“Red Eagle”, a sweeping and “brash” superhero action film shot with nonstop pacing and ultra-stylized violence, is the most reminiscent of Hollywood hits of any film in the Thai film industry.
The long-awaited remake of the 60s franchise, based on a series of crime novels by writer Sake Dusit, starring the legendary Miter Chaibancha, was directed by Hanging Sasanatieng (Wisit Sasanatieng).
Fans of the bright colors and understated wit of previous films Hanging, such as “Tears of the White Tiger” and “City Dog,” the director’s latest work may disappoint. He, too, was disappointed, and creative differences and budgetary restrictions led to the fact that Visit decided to end his work in film studios.
Restrained as much as possible with such a style, the film is still full of “crown” Hanging - daring satirical humor.
I think he had the most fun with the extremely frequent advertising of various products, using almost everything from the local fried chicken chain to energy drinks. The villains fight to the death on top of an insurance company billboard, and copious amounts of local beer are consumed. Naturally, due to restrictions on alcohol advertising, the labels on the little brown bottles will be blurred out when shown on TV.
There are also calls to lead a healthy lifestyle, for example, a man smokes a cigarette, his head is cut off by a sword red eagle, and when the head continues to puff smoke and rolls on the floor, a warning appears: “Smoking is dangerous to your health.”
With a hint of jokes and cliches of Hollywood cinema, Hanging managed to use several so-called “Wilhelm screams” (he said there were three in total) - villains who are destroyed in various diabolical ways die with characteristic dying screams. I don't have the slightest idea how Visitu I came up with the idea of using sound samples of these screams.
Ananda Everingham, one of the most popular Thai actors of our time, fits perfectly into the role of Mitra Chaibancha. Character red eagle in his performance it turned out much darker and more thoughtful. Instead of the perpetually drunk, party-loving playboy lawyer that Mithra's alter ego was, his Rome Rittikrai is an angry loner, a former special forces soldier who was betrayed on the battlefield. He, as a lover of cool weather, lives in the basement under the skating rink and takes morphine to relieve the pain from a previously received bullet wound to the head.
From the pain and self-hatred of his drug addiction, he fights with a great sense of revenge and fierce anger against the dark and corrupt forces that are poisoning and destroying Thai society. At his disposal are “cool” gadgets, such as a sword with a folding blade, a large powerful motorcycle, bulletproof clothing, infrared goggles built into a mask, rubber face masks for changing personalities, and an entire arsenal of firearms.
But the ring around him is narrowing.
On the one hand, he is under pressure from a secret organization known as “Matuli” (Matulee), all of whose members dress in black, meet in unlit rooms and wear terrifying black masks (this is a tribute to the tradition of dance theater Khon and the fact that wearing a mask Khon you are playing a role that is different from your true self). “Matuli” controls the government and big business, and they hire a brutal killer to deal with Red eagle. It Black devil, a Doctor Doom-like hoodie-headed character who wields a curved-bladed sword and attacks enemies from rooftops. The Black Devil and his alter ego are played by Jonathan Hallman, a commercial debutant model who was found by Visit and his casting agent.
On the other hand on red eagle Pressed by the brash and impatient young police officer Lt. Chart Vutthikray (Wannasingh Prasertkul). This key character, if he were older, could easily give out the phrase: “I'm too old for all this.” Here, the character's quirkiness is so great that every time he is about to light a cigarette, he never does - another hint that the film is planned to be shown on TV, and smoking a cigarette will be glossed over.
As it turns out, Chart is actually Rome's old army friend, but, nevertheless, he is unable to recognize his friend's face behind this high-tech mask.
The non-stop action, accelerated by orchestral compositions, slows down only in rare moments with Ananda and the female lead, folk singer and actress Jarinda Bunnag, who previously appeared in the romantic drama “Better Times.” She plays the socialite ex-fiancee of the Thai prime minister (Pornwut Sarasin, executive director of Coca-Cola Thailand, who starred in Peng-Ek Ratanaruang's The Catch).
Politics have changed the values of the former people's activist, and now he has ambitious plans to build a nuclear power plant in Thailand. And Yarinda becomes the leader of an independent organization opposing the construction of a nuclear power plant.
therefore Red eagle turns into her protector.
There is a lot of talk about political overtones in "Red Eagle", but I didn’t see anything there that was characteristic of the current situation in Thailand. Maybe just because I'm not Thai. Naturally, there are hints, but the collusion of big businessmen and politicians, as well as corrupt government, are universal things. Events "Red Eagle" could happen everywhere. He could become a hero of any country.
And I hope that this will happen, even if the second part is never filmed.
Wise Kwai Rating: 5/5
Author: Wise Kwai
Translation: EvilDollaR
Please.
Thanks for the translation.
Thanks for the translation.
Very interesting review.