Rating: B
Dir: Panna Rittikrai
Star: Dan Chupong, Nisachon Tuamsongnern, Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Chatchapol Kulsiriwuthichai
The late Rittikrai – he died shortly before this was released, and it is dedicated to his memory – might be the best action director you’ve never heard of. His work as a fight choreographer on films like Ong-Bak and The Protector was a key factor in making Tony Jaa an international star, though his directorial debut was far earlier – back in 1986 with Born to Fight (not to be confused with his 2004 film of the same name). Watching this, you’ll realize that it’s not particularly Jaa who is instrumental to the film’s success, good though he certainly is. For Chupong working with Rittikrai delivers every bit as much action, of an equally hard-hitting and startlingly brutal nature.
But the plot? Dear me. To call it an afterthought would be wrong, because it would imply any thought went into it at all. I found myself reaching for the Wikipedia synopsis within twenty minutes – and it basically gives up somewhere in the middle. One example should suffice. There’s a glorious sequence, filmed in a trademark Rittikrai single shot, with someone arriving at a restaurant and destroying everyone in it, in order to suggest an aspiring politician end his campaign. Except, you only see them from the waist down, and I still do not know who that person was. This film is the absolute epitome of “If it looks cool, we’ll put it in the movie, regardless of whether or not it makes sense.”
What I do know. Thee (Chupong) and his brother Than (Boonrapsap) are orphans, being brought up by their garage owning uncle. Thee finds out that his parents were killed, and strikes out on his own to find those responsible and make them pay. He ends up protecting Ploy (Tuamsongnern) from killers who are after her, and… Well, beyond that, I feel I am not qualified to speak with any authority. I definitely feel like the story here is simply a device to facilitate the delivery of bone-crunching fights and, occasionally, fairly crap CGI (the train crash being particularly terrible, although we laughed like drains at the sheer awfulness). It certainly hits the ground running in both departments, with an opening sequence which feels inspired by Shaolin Soccer.
This turns out to be a dream, which does at least offer an excuse for the CGI. Thereafter, the film keeps a strong hand on the action throttle, with some highly impressive sequences as Thee… attempts to accomplish his goals, whatever they may be. I think “Not get killed” is probably #1, with “Not get Ploy killed” scribbled in crayon on the margins. There are certainly some moments that suggest OSHA is not a body familiar to Thailand, stuntmen flying around and getting set on fire with concerning abandon. This kind of film often comes with a recommendation to “switch your brain off.” Here, that’s less a suggestion than a demand. Conscious effort to understand this will not only waste your time, the resulting annoyance will severely devalue the viewing experience.
This is part of our World in Action feature, covering action movies around the globe.