Director(s): The Pang Brothers | Rated: R (violence) | Review date: 29-Dec-2009

Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang, otherwise known as the Pang Brothers, did something very interesting. They remade one of their own films for the English speaking audience. By this remake I am of course referring to Bangkok Dangerous (2008), starring Nicolas Cage. Fans were in outcry, offended that Hollywood bigwigs seem to feel the need to tamper with perfectly good cinema for an audience that’s too lazy to read. As strange as it was for the Pang brothers to redo one of their own films, I have to admire their courage and artistic prowess. In my opinion, they didn’t just remake their own film, they made a new film, that just happened to carry the title of the original story of which the film was based.

But let’s dive into the original Bangkok Dangerous, ten years after its release. I watched this gem for the first time recently and I can see why many of the die hard fans might get their panties in a bunch over the so-called remake. This film is something truly unique. It’s a classic hitman revenge tale, that has an interesting angle involving a deaf and mute gunman. There’s also a little bit of romance involved, all the makings of a good crime story.

But what really makes the movie stand out is the style. Starting with the dialogue. If I had to guess I’d say there was probably 20 lines of actual speaking. Now surely this is in part due to the main character’s handicap, but this aspect is something I’ve never seen before in a film. The film speaks not through the characters mouths but rather through their eyes, emotions, memories, and of course their guns. Few words are said but many bullets fly in this stylized gritty actioner.

Perhaps what adds most to this film’s unique nature was the editing. Fast cuts, shaky camera work, and grainy pictures with color variations really try to make the film a work of art rather than an entertaining movie. Though I did enjoy some of the visual elements, at times I felt they were screaming too much “look what I can do with the camera” and not “this is what’s happening in the story.” The story felt at times hard to follow, but it was intriguing nonetheless. I really enjoyed our non-speaking hero, and the ending was surely an original.

In the 2008 version, we see less of the experimental cinematography and more of a focus on Cage’s character, something I really appreciated. Both films are equally captivating, but to me they are two different films that just have the same concept with a few similar elements. Besides, they were both made by the same filmmakers so why complain? We get two versions of a great crime thriller. Overall Bangkok Dangerous goes down as a very innovative action piece that really exposes the dark and gritty crime world of Thailand.

IMDb/trailer

Official site (2008)

DVD at Amazon (1999)

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