“SARS Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis” American DVD Cover
AKA: Khun krabii hiiroh
Director: Taweewat Wantha
Cast: Suthep Po-ngam, Supakorn Kitsuwon, Phintusuda Tunphairao, Lene Christensen, Somlek Sakdikul
Running Time: 95 min.
HKFanatic’s Review
“SARs Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis” is the rare film that manages to live up to its outlandish title. For 90 minutes you’re treated to Thailand’s off the wall sense of humor and a parade of flesh-eating zombies, Asian schoolgirls, and exploding heads. This is not to mention the fourth-wall breaking (characters frequently comment on the fact that they’re in a movie), countless jokes about transsexuals, and a giant CG snake. The movie tosses in everything but the kitchen sink in an effort to entertain its audience for its entire duration. Everything plays out with the manic energy of a live-action cartoon – hell, there are even a few flashbacks done in an anime style.
The filmmakers’ method of attack is to keep tossing jokes at the audience until one makes you laugh. The Thai people have a self-deprecating, self-aware sense of humor that Western audiences will either love or hate. They frequently mock the state of their film industry and sex is another favorite topic. The few physical gags here are actually pretty damn funny (a shoot-out in an elevator was probably the highlight for me) but mostly the characters are poking fun at themselves, like the sex-starved monk who powers his lightsaber with faulty Chinese batteries or the hero who announces his sexual positions like they’re Muay Thai moves.
Again, you’re either gonna chuckle or groan depending on your sense of humor. I won’t say “SARs Wars” is gut-bustingly funny but it is charming the way it relentlessly aims for the audience’s funny bone. Plot twists, character deaths, and “The Crying Game” spoofs almost come faster than you can process them.
Tonally, this movie is sort of like the sex-crazed, Thai cousin to Peter Jackson’s cult classic “Dead Alive.” There are zombies aplenty and the gore is mostly played for laughs. Actually, the zombie-less final 15 minutes are definitely the slowest part of the entire movie but the film attempts to redeem itself with a few outrageous jokes during the credits – “SARs Wars” literally ends with a shrunken head telling you to leave the movie theater and go home. By that point you’ve either sat through the entire movie with a smirk on your face or you turned it off an hour ago. If you have a taste for Thai humor and aren’t easily offended, “SARs Wars” is worth watching.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 6.5/10
