Movie Bangkok Dangerous

[Temika]

BeforeOxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang made a name for themselves as horror directors, they were already on the radar of adventurous action fans. Bangkok Dangerous is a little cult film that kickstarted the Pangs' international career, a film that made heads turn and put them on the map. I recently sat down to watch it again, expecting it would have lost some of its charm through the years. It didn't take me long to realize I had underestimated the beauty that is Bangkok Dangerous.

Bangkok Dangerous was probably the first Thai film I ever watched. Back then Thai cinema has little to no international presence, let alone a presence in genre cinema. The Pangs would change all that, even though they themselves moved their business to Hong Kong soon after. In 2008 they would revisit Bangkok Dangerous once more as a remake, fronted by Nicolas Cage. While not a bad effort (at all, in fact), the original remains unchallenged in terms of raw quality.

If you only know the Pangs from their more commercial work, you might be a little surprised by the vividness of their earlier films. Bangkok Dangerous isn't exactly subtle, subdued or timid, instead it flexes all its cinematic muscles in an attempt to get itself noticed. It definitely worked, but I'm pretty sure not everyone is going to appreciate the film's boldness. Not all the flexing is functional and if you're in the 'style over substance' haters camp then there's a lot to dislike.

The film submerges itself into the criminal underground of Thailand, following two best friends who operate as serial killers. Kong is a deaf-mute who kills as an emotional release, Jo is the one who took Kong under his wings when he was still a young boy. The two get their jobs from Aom, Jo's former girlfriend, who acts as a middle man between the boys and organized crime units. They are a pretty dangerous team, but when a client stalks Aom and rapes her, the two embark on a mission that will turn everyone against them.

On a visual level, Bangkok Dangerous is meant to dazzle. The film is shot through bright, neon-like monochrome filters, the camera work is showy and in your face while the editing is deliberate and leading. It's the kind of look some might describe as taken from a music video, but it gives the film lots of flair and it's a big part of the reason why it still works today. It's slightly dated, but creative enough to transcend mere contemporary coolness.

The same can be said about the soundtrack. The electronic-based tracks that are featured throughout the film are a clear product of the 90s, but they're used to good effect and it's more than just some random dance beats put underneath various scenes. They blend well with the visuals and enhance the dark, trippy Thai underground setting. As someone entrenched in electronic music for the past 30 years it's easy to see where and how the soundtrack could be improved, but for a film soundtrack it's well above average.

The acting is pretty decent, but the only one who makes a real impact is Pawarith Monkolpisit (playing Kong). It's weird that his career never really took off, but he lends Kong the necessary gravitas without any need for overacting. Quite the feat since he's playing a deaf-mute. Ratanasopha, Timkul and Intrakanchit put in solid performances, but they never seem to be able to match Monkolpisit's onscreen presence.

Even though Bangkok Dangerous won me over with its flashy exterior and bold stylistic choices, around halfway through the Pangs start inserting just the right amount of drama to give the film that extra bit of texture. Kong's character is fleshed out, not in a very original or creative way, but enough to start caring for him. It's a smart build-up to a strong finale that offers both an emotional as well as an adrenaline-fueled pay-off. A rare combination for this type of film.

Bangkok Dangerous is a film that's surviving the test of time surprisingly well. While certain elements are a little dated by now, they're used in such a way that they haven't lost much of their appeal and impact. The Pangs delivered a mighty fine action film, one that didn't really call for a remake and still holds its own to this very day. Style and just the right amount of substance blend together to create one of the best crime/action films of the 90s.

I very rarely take a tuk tuk. They are not very good value for money. The drivers often demand far more than what a similar trip would cost in an air-conditioned taxi. They are also dangerous. Today I saw two reports of accidents. This first one was early this morning. The tuk tuk crashed into the barrier of the Thai-Japanese Bridge near Wat Hua Lamphong. @js100radio reported that there was one fatality. The second one was tonight on Soi Dansamrong Sukhumvit 113. According to G. Matthew Hammond it was full with teenage girls.

Took a tuk tuk from Democracy Monument to Hua Lampong MRT Sunday night when there were no taxis. 80 Baht for two of us (two passengers max advised). Exciting (!) ride. Wet cement between drop off point and MRT entrance.

