DVD Review | Better Luck Tomorrow
Written by: Kage Alan

Ah, the teenage angst films.  I remember a time when it was considered offensive to adults when teenagers in movies swore and spoke badly about anyone over a certain age not in jest, but in frustration and rage.  Things certainly have come a long way since then and now we’ve added in a bit more violence to boot.  While it’s nothing new in 2003 and a movie like this could easily be overlooked as just another one of “those kinds of films”, “Better Luck Tomorrow” takes us one step further and delivers something most people in North America haven’t seen; a cast that is primarily Asian.

High school extraordinaire and all around nice guy Ben (Parry Shen, “The New Guy”) is the kind of kid every parent wants.  He studies hard, keeps a steady job, stays out of trouble, rarely drinks, doesn’t do drugs, doesn’t have sex and looks forward to going to college in order to set himself up in life and go as far as he can.  What’s not to like?  Best friend Virgil (Jason Tobin, “The Hot Chick”) is the exact opposite.  We’re talking total screw up.  Other friends in what amounts to our little gang include the dashing lady’s man Han (Sung Kang, “Pearl Harbor”) and president of several clubs at school Deric (Roger Fan, “Corky Romano”).  So, what kind of trouble could these guys get into?  You have no idea.

Bad things usually start with something very tiny.  When Ben is approached to provide cheat sheets for tests, it soon escalates into a desire to get away with more.  Why?  Because he can and it feels good.  Our little group soon starts to steal, deal drugs, hire a professional to help Ben lose his virginity and make the mistake that everybody who goes too far makes; they…well, um…go too far.  Something has to give and it does, only in the most fatal manner.  It’s then that each member of the group must deal with their inner demons and find a way, if possible, to come to terms with all that has happened.  Have I given too much away?  I hope not.

Again, this is really a story we’ve seen a hundred times before, only the spin that adds a whole new dimension of freshness to the film is the Asian cast.  The leads have their characters nailed, the direction is solid and the film looks better than its small budget would normally allow for.  Unfortunately, if there is a problem with “Better Luck Tomorrow”, it’s in the script.  Developments later on in the film don’t feel particularly real as in the case of Ben simply quitting drugs cold turkey and not experiencing any withdrawal and the fact that they seem to get away with something they shouldn’t have, though one of them does have a certain set of tragic circumstances.

Paramount has released “Better Luck Tomorrow” in a terrific looking Widescreen transfer.  This was originally going to be shot on Digital Video, so it’s a testament to the filmmakers that they managed to get it on film and that the studio made the transfer look as professional as it does.  While video quality is obviously worthwhile, audio is also quite zesty.  As for extras, we’re treated to an audio commentary by Director/Co-Writer Justin Lin and co-writers Ernesto Foronda and Fabian Marquez.  They do a fairly good job relating anecdotes about production and the actors, but it feels very subdued and even a little too self-congratulatory.  Unfortunately, beyond that, there’s nothing else.  It would have been nice to see some interviews with the cast, but perhaps that will happen if this disc does well and warrants a special edition.

I remember when “Better Luck Tomorrow” was making the art house circuit and wanting to see it just because it offered audiences an opportunity to see that Asian American actors are more than capable of carrying a film.  There’s a great deal of overlooked talent here and it’s a pleasure to see them up front instead of being bit players in the background.  Hopefully MTV and Paramount will see that an experiment like this can make back its budget, a few million extra and generate enough interest to give these filmmakers more consideration in the future.

Film Rating: B
DVD Special Features: C+