The Bodyguard

I was lucky enough to see this movie at a film festival, and had been looking for it since. Petchtai Wongkamlao---Dirty Balls from Ong-Bak, though he was originally a stand-up comedian---is hysterical as Wongkom, and I was laughing throughout the entire film at his random antics. Most of the cast from Ong Bak was in this movie (Tony Jaa even makes a brief appearance in a supermarket), but the two have nothing else in common, despite the fact that Tony Jaa refers to Wong Kom (the bodyguard) as Humleih (Dirty Balls) only to be told "Wrong movie!" With a nod to every action movie out there, it's one of the best parodies ever, and I'd say it's one of the top Asian movies I have ever seen!

(2004) The Bodyguard (In Thai with English subtitles) ACTION COMEDY

Co-written, co-directed and starring Phetthai Vongkumlao as he plays the bodyguard, Wong Kom escorting his boss, Mr. Chot (Surachai Chantimatorn). And as soon as Mr. Chot exchanges business contracts, Wong Kom notices two suspicious security cameras on the ceiling and he manages to save his boss after they were firing guns towards him. It was during then several waiters were also part of the conspiracy and were pulling guns and are also trying to assassinate Mr. Chok as well. Wong Kam manages to save him up until a specific point, it is when four cars all coming at them on all four directions as both of them were attempting to run away. For some strange reason all four cars went off a ramp and crash at the same time while they were on the air, except that viewers can see no jumping ramp nowhere to be found. And from that one gun shot that it looked like was on his shoulder, Wong Kom's boss unable to make it with strong resentment from Mr Chok's adult son, Chaichol Petchpantakarn (Pipat Apiruktanakorn) and we find out he now inherits all his businesses and wealth. And at that point, I presumed he or his uncle was behind the assassinations but as it turned out, I was right about the uncle except that for the time being it's supposed to look like it was one of the board members, Songpol (Wachara Pan-Iom). To which after the father's will was read, he would then make a call to Artit (Yingyong Yodbuangarm) to capture Mr. Chok's only son, Chaiocol alive. And that does not happen until after he is being driven to an underground highway, and he is then blocked with goons going after him after executing all his bodyguards. Chaicol as a result of stumbling onto a bridge falls into one of the garbage trucks. He is then nursed back to health by the slums part of Thailand taken in by the family of Aunt Jam (Apaporn Nakornsawan) and he falls in love with the daughter who looks to be the same age as him, her name is Pok Pok (Pumwaree Yodkamol) to which none of them have no idea who he is and that he is a wealthy.

Both the action and the comedy routines are quite lame considering what viewers are offered these days. It is also another one of those movies where the makers of this movie had more fun making it than viewers had fun watching it. Throughout the entire experience, I had never laugh once for it caters to children and the action made no sense. Many of the action sequences made no sense either whereas on one scene sometime at the opening with 3 or four vehicles happen to come straight at "The Bodyguard and his boss, and their was no off ramp seen anywhere and then for some odd reason all the cars at the same time came off one crashing each other all at the same time. How is this even possible! Tony Jaa has a small appearance when goons are at the grocery store for the intention of kidnapping the teenage son, and Jaa happens to be one of the customers. That sequence alone only lasted a less than a minute.

I cannot say too much about this... errs... film (if it can be named that way)... It's simply boring: non-interesting plot, non-interesting action scenes, and non-interesting "supposed-to-be-funny" gags. The plot is a kind of never ending nonsense. I can accept things like this in some surreal and absurd humour pieces -like Monthy Piton's films, which are absolutely great- but not in a... let's say... "normal" movie. I mean, the only thing I expect from an action movie is to entertain me. If, as well as being amusing, it is a good film, so much the better. But the only thing I can say is that IT'S BORING!!! I expected to have, at least, spectacular action scenes, since Tony Jaa is among the cast... My hopes were in vain. To sum up, this is only recommendable if you have problems to get to sleep!

I live in Thailand and try to see Thai movies when I can. Some of them have been excellent--Ong-Bak, Suriyothai, Tropical Malady, Tom Yum Goong, Mor Jeb, Luang Phii Theng, to name a few. The Bodyguard doesn't fall into the excellent category. It falls into "what the hell is going on and why are all the Thai people laughing" category. This movie is supposed to be a comedy. The English subtitles were particularly bad, I speak more than a little Thai and many times I knew the English was not good because I understood the Thai. I didn't laugh once with the rest of the audience--all Thai, I was the only Caucasian (farang). Then there were the 3 or 4 times I did laugh out loud, and I was the only one laughing! This movie is of almost the "slapstick" variety, chock full of "inside" jokes (being on the inside in this case means being Thai or understanding the Thai language better than I do) and silly humor. It stars one of Thailand's most popular comedians, Piphat Apiraktanakorn, more commonly known by his nickname "Mahm" (usually spelled Mom, but he's a guy and not a real mom that I know of...) I think this guy is great and funny. This lends credence to my theory that the English subtitling was just awful. Mahm has a 3 minute cameo in "Luang Phii Theng" that is the funniest part of the movie. Try one of the other Thai films before going to this one. Especially Ong-Bak, probably the best martial arts film I have ever seen--And Tony Jaa is the best martial arts movie fighter I have ever seen (and he does it all without stunt double, wires, or computer effects). If you see one Thai film this year, make it Ong-Bak, not the Bodyguard!

I only watched this because of the cast from Ong Bak was in it and to my great surprise it was one of the funniest movies I have seen. I was not expecting much because I thought it would just be plain silly and not so funny. But I was not so wrong, it was silly, but so funny that sometimes I found myself cleaning the floor when I was rolling on it. In such movies you have begin it on a high and they surely managed it with the shootout. And during the rest of the movie I never took the smile of my face. That's how comedies should be! Great job by Petchtai Wongkamlao and fantastic cameo appearance by Tony Jaa. But the best was the bald guy who ends the movie really on a high.