02:46-02:48 After the introductory flashback was identical frame for frame, the last shot (before the title appears) is a moment longer. Here, some smear marks appear in the image, but the hands move a little further - while the shot in the theatrical version freezes for just under a second. Workprint 0.7 sec longer
02:10-02:11 / 02:56 Also curious: after the title appears, the image of the following scene is frozen for a moment in the theatrical version. In the workprint, a blue stripe appears briefly on a black screen and then the following scene starts immediately. Theatrical version 0.7 sec longer
From 03:45-05:48 / 04:30-06:44, only the theatrical version features credits over the montage of the moving kit with dance scenes at the ball.
05:15 / 06:00-06:11 Still within the opening sequence: a brief dialogue between Lung and his daughter Peggy. Lung: “My girl, steady does it. I'm afraid that if I don't dance well, it'll raise your blood pressure.” Lung: “The more nervous you are, the higher my blood pressure will be!” 11 sec
09:40 / 10:35-11:09 Lung turns his head to the side and says more seriously: “But I only have one daughter. If you ever mistreat her...” Kit: “I understand.” Peggy: “You long-winded guy, that's enough!” Lung: “Go and walk around. Have fun!” Kit: “I'm off now, uncle.” Lung pulls Kit back toward him: “Hey... Don't indulge her too much. I've been spoiling her for 20 years!” Peggy: “Daddy!” She then says to Kit before the two of them leave: “Just ignore him.” So overall, this is also a scene that does a much better job of introducing how harmonious Lung's life is at the beginning, how he feels about Kit, and how much he cares about his daughter. 33.9 sec
09:54 / 11:23-11:26 Only a short part is missing at the end/beginning of the scene transition. Lung says: “Take this and settle the workers first.” 3.1 sec
10:09 / 11:41-11:54 Another shot of the bad guys. Ko then says, “Brother Sei, I've done a thing that may upset you,” and we see Lung again. Here and in the following extensions, it becomes much clearer how Lung is being betrayed by the others. 12.3 sec
10:25 / 12:10-12:17 After the envelopes land on the table, there is a first shot of Lung. Mr. Wong: “Take a look! The terms are pretty good.” 6.8 sec
10:37 / 12:29-12:34 Kit and Jackie are seen in the car a little longer. Ko then says, “I'm truly grateful for Brother Wong's help.” Then we see Lung a little earlier and Wong begins off-screen: “Lung, old buddy.” 4.9 sec
10:46 / 12:43-13:04 Kit and Jackie drive away a little longer. Wong then says, “Come help me and be my consultant then, alright?” Lung looks up at Ko, who lowers his gaze. Lung: “Such a dramatic turn of events within a few minutes.” 20.9 sec
11:30 / 1:48-2:25 p.m. Mr. Wong and his entourage leave. Lung then addresses a few serious words to Ko, who acts innocent. Lung: “I've always regarded you as a trusted confidant. How could you do such a thing?” Ko: “Brother Sei. It's precisely because you've treated me too well that I can't bear to see you fail.” Lung: "Wong ching-Kwok started as a smuggler. It'll destroy you if you stick with him! Don't you understand? Ko: “I didn't know he was like this. I won't implicate you even if I have to risk my life!” 37.3 sec
12:29 / 15:24-15:26 When Ho is released, there is a final shot of Ko's partner (Lam Chung). 2.3 sec
13:16 / 16:13-16:23 Before Ho and Lung sit down, there is some more dialogue. Ho: “Uncle Sei, I wanna take one more chance.” Lung: “You can't!” 9.6 sec
13:52 / 16:59-17:10 Wong arrives early at the party and greets some people. Ko watches him skeptically. 11.3 sec
13:57 / 17:15-17:28 A slightly longer dialogue ensues, with Wong responding to the question “When are you leaving?” with “Not anytime soon.” Lung then walks around earlier. 13.1 sec
14:25 / 17:56-18:06 Lung says to Kit, “Young people, go and have fun. Go.” Then we see Ko again, who says, “Give me time and I'll get the money,” but is told, “You still owe us debts.” Lung glares at him. 10 sec
19:55 / 23:36-23:51 Lung comments on the arranged ship, “I won't leave.” Uncle Kin admonishes, "It's not up to you now! Laying low for a while doesn't mean you're weak. This is for your own safety and to clear your name! You'll come back as a clean man again! Understand?" 14.9 sec
20:58 / 24:55-24:56 Kit tries to calm Peggy down in her room a little earlier. 1.7 sec
21:56 / 25:54-25:58 At the beginning of the scene at the harbor, the captain takes a few steps forward. 3.7 sec
22:16 / 26:18-26:35 Lung goes on deck and watches Ken for a moment. 17.7 sec
