Bangkok Dangerous

The hit man Joe (Nicolas Cage) is a professional killer with a peculiar code of honor and modus-operandi. He travels to Bangkok to kill four persons and he hires the smalltime hoodlum Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) to help him in his job.

When he meets the deaf and dumb Fon (Charlie Young) in a pharmacy, he falls in love with her and breaks his code. Further, he teaches Kong how to become a hit man. But when Kong is abducted by Surat (Nirattisai Kaljaruek), who had hired Joe for the assignment in Bangkok, he is forced to betray Joe. But the hit man decides to rescue Kong in his last job.

"Bangkok Dangerous" is an action movie by Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang with the nihilist story of a professional killer. I bought this DVD a couple of years ago and only yesterday I decided to watch it.

The cinematography and the camera work in the chaotic and exotic Bangkok is a chance for those like me that have not had the chance to visit Thailand yet to see the beauties of this city. Charlie Young is perfect in the role of a sweet woman capable to bring love to the heart of a cold blood killer. However, the conclusion is disappointing and inconsistent with the behavior of Joe. Nevertheless I recommend this movie to viewers that wish to see an average story in an environment unusual for Westerns. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Perigo em Bangkok" ("Danger in Bangkok")

So what if I can predict what is going to happens, I can do it with most films nowadays - its not about that. Its about making a movie that entertains, and IMHO they have achieved that.

OK, some of the shooting sequences were a bit dodgy and the narration descended into the cliché on occasions but overall I rate this film better then most action films I have seen in recent months.

Cage is solid in his role and so is his side kick. The elephant did a good job too but his role was only in 2 scenes :) So all in all 7 is my vote and it could have been better if not for a few lines of monologue and a couple of silly shootouts across water canisters.

Watch it and make your own mind.

"Bangkok Dangerous" isn't a bad film – or at least not as bad as most of the reviews around here claim – but it is an astonishingly ordinary film that features literally every cliché of "hired assassin" concept you can possibly think of. There's the lonely and super-skilled hit man who intents to pull of one last job before quitting the business for good, he teaches his errand boy to become his successor, finds love and happiness with a girl for the first time and – last but not least – refuses to make the final hit because his target is a noble individual. We know this is the prototypic pitch of every thriller in its type, yet we still pay the full price of a cinema ticket because the film stars Nicolas Cage and we'll probably see a lot of spectacular action and virulent gunfire. "Bangkok Dangerous" is a big-budgeted remake of a Thai thriller released in 1999, which was also directed by the Pang brothers. In the original, the hit man was a deaf-mute but since Nicolas Cage is far too expensive to have him shut up the whole time, they made his love interest a deaf-mute instead. Unfortunately, this takes away the one truly ingenious aspect about the original. What remains is a painfully predictable and bland thriller that can't even be saved by the handful of impressively staged action sequences. Still I wouldn't call "Bangkok Dangerous" a complete waste of time, though, as there are a couple of stylish and worthwhile – albeit less obvious – elements working in its favor. Nic Cage gives a good performance as the unworldly killer and particularly the Pang Bros' depiction of the city of Bangkok is deeply enchanting. Especially at night it looks like a melancholic and depressing place infested with prostitution, petty crimes and perverted tourists. The moody soundtrack emphasizes the atmosphere of melancholy even more. This is definitely not a film that'll increase the tourist business there. Otherwise there's very little to say about "Bangkok Dangerous". If you're a fan of Nicolas Cage and rough action, you won't regret giving this one a look. Just realize you'll have completely forgotten about it the next day.

It wasn't bad. Nicholas Cage looked really fat and tired, not his usually fit and tired self, and he played the cold assassin part with ease. But when it went into the 'shy in love assassination teacher that cares about his student and doesn't kill the good guys' part, it kind of felt rushed. I am sure you can see the problem here.

Basically it is a film about a man that rediscovers his soul... then dies from it. Not a fresh thing in Asian movies, but something that the (re)makers of this film bet the Americans will find cool. I, myself, understood the idea, but saw no reason in remaking the Thai movie that had the same idea and add almost nothing to it other than production costs.

Bottom line: sad-good-assassin story, with no twist. If you like stuff like that, watch it. Better than Hell Rider, anyway.

