This story is the tale of two brothers: one a successful counterfeiter and the younger a fledgling graduate of the HK police academy. The plot revolves around the split when the younger brother learns the other is a criminal and the efforts of the criminal brother to reform. Along the way are plenty of heists, double-crosses, and shoot outs. Summary written by Victor R. Volkman {sysop@hal9k.com} Ti-Lung is a gangster trying to go straight but caught between loyalty to his down-&-out partner (Chow Yun-Fat) & rookie cop brother (Leslie Cheung), & the ominous pressure of his former triad bosses. Summary written by Eric Hendrickon {edh@med.umn.edu} This John Woo film tells the tale of Mark and Ho, friends and couriers for a Hong Kong crime syndicate with a large counterfeiting operation. Ho is double-crossed during a set-up and turns himself in to the police and Mark is shot during the firefight of a retribution hit. The plot is complicated by the fact that Ho's younger brother, Kit, is a rookie cop whose reputation is tarnished by his gangster brother. When Ho gets out of prison, he wants to start a new life, free of crime. Unfortunately, he is haunted by his past, with the crime bosses leaning on him and Mark encouraging him to return to a life of crime as his partner. In typical Woo fashion, the various factions clash and our protagonists engage both the police and the gangsters in a bloody bullet-fest. Summary written by Tad Dibbern {DIBBERN_D@a1.mscf.upenn.edu} A ex-con just released from prison (Lung Ti) is forced to choose between his loyal gang-based best friend (Yun-Fat Chow) and join crime once again, or, turn himself and his former mob in and make remorse with his angry, betrayed policeman brother (Leslie Cheung).

release year: 1986

star(s): Chow Yun-fat