Thailand's top action movie director Prachya Pinkaew - the
man behind Ong Bak and Chocolate - delivers another breakthrough
in action cinema with The Kick, the first Thailand-Korea joint production.
Cho Jae Hyun (Bad Guy), Ye Ji Won (Hanji), and taekwondo athletes Kim Kyung Suk
and Na Tae Joo, form a family of Korean taekwondo masters living in Thailand.
The Kick pits them against a gang of ruthless criminals, in an endearing action
movie that mixes comedy, choreography and crocodiles to blistering effect.
You can't have a Thai action movie without the presence of
Petchtai Wongkamloo, the pintsized comedy sidekick whose smart mouth gave Tony
Jaa a run for his money in Ong Bak and Warrior King. Wongkamloo is joined by
the ever-so-striking JeeJa Yanin, kick-ass heroine of Chocolate and Raging
Phoenix fame, who still manages to impress despite an alarming lack of screen
time. And with Pinkaew at the helm, you can always rely on three things; low budget
action, invention and humour. How could I forget the elephants? Maybe I
should have gone with four...
Let's get the story out of the way first, because the hows
and whys are always an afterthought in Asian action movies. A valuable and
spiritual artefact is being returned to the Thai National Museum, generating
interest from a ruthless underworld gang. When the gang's attempts to steal the
coveted 'Kris of Kings' is thwarted by Tae Yang and his family, the gang vows
to take revenge on those that dared to stand in their way. That's pretty much
all there is to it. Extended family - in the shape of Wongkamloo and Yanin -
comes into play when our plucky protagonists are forced to go into hiding, but
they're soon tracked down, and what follows is not only fun and frantic, but
occasionally spectacular too.
The opening act is enjoyable enough, as we're introduced to
an appealing cast of characters with just enough depth to keep them engaging. Mun
is a taekwondo master running an old gym in Bangkok, and his heartbreaking past
gives him incentive enough to drive his family forward, whether they want to
join him on the journey or not. Mun wants his children to follow in his
footsteps, to become taekwondo coaches and take over the running of the family
gym. Regardless of their father's will, Taeju dreams of being a famous pop star,
and Taemi is only interested in her secret crush at school. This causes tension
within the close-knit family dynamic, but not enough to distract from the
impending chaos.
I was hoping that Jeeja Yanin would be the star of the show
here, but Pinkaew has an impeccable eye for talent, and the pairing of Na Taeju
and Kim Gyeongsuk has a much deeper impact. Yanin's appearance is strangely
muted, almost as though she was included as an afterthought, but Taeju and
Gyeongsuk make up for this mystifying misstep with a breathtaking catalogue of
quick feet, perfect comedy timing, and dazzling fight sequences. Allowing Na
Taeju to take centre stage is a masterstroke, blending stunning fight
chorography with hilarious dance moves that feel fresh and original. Gyeongsuk
is just as impressive, if not more so, which is a huge relief when you consider
the sidelining of everybody's favourite phoenix.
The Kick offers nothing new, and there's precious little
focus put on breathtaking stunts, certainly not to the extent of previous
favourites like Ong Bak and Chocolate. It's all about the stunning fight chorography, and from that perspective, The Kick rarely takes its foot off the gas. The
final act, set in and around the local zoo, is brilliantly realised, blending
stylish mayhem, baby elephants, inventive action, and welcome humour. If the
opening hour can be accused of one thing, it's that it does at times rely on too
many familiar themes, but if we're going to accuse The Kick of treading water, we
should at least acknowledge the fact that act three comes on like a tidal wave
of high adventure.
Hardly fresh but still enticing, The Kick is a familiar
feast of non-stop action; a fast paced spectacle that leaves a lasting
impression despite a nagging sense of déjà vu. Fans of Jackie Chan and Tony Jaa
will lap it up, and with the Warrior King returning to our screens before the
year is out, the future of Thai action cinema (with a little help from Korea)
is in very safe hands. As long as Tony remains in front of the camera this time
out. Have a word Prachya, have a word... AW
No comments:
Post a Comment