Bangkok is as Good a Town as Any for a Hitman to Find his Bearings

    Sadly, I just wonder does the world need yet another hitman movie? It's not that "Bangkok Dangerous" is a bad movie, its just not a very good movie. The Brothers Pang; Oxide and Danny, who directed this action packed movie are spot on when it comes to the action. What is lacking is how the story is told and one wonders does it even need to be told?

    Nicholas Cage as the hitman named Joe, the star of this hitman piece as he toys with the crisis of quitting the business, exhibits his usually more than capable acting talent, but I fear it may have been wasted. Cage narrates why he is a hitman and what it takes to be a good hitman and while I get the subtlety that resides within the complexity of killing people for money, I have to ask myself why should I care about the hitman.

    He does take a Thai student, Kong played by Shahkrit Yamnarm, under his proverbial wing to show him how to efficiently kill people, but there is no real chemistry between them. When Kong discovers that there is a new target, he asks Joe, "Is he a bad man?"

    Joe would always answer, He's bad to someone."

    All the other characters of the movie are oriental (I suppose most of them are Thai), and are used as a backdrop in this "immorality play." Even the Thai Villains, as opposed to the hitman, are inconsequential, as is Joe's minor love interest - a deaf mute Thai pharmacist.

    If you like action packed movies with little story, you may love "Bangkok Dangerous." I tend to like more theme driven films, so rate it at a "not so hot" 1 3/4 stars. If your taste in films resembles mine, reluctantly viewing this film will waste a good bit of your time as this movie runs 102 minutes.

    Released on DVD January 6, 2009. Rated R.