Bangkok Dangerous is an oft frustrating and disappointing experience, not because it is inherently bad per se, but rather because it shows promise yet consistently squanders it. At its core, the movie exists as a compelling and –at times- engaging feature that caters to high octane thrills and adequate drama. Yet burdened with an overwhelming sense of kitschy design put in place to satisfy those looking for no-fuss action, the feature inevitably comes to a close in a manner that reflects the experience as a whole. This unconvincing back-and-forth structure inevitably hinders the movie's ability to fully envelop in the manner that it hopes to; the action can be potent, but all too contrived; characterisation welcome but treated as plot devices; drama which is emotive and interesting but underplayed all the same. A jarring, neurotic affair with underdeveloped promise and too many flaws to capitalise on such greater features, Bangkok Dangerous is a two headed monster, one of which is far easier on the eyes than the other.

Following impeccable and high-end contract hit-man Joe (Nicolas Cage), the focus of Bangkok Dangerous is simple; a man who lives by 4 rules which dictate how to do his job with precision and success, Joe is also one ridden with loneliness, unable to create relationships with anyone for fear of breaching his security. At its heart, this is the story that Jason Richman wants to bring out, and for the most part, it's what gives the feature its most engaging form of narrative. Going from here it's only natural that Joe should find a woman within his new location of Bangkok, who comes in the form of a deaf pharmaceutist. This subplot plays out well in the context of Joe's story; through her we see his softer, more human side, and Cage does well in getting across such sides of his character naturally. The romance isn't as potent as one might hope, but given that Bangkok Dangerous isn't exactly a movie likely to pander to the whims of romantics, such casual development is forgivable.

What isn't quite as forgivable however lies in two other subplots which too often distract and take up too much time from the two characters in the story that we care for. The first of these unwanted aspects comes in the form of Kong (Shahkrit Yamnarm) who essentially plays the part of Joe's apprentice of sorts, because, well, Joe sees a little of himself in Kong. Granted there are some strong moments that play out in this dynamic, but again hindered by a sense of trying too much in too little time, such moments are lost within a cloud of underdeveloped ideas. Branching off of this subplot is another which goes even further and tries to develop some sort of romance between Kong and a distant associate that supplies Joe with his contracts. Not only is it a superfluous and unnecessary inclusion, but it doesn't even provide any substance when it does show up. Every time I had to sit through such moments I couldn't help but think of what could have be shown on screen between Joe and his love interest, instead of the perplexing and inane "romance" that was in front of me.

Reinforcing the central motif of the film's sporadic and mixed bag nature though is its aesthetic design which often complements the movie's biggest and most poignant moments- action and character orientated. Perhaps the most significant and consistent of these elements is the enveloping score penned by Brain Tyler who has made a habit out of writing for creatively jarring movies such as this. Remaining as the only real constant of the film outside of Cage's natural performance, Tyler reinforces the moods of the film throughout, echoing themes of loneliness, confliction and unbendable duty through his similarly structured compositions. Although not quite as complementary or remarkable as the score, the photography by Decha Srimantra has some interesting moments in itself which help to draw the attention past the numerous instances of dry, uninspired action.

In the end however, Bangkok Dangerous essentially comes down to a battle between opposite forces, literally speaking. Like their central character, directors Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang are too often found conflicted by a willingness to stick to the genre's action-orientated blueprints and a more natural but fleeting sense of romantic characterisation. It's a statement in itself that Bangkok Dangerous, a film that will most likely attract those looking for explosions and gun fights, will no doubt leave such audiences underwhelmed by the mediocre action, and unfulfilled by a distinct lack of focus on such. Indeed, it's an interesting and ironic twist that the real substance and entertainment value to be had here lies in the character of Joe himself, and his conflicting state of mind rather than his weapons. That's not to say that Bangkok Dangerous is neutered, because it certainly has its thrilling moments, but such instances are best when left to pander to character rather than run off on their own. So while the movie certainly doesn't ever take off, it at least stays close to the ground with a fine and fitting performance from Cage, and tells a decent character story all the same; a throwaway action movie for those only interested in seeing action as consequence of drama and character.

• A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)