Look At Me, I’m Nick Cage!

Title:  Bangkok Dangerous

Actors/Director/Anything Worth Mentioning Right Away:  Nicolas Cage stars in this movie that you’ve probably heard of before.  It’s directed by the Pang Brothers (and is a remake of their 1999 original), but that won’t stop this from sucking.

Introduction:   I got this from the library twice, and finally made it all the way through the second time.  I was hoping for something decent from the Pang Brothers, but I hoped wrong.

Location:  In Bangkok, duh.   But yeah, Nicolas Cage put good money into this one.

Plot:  This movie has Nicolas Cage as a hitman who goes to Bangkok for one final job and ends up having the tables turned on him.   The hunter becomes the hunted, you know, one of those lousy scenarios.   It has some fast paced actions and scenes that should pay off, but ultimately don’t.   At the end of the movie, Nicolas Cage puts the gun to his head and kills himself and his target.   If he had only done that an hour and a half earlier…   Look, this movie has nice visuals, mainly because it’s in Bangkok, but it has no substance.   Nicolas Cage is playing a slightly different version of every other character he plays, which is also a slight rip off of some other character out there that already exists (The way National Treasure rips off Indiana Jones)   I’m all for this movie exposing Americans to the work of the Pang Brothers,  but just don’t get the wrong impression based on this movie.   The Pang Brothers do make good movies as well.

Acting:  Does anyone really matter in Nick Cage’s movies other than him?  Exactly.   And he has that same creepy/serious/I could burst out laughing any second attitude he does in most all of his movies.

Production:  Again, Nick Cage put good money into this.

Sex/Nudity:  Nope, there isn’t even really a strong love story in this movie.

Special Effects:  For what they have, they are done well.   Again, Nick Cage and his money…

Overall Verdict:  I read somewhere that Nicolas Cage wanted so much to play the Ghost Rider character because of his love for the comic books.   I imagine this movie wasn’t that different, except maybe Nick Cage has a fondness for the Pang Brothers (Who doesn’t?), so he put himself in a movie of theirs the best way he could see how.   Do I blame him?  Not at all.   If I had the money and was an actor of his level, I’d buy the rights to remake Reservoir Dogs if it meant I could work with Tarantino.   But does this movie fall completely flat of any the things it should’ve been?  Yes, yes it does.