Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

BKO: Bangkok Knockout Blu-ray Movie Review

If you can't solve your differences under a moving truck, you can't solve your differences.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 6, 2011

With the rise and fall of Tony Jaa and his knockoffs, there appears to be a feeling of stagnancy to the Thai film market these days, flooded with countless martial art actioners, most quite dismal and unthreatening. Director Panna Rittikrai (“Ong Bak 2” and “Ong Bak 3”) looks to return some thunder to the stale genre with “BKO: Bangkok Knockout,” a highly convincing tour of broken body parts and wild-eyed reactions. It’s a berserk creation that’s absolutely thrilling at times, though restrained somewhat by pesky details such as character development and logic. But who really cares about filmmaking fundamentals when the force of aggression registers off the charts, working countless fights and agreeable acts of heroism into a superbly entertaining blast of brutality. It seems there’s still plenty of kick to the Thai way of screen defense.

Ready and willing to do anything to impress Mr. Snead (Speedy Arnold), an American film producer auditioning stuntmen, Pod (Chatchapol Kulsiriwoottichai, who looks like a Thai version of Michael Cera) and his “Fight Club” team set out to win a chance to work in Hollywood. After a bruising show of force, the squad celebrates with a party, kicking back with booze and a few unexpected guests, including mincing wedding performer Wanchai (Kerttisak Udomnak). Waking up the next day, the gang discovers they’ve been drugged, now forced to compete in “Levels of Death,” a closed-circuit televised game show run by Mr. Snead, put on for the amusement of high-stakes gamblers gathered from around the world. Trapped inside an abandoned construction site, Pod and his highly trained pals greet waves of enemies, fighting to the death with relentless assassins to the delight of the observers. With lost loves, brotherhood, and Pod’s kidnapped mother on the line, the “Fight Club” has no choice but to beat the stuffing out of anyone who challenges them.

Like any great Thai motion picture, “Bangkok Knockout” is unbelievably strange. The industry gravitates to oddity, which immediately adds flavor to material that would otherwise be such a bore, with this film steadily introducing eccentricity to keep itself awake. What’s truly disorienting about the production is how long it takes to get to the parade of beatings, allocating the opening 23 minutes to establish Pod and his chipper band of aspiring stunt professionals, work through the roofie incident, and survey Mr. Snead’s wicked T.V. show plans. All the exposition has been collected up front (including the tiresome details of Mr. Snead’s game odds), creating a leaden atmosphere of investigation, kicking off “Bangkok Knockout” without any actual kicks, which, for a Thai genre picture, creates an immediate reaction of disappointment.

Mercifully, the opening act is the last time anyone comes into contact with these laborious conversations. Once the seal of violence is broken on this feature, the excitement factor takes off like a rocket. A stunt choreography veteran, Rittikrai (who also appears in a supporting role as an aging baddie) knows his way around the art of body-breaking, taking the challenge of the premise seriously. “Bangkok Knockout” isn’t a dry run of irritable encounters, but a ceaseless series of showdowns between the kids and Snead’s goons, demanding a complex battle plan of martial art moves and shifting environments to reach their fullest potential. The speed of the violence and evasion is outstanding, with long takes devoted to hundreds of tightly controlled punches and kicks, executed outstandingly by the gifted cast, led by Kulsiriwoottichai, who has a unique look about him that brings an amusing sense of femininity to his routine of defense. The visual firepower is overwhelming at times, a fact the director acknowledges, staging scenes involving a waterfall, a transvestite who enjoys kicks in the crotch (I mentioned it’s a weird movie, right?), and an ax-wielding masked man on fire to break up the monotony of the clashes. While hardly an awe-inspiring viewing experience, tiny flashes of style help to digest the feature, revealing that Rittikrai is committed to something more than the genre norm. The film reaches a few loony highs that are authentically thrilling.

