Bangkok Dangerous

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Charlie Yeung, Shahkrit Yamnnarm, Panward Hemmanee
Directed by: Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Thriller
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An assassin (Nicholas Cage) travels to Bangkok to carry out a series of assassinations for a big payday, but he finds himself in over his head.

Review:

Tim: I used to love Nicholas Cage in these action thriller movies. What does he see in these dime-a-dozen, forgettable, silly movies? I just can't imagine why he continues to star in crap like this. The best part of this movie is the title. I like the sound of Bangkok Dangerous, but that's about it. One of the big problems is that nothing in this movie really matters. The characters are all forgettable, the plot is boring and tired, this all feels like a movie we've seen before. There is practically nothing new or exciting about this film.

Nicholas Cage pretty much just coasts through this film. He's done so many of these similar movies that he doesn't even seem to try anymore. He has some particularly awful hair in this film (how could anyone actually think he looks good in that?) and is saddled with perhaps the most boring assassin ever committed to film. Of course, while he is a coldblooded killer, he also has a heart of gold, as he befriends some punk and a deaf girl. This is supposed to make him complicated and interesting. Instead, he appears to be a one-dimensional, cheap rip off of actual, fully developed and well written characters. I didn't care about him for a single second in this film. His interactions with the rest of the cast are very weak as well. I just didn't care about any of them.

The action sequences are not very exciting at all. We see Cage kill people, chase people in boats, drive around in his motorcycle, and none of this really matters at all. The plot is boring and occasionally disappears entirely. The film's protagonists often act completely out of character. This whole movie has simply been done before and I questioned why it needed to be retold. Typically, I would blame the film's producers instead of the cast, but Cage produced this film as well, so he has no excuse.

Bangkok Dangerous is a bland, silly movie that never should have been made. Nicholas Cage is only further hurting his career. Cage has some real talent and has made some terrific movies (National Treasure, The Rock) in the past. Unfortunately, this is not one of them. I can only roll my eyes here and lament my lost 99 minutes.

Rating 10
Tim's Rating: 5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Rock, National Treasure, Knowing, Next, Con Air