"Vengeance" Chinese DVD Cover
AKA: Phairii Phinaat Paa Mawrana
Director: Pleo Sirisuwan
Cast: Nattanun Jantarawetch, Chalad Na Songkhla, Sorachai Sang-aakaat, Watchara Tangkaprasert, Nattaree Wiboonlert, Chirapat Wongpaisanlux
Running Time: 90 min.
By HKFanatic
“Vengeance” is a slick, commercial flick from Thailand with a decent plot hook: some dangerous bandits have escaped from prison (though we never actually see their big breakout) and headed into a mystical forest. A steely-eyed cop with a dark past is hot on their trail, along with his cadre of fellow policemen and a few locals who know the area.
Note to self: do not wander into the Thai jungle. If so, you put yourself at the risk of flesh-eating tiger wasps, killer Dwarf Caiman Crocodiles, seductive Fruit Maidens who will steal your soul mid-coitus, giant snakes that could eat an Anaconda for breakfast, and a whole village of people who aren’t so friendly during a full moon. Yeah, “Vengeance” is basically 90 minutes of silly, Thai-language fun. It’s not the fastest-paced film and the special FX are a bit “Sci-Fi Channel Movie,” but it’s got a certain charm to it, like a hot piece of pizza while you’re suffering a hangover.
Thailand has made a splash in recent years with their incredible martial arts movies, but this isn’t one of those. So despite some gunfights early on, don’t expect much one-on-one combat. “Vengeance” is more like an R-rated version of those Brendan Fraser “Mummy” movies from the 90’s, transported to the Thai jungle. There’s plenty of humor but I’m not sure how much of it was intentional on the part of the filmmakers. Some last minute plot twists are pretty crazy and give the whole movie this weird, cyclical ending that could be interpreted as Buddhist in philosophy.
Then again, I wouldn’t recommend that anyone think that hard about “Vengeance” (let alone about why it has that title). It’s a movie for people who would rather waste an evening watching a gonzo foreign b-movie over your typical Hollywood flick. Enter the jungle at your own risk.
HKFanatic’s Rating: The performance of the CG killer baby crocs: 10/10, the actual film: 5.5/10
