Back in cinematic
Bangkok again! The street food, the tuk-tuks and the back alleys where the
beatings go on. This is an interesting mix of Thai and Western talent. The
production company is American but one of the Executive Producers is the
legendary Prachya Pinkaew, the Thai director of Ong-Bak, Chocolate and The
Protector. Most of the staff are Thai, the director is a Thai female (Chaya
Supannarat) doing an action film, the writer is an American female with Lawrence
as her first name. Shot primarily in Bangkok but with English dialogue. This
is very much direct to video and looks it. So much so that I nearly shut
it off. I hate that look. But I let it go and damn, I am glad I did. Pretty
standard DTV in the respects that critics treasure like acting, dialogue,
plot, but this exists for only one reason. The action and it is really good.
Not as good as the Golden Years of Thai action with Tony Jaa, but it sure
tries for it. Some really fierce fast bang ups. Some use of wires but mainly
guys just hitting each other/
I feel like I am behind the eight ball with
these two actors who tear the hell out of this film. It seems like every
other action film aficionado is up to date on these two fellows, but it is
my first sighting that I remember. They have both done lots of stunt work
and small roles in a few films - but they are front and center in this one
and I want to see more of them. D.Y Sao was born in Cambodia but brought
up in America where he clearly worshipped Bruce Lee films. Brian Le is an
American and seems from his moves to be a big fan of Hong Kong action films
of the 80s. Built like a small tank but faster, he fucking rocks though he
plays the bad guy here. His last fight with Sao is right out of a Sammo Hung
film. Great stuff. There is a lot of fist to face fighting in this - mainly
from Sao who plays the good guy. They are both the choreographers.
There is a plot here - it is kind of mandatory
- but you don't expect Citizen Kane for a low-budget film like this. Sao
and his female partner played by Jenny Philomena Van Der Sluijs, a Thai actress
as best as I can figure are law enforcement agents after drug smugglers.
After they take on some baddies - one being Brian Le - they open a cargo
shipment and find five dead Thais who were smuggling fentanyl in their stomach's.
Le is arrested and Sao steps in for him and goes to Thailand to join the
gang. His job is enforcer which consists of beating up nearly everyone in
Bangkok. Le shows up again and there is that final fight. There are
a few impressive very large baddies and a nicely written friendship that
grows between Sao and his gangster handler (Byron Bishop - Kate, Only God
Forgives).