Obviously, clarity isn’t exactly a requirement with action, yet “Bangkok Knockout” comes up a little short in the sense department. Editorially, the picture is missing vital wedges of information, with a mid-movie flashback between Pod and brother Pom (Tanavit Wongsuwan) revealing key details about their tempestuous relationship without any prior notice, cutting to what looks like deleted scenes the producer demanded to be kept in the film in some form. Admittedly, I was a bit baffled there. Additionally, the script takes a moderately dramatic turn in the last act, looking to drum up some tears and sympathy for lives lost, an odd turn considering the freeballing nature of the direction. Yeah, people died, but it was pretty sweet to watch. More please.

BKO: Bangkok Knockout Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) on "Bangkok Knockout" is acceptably clean. Clarity here is quite good, permitting a full read of forceful facial reactions, which this film values more than dialogue at times. Panic is expressive, and there's also a crisp hold on character wrinkles, helping to sell the ageism in play here. Better is the bloodshed and clearly defined beads of sweat, assisting in the comprehension of fatigue. Colors are bright and welcoming, creating a nice contrast between the drab concrete jungle of the game set and the lively costuming, while exteriors give off a loaded sense of tropical greens. Shadow detail is acceptable but rarely remarkable, good with fabrics and dense hairstyles, but losing some textures in darker environments. The detail on the showdowns is best, capturing the furious movement and sheer brutality without distortion.

BKO: Bangkok Knockout Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA Thai track (an English dub is also available) is a robust aural event taking great care of the movie's enormous servings of violence. All punches, kicks, and flips are well defined and pack a satisfactory low-end weight, helping to emphasize larger displays of body trauma. The general leaping tone of the picture feeds out in the surrounds, with some directional movement for the action tangents, creating a minor circular feel for swordplay and swift reactions. Elemental additions such as water and fire are also pronounced, used well to define mounting threat from outside sources. Scoring (a blend of techno beats and crunchy metal guitar with Zakk Wylde-esque squeals) lays back some but keeps a steady rhythm, supporting the action with distanced but perceivable placement, kicking up some when the action reaches a few euphoric heights. Dialogue is crisp and properly separated, holding frontal for intimate encounters, while group activity widens moderately to account for the crowd of personalities. Some of the dubbing is of substandard quality, but no exposition appears to be lost.

BKO: Bangkok Knockout Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Making of 'Bangkok Knockout'" (14:21, SD) is a casual conversation with a majority of the cast and crew. Interviews are unfortunately shot on-set, but enthusiasm runs high, with most of these young actors eager to make their mark on the Thai film scene. Talk of professional origins and character motivations are offered, while the production's extended preparation is covered as well, requiring months of training and choreography trial and error. Also of interest is time spent with Rittikrai, who discusses his approach to the material, inspiring him to employ various martial art techniques to bring diversity to the action.

• "Behind the Scenes" (10:39, SD) delves into the technical accomplishments of the movie, using a fly-on-the-wall approach to observe the professionals working out elaborate fight choreography, often abusing their bodies in the process. Footage of injury is included to help isolate the physical toll of the moviemaking, with one missed leap explored in detail, following an unlucky actor as he's carried off the set and into an awaiting car, screaming in pain the entire way. Yikes. While this featurette is mostly informative, there's clearly a price to pay for such elaborate screen violence. The production is happy to show the world their battle scars.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:33, HD) is included.

BKO: Bangkok Knockout Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Saving his best for last, Rittikrai stages a full-out battle royal for the grand finale, allowing his entire cast to get high on the beat downs. The violence spills out into the city streets, offering a particularly inspired sequence: Pod and his enemy battling under a moving semi. Now that's something to see. "Bangkok Knockout" is rare in that it actually improves as it rumbles along, coming up with interesting battle zones to help it reach a satisfying resolution. Of course, the end promises a sequel. I don't know how Rittikrai is going to top a kick fight under a moving vehicle, but I can't wait to see him try.