22:22 / 26:41-27:58 This is followed by a conversation between Ho and Police Chief Woo, which explains much better how the infiltration of the organizations works. Kit joins them and explains in detail why Lung was betrayed, why Ho's contribution is still useful, and how he operates undercover. Woo (already above the previous shot of the harbor in the background): “You're my informer! Your duty is to provide leads. You have no right to talk about hardship.” Ho: “Now they want Lung Sei dead. I don't care if you know what the reason is. I must clear Lung Sei's name.” Woo: “As you don't cooperate, you better quit!” Kit: “Woo Sir!” Woo: “Sung Chi-Kit, arrest this suspect now!” Kit: “I can't arrest my big brother.” Woo: “What? Sung Chi-Kit! Are you a policeman? Then arrest him now!” Kit: “My brother did no wrong. How can I arrest him? The informer has new leads now. Shouldn't we play the long game? Otherwise, our effort will be in vain. Isn't that right, sir?” Woo: “Nonsense!” Kit: “Sir, I'm an undercover cop too. Based on my secret recordings, someone is conspiring. Lung Sei was being framed.” Woo: “Sung Chi Kit, you still lack experience. As a law enforcer, you can't treat it so simplistically.” Kit: “I knew this wasn't simple, so now the informer has new leads--” Woo: “If you can't leave personal emotions behind, then this case is closed! Ho: ”I don't care how you police work. I don't like giving up halfway. You think you can just stop this case whenever you like--“ Woo: ”Sung chi-Ho! I give you one last chance. If you're still overstepping your bounds, then you're back in jail! Sung Chi-Kit! If you're still letting your personal feelings cloud your judgment, then don't work for me anymore!" 77 sec (= 1:17 min)
22:25 / 28:01-28:03 There is also a brief moment missing in the next shot change. 1.4 sec
Re-ordered scene 22:58 and 23:09-23:11 / 28:36-29:11 After reading the note, Kit looks thoughtful, crumples up the piece of paper, and walks away. This short part comes later in the theatrical version, after Peggy has been shot. The scene then continues earlier with Peggy, who sadly runs to Ko. In between, the assassin's gun is shown several times in close-up – the theatrical cut then begins with another shot of it. Workprint 33.2 sec longer
23:06 / 29:19-29:21 More shots of the assassin (Shing Fui-On) and Peggy. 2.2 sec
23:09 and 23:11 / 29:24-29:34 Instead of the shot of Kit rushing out, the workprint here shows Ko looking at Peggy, who has been shot. Blood is flowing from her gunshot wound and the assassin walks away. Finally, we see Ko slowly letting Peggy slide to the ground. 10 sec
23:20 / 29:43-29:50 Peggy is seen on the floor a little longer, and the scene does not fade to black as it does in the theatrical version. Kit then walks through the apartment in a state of agitation earlier. 6.7 sec
23:53-23:55 / 30:23-30:32 In the theatrical cut, a soft cross-fade skips the first, distant shot of the car. Workprint 7.1 sec longer
24:00-24:01 / 30:37-30:46 Shortly thereafter, there is another brief scene with Kit and Jackie before the drawings. Workprint 7.8 sec longer
At 25:24 / 32:08, the note for the city is still missing in the workprint.
26:37 / 33:21-33:30 Before Ken deals with the young guys (who are carving something into the table), he is first seen talking to a few other guests. 8.7 sec
27:01 / 33:55-34:25 Ken goes to the phone and talks to Ho. It's surprising that this scene was removed from the theatrical version, because it explains how Ken finds out about Lung's situation and location and offers Ho his help. Ken: “Hello, Brother Ho? Still waiting and didn't hang up?” Ho: “There's something I need your help with. Do you still remember Uncle Sei?” Ken: “I remember.” Ho: "He's being framed and is in exile in New York now. He's in a church in the Polish district. I hope you can take care of him. You are the only friend I can trust. Uncle Sei's life is in danger.“ Ken: ”Don't worry, leave it to me.“ Ho: ”I appreciate your help.“ Ken: ”You're welcome." 30.2 sec
29:34 / 36:57-37:05 Ken talks a little earlier about the importance of rice. He says in English: “You wanna try? If you don't want to eat it, don't waste it.” 7.8 sec
32:07 / 39:39-40:19 Sam is seen again and the image freezes. Lung is also seen frozen again and the following scene in the courtyard begins earlier. Here, the typical theme of how far one can really turn away from the underworld is raised. Sam: “When we parted 15 years ago, you told me to find you if I ever got into trouble. I never expected you to find me first. We said we would walk away from the underworld. I still haven't given up on this principle. I built this church with the money I earned. At least I can sleep better at night.” Lung: “But... not everyone can turn back.” Sam: “What's done is done. Stop thinking about it.” 40.1 sec
