Vengeance of an Assassin (Review)
Thailand/2014
Format Viewed For Review: Netflix Instant
Netflix Streaming: Yes
Amazon Prime: No
"...this is a film you watch solely for the action."
Aching
from the death of his parents, Thee (Dan Chupong) leaves home to become an
assassin while his brother, Than (Nathawut Boonrubsub), stays with their
drunk uncle...
Vengeance of an Assassin follows Thee and Than.
After leaving his uncle, Thee conveniently runs into another uncle who
allows Thee to stay with him and teaches him how to become an assassin — presumably. So, after a minute exercise montage, Thee becomes a professional
assassin. He's soon hired to protect a princess, but finds he's been
setup. From there, he agrees to protect her and eventually finds himself
back with his uncle and brother. Fortunately, while Thee was away, Than
mastered his combat skills by watching some home videos. So, Thee and
Than defend the princess from her relentless pursuer. The film leads to
an epic climax and a confusing ending.
In fact, Vengeance of an
Assassin is entirely confusing. I gave you the gist of the film — I
tried my best to be efficient and comprehensive. In all actuality, this
story is a mess. The story is convoluted and contrived. Aside from the basics, I think I was lost for 75% of the film. I hardly new any of
the characters and I had absolutely no idea why this princess characters
was so important. There is also a severe lack of balance and flow. It
feels like it's all over the place. Then, you have the plot
contrivances. This is a film were you really have to suspend belief. You
have two characters that become master fighters in the blink of an eye.
You have guns with unlimited ammo. You have characters recovering from
fatal injuries or surviving monumental events. It's absolutely
ridiculous.
However, that's actually the film's saving grace.
This isn't a film you'll want to watch for the narrative — as I said,
it's horrid. No, this is a film you watch solely for the action. I mean, the
film starts with an action-packed game of indoor soccer! There are
plenty of fights, shootouts, and explosions in this tiny 90 minute
feature. People are pummeled, shot, exploded, and even impaled. Although
the plot may lack fluid storytelling, there's plenty of fluidity in the
seamless action scenes — many which are epic tracking shots. I may not
have understood most of the plot due to the convoluted writing, but I
had a good time thanks to the action. It may be over-the-top, but it was
genuinely exciting and engaging.
The acting was mostly
serviceable. Nothing really stood out as good or bad. There are a
handful of melodramatic scenes, but nothing terrible. The film is shot
well enough. The camerawork is decent, too. The fight choreography is captured wonderfully by Panna Rittikrai — the fights are vicious and fluid. The
fights are only hindered by the obvious computer effects. The green screen
effects also stick out like a sore thumb in other scenes, like a
sequence on train where the effects are in-your-face blatant. Panna
Rittikrai does not fair well as writer or director. The writing needed
to be tightened and the direction smoothed to make the experience
seamless and engaging. Rittikrai, however, blesses us with superb action
sequences.
Overall, Vengeance of an Assassin is a decent film.
The story is terrible, the writing is flawed, the acting is barely
decent and the special effects are blatant. The convoluted and sloppy
story is its biggest flaw. However, the film offers a spectacle of
action sequences. These over-the-top, ferocious action scenes get the
heart-pumping with pure adrenaline. If you don't mind a bad story and
you're seeking an action fix, this is for you.
Score: 5/10
Parental Guide: Strong violence and blood.
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