Bangkok Dangerous (1999)
Oxide Pang Chun & Danny Pang
Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download this movie.
Plot Summary
Kong is a professional killer who has been mute since childhood. He stalks the city's darkest streets, but his only response to the grisly killings he performs is silence. His one chance for redemption lies in the heart of a girl who provides the only tenderness and warmth he has ever known. With his back against the wall, Kong must realize that a glimmer of hope is possible in even the dimmest of lives. In the dark and bloody underworld of urban Bangkok, the action unfolds in a fast-paced thriller filled with high-speed chases and gunfire that is not to be missed!
Credits
Directors
Screenwriters
Producer
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
53%- Reviews Counted: 36
- Fresh: 19
- Rotten: 17
- Average Rating: 5.5/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: Some of the nonstop commotion of Bangkok Dangerous is funny and inventive ... but much more of it is simply irritating and obfuscating.
Fresh: Enjoyable in an undemanding way, and with a few interesting flourishes.
Fresh: Too violent for many people but is likely to be appreciated by fans of no-holds-barred gangster pictures in general and of Hong Kong cinema in particular.
Rotten: It has no identity apart from its influences, however dazzlingly they're deployed.
Customer Reviews
Worth watching
Having seen this movie not too long after it was first released, I have actually seen it several times again in the past few years. And after each viewing I still find it to be a very compelling and at times, intense action flick.
Long story short, Kong is a mute killer who's out to take revenge on the guys who killed his best friend. Along the way he meets a cute (albeit one-dimensional) love interest who has no clue about his checkered past (and plans for revenge). What makes this film interesting is that being a mute protagonist (of sorts), one really has to rely on Kong's facial expressions and actions to get more insight on his motivations and his character. In that sense, it definitely makes it a more unique action film than many of those we're used to seeing. Some of the action scenes are pretty cool (especially the last one). The romance element is sort of cheesy, but it isn't so distracting that it gets in the way of the main plot.
Other than Ong Bank, this is definitely one of my favorite Thai action films in recent years. It's a shame Nicholas Cage found a way to butcher the film in the boring US remake of the movie. But the Thai original is definitely worth checking out. As long as you don't mind reading subtitles, I'd say it's one of the better Asian gangster/action films I've seen lately.
Living Dangerously
I'm the girl who sees the words "Pang Brothers" and immediately has to watch the film. By the time I was able to watch "Bangkok Dangerous", I had already gotten well acquainted with the brothers' horror films so this was a departure from what I knew and loved. The action-packed scenes coupled with the main character's silence is an interesting twist on action films. The violence in this film may not be suitable for everyone as there is quite a lot of violence to go around. That's probably one of the main reasons I enjoyed this film. I like my movies more on the dark, twisted, action side than the happy, light-hearted, romantic one. The Pang brothers proved to me that they can not only creep me out, but pull me into the action. The fact that the main character is a mute makes it all the more intriguing to me. His struggle to find peace with the only girl who has ever showed him any kindness is a bit heartbreaking. Even though this movie shoves a lot of action and violence at the viewers, in the end it is more about the relationships we have in life and the struggles we deal with every day. I know it probably wasn't intended to turn out that way, but it all depends on how you view it and what you take to it. Whatever that may be for you, I recommend checking this movie out.
Genre perfect . . .
And perfect rental for a long plane trip; I may even buy it the next time! Killer for hire, best friend, love of the girl at the drugstore, crooked boss, double crossed life and star crossed lovers. Violence, blood, flickery camera shots, minimal subtitles . . . yep, a Thai gangster floc . . .
Viewers Also Bought
- Punisher: War Zone
- Lexi Alexander
- View In iTunes
- Killshot
- John Madden
- View In iTunes
- Way of War
- John Carter
- View In iTunes
- The Code (2009)
- Mimi Leder
- View In iTunes
- Appaloosa
- Ed Harris
- View In iTunes
- $5.99
- Genre: Action & Adventure
- Released: 2001
- © First Look Studios. All Rights Reserved.