Bangkok Dangerous

Release Date: September 5, 2008


Movie of the Day for Tuesday, July 1, 2008
See other Movies of the Day


Is that Dwight Yoakam?

On the Big Board
Position Staff In Brief
174/196 Max Braden Between this and Next it's a wonder Cage isn't going direct to video.

New at BOP:
Share & Save
Digg Button  
Nicolas Cage sure likes to star in remakes. Gone in 60 Seconds, City of Angels, The Wicker Man. Heck, he’s even been announced to play Harvey Keitel’s role in Werner Herzog’s remake of Bad Lieutenant. Bangkok Dangerous is yet another remake, this time of a well-regarded Thai action movie by brothers Danny and Oxide Pang.

The original movie centers on a deaf-mute hitman and how he rises through the ranks of the underground to make a name for himself. The hitman’s disability is a pretty vital part of the story, but it’s mostly been scrapped for the remake. The Pang Brothers, who also directed this new version, opted to make Cage’s girlfriend the deaf-mute, fearing that a no-talking Cage would not be good for the box office.

All I can say is “really?” Everything else about this story is fairly generic, and seems like something we’ve seen a hundred times. The deaf-mute aspect was the gimmick that made the first film work - a hitman who couldn’t hear his targets begging for mercy. That’s an interesting twist, and without it, Cage’s Bangkok Dangerous looks awfully forgettable.

The Pang Brothers are expert stylists, having directed the Hong Kong version of The Eye, as well as last year’s The Messengers, so it should at least be visually interesting. Cage is possibly the most all-over-the-map actor working today, fluctuating wildly between big hits (the National Treasure movies, Ghost Rider) and epic failures (Wicker Man, Lord of War). With its ho-hum trailer and shrug-worthy premise, Bangkok Dangerous has its work cut out for it to avoid becoming one of the latter. (Shane Jenkins/BOP)


Vital statistics for Bangkok Dangerous
Main Cast Nicolas Cage, Shahkrit Yamnarm, Charlie Yeung
Supporting Cast Panward Hemmanee, Nirattisai Kaljaruek, Dom Hetrakul
Director Danny Pang, Oxide Pang
Screenwriter Jason Richman
Distributor Lionsgate
Trailer Click Here for Trailer
Official Site http://www.lionsgate.com/bangkokdangerous
Rating R
Screen Count 2,650
Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture


     


 
 

Need to contact us? E-mail a Box Office Prophet.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
© 2024 Box Office Prophets, a division of One Of Us, Inc.