Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.0

Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 15, 2015

It probably doesn’t portend great things for the narrative coherence of your film when a totally gonzo dream sequence is one of the more straightforward elements on view, but some may feel that’s exactly what’s going on in Vengeance of an Assassin — that is, of course, if they can even figure out what is going on. This energetically hyperbolic Thai action flick may not in fact make one whit of sense, but it ping pongs between such visceral combat sequences that true adrenaline junkies may not really end up caring. The dream sequence in question concerns an indoor soccer match, which of course doesn’t sound that gonzo, at least that is until you start adding odd little elements like the fact that the “stadium” is actually some kind of weird, decrepit warehouse or factory where, among other things, old cars and even boats (replete with outboard motors hanging off their rear ends) are strewn about with apparent abandon. Add in a few huge barbecue pits full of burning embers, and the stage is set for a soccer match like no other. When the “teams” aren’t content to merely get the ball into some frankly unseen goal, everything turns into a giant melee, with the ball itself being used to pummel various combatants into a state of befuddlement. By the time various guys have actually fallen into those aforementioned barbecue pits, spewing smoking flecks across the warehouse floor and (not so coincidentally) into various players’ backsides, some may wonder if Hunter S. Thompson had taken a brief detour into sports reporting and crafted this scenario.

The name of Panna Rittikrai may be incredibly distinctive but it may still be unfamiliar to many, even those who consider themselves fairly well versed in international cinema. Rittikrai, who sadly passed away last year at the age of only 53, is one of the most iconic Thai directors and martial arts choreographers in that nation’s film industry, and is perhaps best known to Western audiences for his work on Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior, Ong Bak 2: The Beginning and Ong Bak 3: The Final Battle. Rittikrai’s action sequences have become the stuff of legend in the Thai world, and even beyond, though even stalwart fans might admit (if pressed hard enough, anyway) that some of Rittikrai’s films are not models of narrative consistency, something that’s certainly the case with Vengeance of an Assassin.

In a perhaps unwitting tip of the hat (and/or cowl) to Batman, Vengeance of an Assassin deals with a guy named Thee (Dan Chupong) who, if not motivated to don a spandex suit and assume a role as a superhero, is, like one Bruce Wayne, motivated by the long ago murder of his parents, something that causes him to start opening various closets where family skeletons have been stored for years. That ultimately leads to the main thrust of the plot, where Thee and his younger brother Than (Nathawut Boonrubsub) get swept up in what evidently was the family business in days of yore, namely assassinating people.

That brings Thee into contact with pretty Ploy (Nisachon Tuamsungnoen), the daughter of a Thai VIP. Ploy has been targeted for assassination and of course Thee has been appointed to be her killer. In a not very surprising turn of events, Thee finds out some supposedly secret agendas which lead him to actually go on the lam with Ploy instead of terminating her with extreme prejudice. Needless to say (at least when discussing films this resolutely tradition bound), those chasing after Ploy have a connection to the murder of Thee's parents long ago. That sets up the bulk of the film’s cat and mouse scenario, with any number of hand to hand combat sequences unfolding to distract from the fact the neither performances nor basic plotting are ever much above merely average.

It’s unclear from what little online data there is about Vengeance of an Assassin exactly when during this film’s production and/or post-production Rittikrai passed, but there are some odd signs that the film may well have been rushed into release without enough attention being paid to elements like CGI. One especially ragged scene plays like an outtake of The Wolverine, with combatants supposedly on top of a high speed train duking it out, albeit in this particular instance in front of some really shoddy looking green screen material. Some other special effects moments, including what looks like frightening practical effects featuring a series of cars hitting one of the brothers, are much better handled and help to give this film some added punch.

Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Vengeance of an Assassin is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. A lot of this film is bathed in a thick, syrupy looking yellow color, something that slightly mitigates fine detail even in close-ups. When not so aggressively color graded, this is an appealing sharp and clear looking presentation, one which offers commendable detail and fine detail even in midrange shots. As mentioned above in the main body of the review, there are some "not quite ready for prime time" CGI elements on display here, moments that seriously undercut the film's visual allure. There are no issues with image instability.

Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Vengeance of an Assassin's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (in the original Thai) may not exactly be a subtle listening experience, but it is an incredibly immersive, boisterous sonic onslaught that relishes in the "thunk" of flesh meeting flesh, not to mention the equally decisive "thwack" of gunfire erupting from any number of pistols and rifles. The action sequences offer an audio carnival ride of great sound effects expertly placed throughout the surrounds. While dialogue is certainly very cleanly and clearly presented, it's the action sequences which elevate this soundtrack to reference level. Fidelity is top notch, the low end is often downright awesome, and dynamic range is extremely wide on this problem free track.

Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer (1080p; 1:28)

Vengeance of an Assassin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Like a lot of martial arts films in general and Thai action outings in particular, Vengeance of an Assassin is often pretty tired (not to mention occasionally incomprehensible) from a plot perspective. There's also no denying a certain amateurishness to many of the performances. For adrenaline junkies, though, those deficits will probably be more than offset by some incredibly visceral action sequences. While it's hard to outright recommend a film this overly convoluted and unconvincing, for those who love brilliantly choreographed fight sequences, Vengeance of an Assassin will probably more than fill the bill. Video is generally very good and audio is fantastic for those considering a purchase.