Bangkok Dangerous

Bangkok Dangerous is a remake of the 1999 flick by The Pang Brothers. Helmed by the same directors, their Hollywood version follows the original’s plot line closely except, they now have Nicolas Cage in the lead playing Joe, a hitman who wearily travels to Bangkok to methodically carry out four hits – all in a day’s work, really.

His disillusionment and disconnection for life, both his and his unfortunate victims, reflects the Bangkok he sees. While the world may view the country as a mash of modernity and culture, always bursting with colour and quirk, Bangkok to Joe is as he narrates in the beginning of the film: “corrupt, dirty and dense”. But as movies go, he finds in the very country he condemned, a refreshed spirit, thanks to his budding relationship with deaf pharmacist Fon and a petty thief, Kong. Too bad then, that Cage’s chemistry with his co-stars fail to shine through on-screen as it could’ve given this film a boost it sorely needs.

The action comes fast and hard, but it also comes across as just ridiculous. Cage as an assassin is poorly casted – his haircut makes him a laughingstock, not someone to be feared of. His attempts at philosophizing about life, death and morality are a yawn and don’t add a depth of humanity to his character as it was intended to. As a remake, Bangkok Dangerous fails to improve on the original. If you’re not going to make bigger, better or bolder – why bother?

Cast Nicolas Cage, Charlie Yeung, Shahkrit Yamnarm Director The Pang Brothers Runtime 99 minutes Opens 23 October

Text Sarah Chan