bangkok dangerous

shahkrit yamnarm as kong: fancy me a smile?
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This remake - directed by its original directors, the Pang brothers, is a testament as to how a digital film should be. What you get onscreen is a gritty, real-time atmosphere that is very much cinematographically superior compared to a good percentage of the substandard pinoy digital films that have become synonymous with inferior quality and mediocre technicals. Much of the flak has been conveniently attributed to the type of digital projectors that our local cinemas employ (especially those from SM Cinemas - which has some of the worst digital projectors in the world). Bangkok Dangerous negates that fact. Digital films when well made by competent filmmakers can achieve non-anemic technicals.

I wonder how the Thais take this movie. In the first few scenes, Nicolas Cage narrates, "Bangkok is corrupt, dirty..." which isn't really much of a surprise. But then a lot of caucasians flock to where it's supposed to be corrupt and dirty and cheap, so what does that say about them?

I love Bangkok.

Yamnarm, Cage and director Oxide Pang

The grittier original 1999 version: shooting my brains out!