34:23 / 42:35-43:16 The gangsters' discussion is a little longer and ends with a shot of the fish. Here, it becomes clearer what role Ko plays and how his triad partners are luring him with more power. Partner/Lam: "We have support from the US and Hong Kong. We will succeed for sure. Ko: “The company needs to be legalized and corporatized. I know the laws well, so I'll be in charge. Let us work together. There are only three to five years left in here. Once we've earned enough, we'll leave! There'll be no more games to play in here!” Lam: “Well said. If we make profits, you can be our big boss.” Ko: “I haven't learned how to be a big boss.” Lam: “Do you need to learn to be a big boss? You'll get used to it. A good beginning!” 41.2 sec
Re-ordered scene 35:58-36:09 / 44:51-45:01 During Sam's murder in the alley, the dead girl can be seen again in the workprint. The shots of the police arriving and Lung mourning were then swapped in order, and another shot of Lung is missing from the theatrical version. Workprint 8.5 sec longer
36:32 / 45:33-46:27 After Lung is admitted to the padded cell, we see Ken being released from prison. The police officer says in English that he has done him a favor and would like one in return. He shows him a photo of Lung, but Ken shakes his head. The police officer then reveals that Lung is currently in the “nuthouse” and that no one knows who he is or where he comes from. This is also a very important scene for the plot, as it makes it clear why Ken visits Lung right in this institution immediately afterwards. We then see a brief scene in which the staff try to feed Lung, but he just stares perplexedly at a photo of Peggy. Finally, the shot of Ken walking to the facility begins slightly earlier. 53.5 sec
36:34 / 46:29-46:48 Ken walks around inside earlier and sees the chaotic conditions with other inmates. 19.1 sec
36:39 / 46:54-47:00 Lung is force-fed earlier + another reaction shot to Ken. 6.3 sec
36:54 / 47:15-47:16 Another shot of Ken begins slightly earlier. 1.3 sec 37:11 / 47:33-47:35 The side shot of Lung and Ken begins slightly earlier. 1.8 sec
38:05 / 48:29-48:34 At the end of the scene, there is another shot of Lung whimpering. 5.1 sec
39:14 / 49:43-49:53 Ken feeds Lung a little longer and then turns away, sobbing. 10.1 sec
40:38 / 51:17-51:27 A few more reaction shots of the bad guys, and Ho says: “Prepare to go to jail if you're in a shady business. Don't be afraid of the darkness if you spend blood money. Why acting evasively?” 10.5 sec
41:18 / 52:07-52:35 Jackie continues to look around the clinic and goes inside. This is followed by the first shots of the nighttime meeting, with the bad guys waiting in the car. 27.6 sec
44:15 / 55:32-60:10 A major expansion, which was already hinted at in the trailer: Kit first laughs a little longer at Kos' henchman (Shing Fui-On), then we see what Shing meant by “Let's talk business”: Kit is now brutally beaten up by him and other henchmen. Partner Lam holds a gun to Kit's head and wants to know if he's a cop. Kit goes for full confrontation, running towards him with provocative words. He says he'll do anything for such an opportunity and asks to be given assignments. In this way, he has obviously earned respect and trust in the end. Kit: “Have you beaten him enough?” Shing Fui-On: “Let go of him! Who's the big boss behind you?” Kit: “I don't have a big boss...” Lam: “I can pull the trigger easily. Are you a cop?” Kit: "You're so rigid. Would I tell you if I'm a cop? Pull the trigger. Shoot! Being in the underworld, this kind of risk is to be expected. Let's see if this is it for me, huh?“ Lam: ”You're quite something. Why the hell are you giving back our money?“ Kit: ”For such a measly amount... I'd risk my worthless life for an opportunity. If I can pull it off, that means I'm smart. If I can't... no problem." Continuing, addressing Shing Fui-On: “Starting from today... throw some business my way. We do a profit split of 40 to 60, okay?” Shing: “Why should I trust you?” Kit: “Here. These are the secret recordings of your private conversations. I still have dozens of copies.” Lam: “So this is blackmail?” Kit: “Fuck... This was caused by your negligence. If I didn't have dirt on you, you could have turned the tables on me easily. Tell Mr. Ko that I'm sincere about collaborating with him.” Lam: “Fine. I'll tell him.”
Kit then comes home with lots of gifts and collapses in despair next to Jackie, who is asleep on the bed. He strokes her and she reaches for his hand.
This is followed by a conversation between Ken and his people in the restaurant. He warns them not to come to him and then says to Lung that he has bought all kinds of food for him. Woman: “Brother Ken, are you coming today?” Ken: “No, I'm not coming. Tell Ah Keung to look after the restaurant.” Woman: “He's not coming.” Man: “What? Brother Ken, we all miss you. Can we come to you?” Ken: “No. No one can come here.” Man: “Brother Ken, we always come to your place for fun. Why not this time?” Ken: “You can't, no matter what. Don't tell anyone where I am, got it?” He turns to Lung: “Uncle Sei. All your favorite foods are here. Pick the one you want.”
insgesamt 278,4 sec (= 4:38 min)
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