Better Luck Tomorrow

Pros: very well-acted, characters that teens can relate to, plot
Cons: nothing

Justin Lin’s latest film, Better Luck Tomorrow, will surely have audiences buzzing when it opens in selected theaters next week. And rightfully so, may I add, for Lin’s sophomore cinematic effort is nothing short of extraordinary....

Pros: A Roaring Asian-American male voice. A penetrating look at stereotypes. A compelling story.
Cons: Still, very much a story of stereotypes. The themes were somewhat shallow and simpleminded.

ROAR

Apparently, the place to see or be seen if you were Asian-American in the Bay Area on Friday night was the opening of Better Luck Tomorrow a film by newcomer Justin Lin that has caused somewhat of a stir. I have in a previous...

Pros: Good acting, good production
Cons: Bad storyline, plays into Asian stereotypes

I’ve heard and read quite a bit about the film, Better Luck Tomorrow over the past year or so. Produced by Asian American Justin Lin, critics have hailed the controversial movie highly. I was excited to finally get around to watching ...

Pros: Great directing by Justin Lin; tremendous ensemble cast
Cons: Lack of penitence on behalf of reckless youth may put off some

"Bad people are fascinating studies," Oscar Wilde once wrote, and one would assume an exhausted commodity in present day cinema, but this is not so. The colorful gallery of rogues on display in Justin Lin's stunning new film BETTER LUCK TOMORROW make for...

Pros: Great acting, erodes some stereotypes.
Cons: Just another "dark" teen movie, only all the characters are Asian.

First, let me say I'm Asian. You can read my profile or my "20 interesting facts" (sponsored by corpgent).
Second, let me say that as a third-generation American, I know about stereotypes and did my fair share of misbehaving as a teen, so this...

Pros: Great script, talented cast, fresh perspectives
Cons: A muted ending, Ben's rebirth is too pat

Ben Manibag is a typical overachiever who he spends his time obsessing over SAT’s, pumping up his college apps with extracurricular activities and lusting after the unreachable girl. In his downtime he shoots free throws and runs scams for...

Pros: Examines a segment of society rarely visited in films.
Cons: Not believable, mediocre acting, overly ambitious.

I was sorely disappointed with this movie. It starts off as a refreshingly real portrait of a much-neglected segment of American life - overachieving Asian teenagers - and it too quickly degenerates into a Goodfellas wannabe without the requisite talent,...

Pros: Memorable, complex characters Riveting story line - Oscar caliber!
Cons: Not many people seem to know about this film

This is what an Oscar-caliber movie is all about. It is not often that one can praise a teen-movie like this, especially since this one centers on a group of Asian teenagers. No, these Asian teenagers are not doing kicks and swinging swords, or telling ...

Pros: strong cast, interesting situations
Cons: the ending

I liked this movie a lot.

The Good Things:
By watching Hollywood, you would think that there are no Asian actors. To the contrary, there are many GOOD Asian actors. It's just that there are so few roles for them. According to Hollywood,...