A Better Tomorrow III

I liked this third part better than the first two. That's primarily because I find Hark does drama much better than Woo. I agree that's not the most important part of an action film, but in Woo's films, the cheesiness can get a tad annoying. There's none of that here, just the stylish action and slightly better-executed dramatic impulses.

Mark travels to Saigon to meet up with his nephew, who was just been released from prison. He makes him a deal he can't refuse, and together with Chow, they start a little weapon smuggling business that will make them rich in no time. But then Chow's husband gets out of prison and he isn't too happy with the competition. Mark and his new companions will have to stand their ground.

The lead trio is pretty good, the action is stylish (not quite the same as Woo, but Hark is a pretty capable action director himself) and the drama is a lot easier to stomach. It's not trivial to take over a respected series like this, but Hark did very well and delivered a film that is closely related to the first two but does carry the director's signature marks.