Bangkok without Tuk-Tuks, come on, I mean yeah they over charge, yeah they are dangerous but there have been times during Red or Yellow demos that one of these guys has been there when no one else would pick me up. Bangkok is a wild and wonderful place, stop trying to make it like Des Moine, Iowa.

There is no doubt that the Tuk Tuks are iconic and important for tourism. For that reason alone they will probably remain. But they do need to be regulated. If they can put meters on motorcycles then why not Tuk Tuks?

I will only take a tuk-tuk if I cannot get a taxi to take me and it is too far to walk. or like once I had a huge framed picture too big for a taxi and it started to rain when along came a tuk-tuk, so that worked out.

As usual, Hollywood did not do any justice to this great nation full of hardworking and creative people. Hollywood seems to WANT to portray Bangkok as a filthy, lawless, dangerous, corrupt, crime-ridden and chaotic city. It's not that way at all.

Delta Airlines does fly to Bangkok (via Tokyo) but it lands around the same time as United, about midnight, not during the day. The airport shown in the scene where the plane lands is NOT Bangkok. I can't tell where it is. The Delta flight is not 16 hours, it's about 21 hours (including the 3 hour layover in Tokyo). There is an LAX-BKK nonstop on Thai Airways and it's 17 hours. I tried the non-stop last year one time and it's painfully long, even in business class.

The wedding in the movie appears to be at a 5 star resort in either Phuket or Krabi, on the Andaman (Indian Ocean) side of the country. You CANNOT take a boat from Bangkok to that area without going all the away around Malaysia and Singapore. It would take a speedboat about 48 continuous hours of travel. The flight is about 1 hour from Bangkok to Krabi or Phuket.

A Thai father would never insult his son-in-law-to-be in front of others, especially at a wedding party like that. First of all, he would have had to approve of the marriage in the first place. Thai people are generally very non-confrontational until pushed to the edge (then all hell breaks loose!!!)

If you wanted to crash in that filthy room that the protagonists wake up in after their crazy night out, you would have to look very very hard. In Bangkok there are many small hotels where you could sleep off the night's excesses, and most are reasonably clean and safe. Again, the movie producers purposely WANTED Bangkok to look sleazy and dirty. Thai hoteliers generally strive to keep their rooms as clean as possible, even if the building is old and out-dated. My apartment building is about 25 years old, and my apartment is about $300/month, but the janitors do their damnedest to keep the trash picked up and the floors swept every day.

The go-go bars on Soi Cowboy are all owned by Thai people (police and military), not by Arabs. You would never see a gun being bought or sold in one of those places, but I haven't been to that kind of place in many years.

The notion of foreigners starting a riot in Patpong, throwing molotov cocktails, etc., is ridiculous. The Royal Thai Police would have thrown them in all in jail if they had started something like that...or they would have had the crap beaten out of them by Thai guys.

Jason, you are so right. Hangover One in Las Vegas was 100% realistic, like steal a Police car, and get out of jail right away after being tasered in front of a school class. Happens all the time. ;-) Seriously, it is a movie and it lives of stereotypes. And it does that pretty well.

I spent a few days in Bangkok and I didn't like it. As a white guy who doesn't speak their language, you're constantly being tricked. Taxi, tuck tuck ride to a "massage" place instead of where you really wanted to go, different pricing for services and goods for white vs. Thai people, etc. Also, disgusting to see all the sex tourists with their young boys (or girls). Then all the smog, the crazy traffic (way worse than LA)....I could go on.

There is also the question whether some of the "errors" are done on purpose, to challenge the mind. Most obvious was the plane: Leaving with 4 jet engines, landing with 2. I also heard the water Mellon that Allen is working on is a different one in two different cuts. There is tons more on IMDB.

Hollywood has been too kind to Scranton. The exterior shots in sunny LA make it look like Scranton is always sunny and nice. They have scenes in nice looking restaurants that simply do not exist in Scranton.

While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.

Most incidents of planes hitting bumpy air are minor, however, and airlines have made steady improvements to reduce accident rates from turbulence over time. Experts advise air travelers to stay vigilant, stressing the importance of wearing a seat belt whenever possible as a first line of protection.

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