After the appearance “Ong-Baka” Thai cinema is doing better than ever. Despite impressive commercial success on the international market, Thais still do not allow themselves to “feed” audiences with low-quality films. “Furious Phoenix” is an action movie from the new wave of martial arts films that can please all fans of the genre.
Having made her debut in Pinkaeva’s “Chocolate,” Vismistananda returned in “Furious Phoenix.” This time she is helped by a couple of spare fighters, increasing the on-screen variety of movements. Although the process of combining several styles in one film is a very complex thing (see “Ong-Bak 2”), Limtrakul proved that different fighters can complement each other rather than play in isolation.
The commercial idea of the film is an on-screen mixture of Muay Thai, drunken style and breakdancing. It may sound like a crazy mix of styles, but the result is very impressive. Drunk boxing is always interesting to watch, and when combined with energetic footwork and fluidity, Muay Thai fights look especially spectacular.
The plot, as usual, is not very intriguing and serves only as a connecting link between individual battles. Dew, alone and abandoned, is almost kidnapped by a gang of notorious criminals. She was rescued by a group of people who suffered from similar crimes and were trying to find the lair of a criminal organization. Naturally, they are martial artists and around the beginning of the second half of the film, she earns the honor of becoming one of them. Nothing new.
“Furious Phoenix” was shot in the style of the traditional school of Thai cinema. This means it has rich, vibrant colors that are enhanced for a little extra impact. I love the vibes that come out of a movie like this because every frame and every scene literally jumps off the screen. I don't know exactly why this kind of stuff dominates Thai cinema, but it's one of the reasons why it's worth paying attention to. The directing is not perfect, but it is good, the editing is very competent, and the locations are magnificent. Especially the bandits' hideout, which seems extraterrestrial. The only thing I can criticize is the darkness in the final part of the film. Better lighting could have been used as some movements are obscured by darkness.
The musical accompaniment is also good, however, the Thai hip-hop tracks are a little tiring. I don't know much about soundtracks, of course, but they fit well with the fight scenes and justify the weird dance moves of the fighters during fights. This isn't the first (and certainly not the last) time fight choreography has been mixed with dance choreography, but the modern version is worth watching for a change. The acting is not bad and adds some extra sophistication to an already strange cast of characters, but I advise you not to expect any Oscar-winning performances from them.
Despite the high-quality shooting of the intermediate scenes, the main focus is on the fights. The opening fights, with a great mix of drunken style and Muay Thai, particularly impressed me. The fights were funny, with a little bit of comedy thrown in, and the fight choreography was amazing. Some people complain that fights look too staged when using the drunk style, so be careful. The final fights are not so varied, but consist mainly of “finishing offs”. They are just as fun, but they lack the speed of the first few fights. However, the ending is simply disruptive, so the ending of the film was definitely positive.
“Raging Phoenix” is another decent Thai action movie. In addition to well-choreographed action scenes and original fights, there are excellent shooting and a variety of characters. But even with all that said, this is primarily a martial arts movie, and if you're against unrealistic on-screen fights, then this movie probably isn't for you. Everyone else - enjoy watching!
Author: Onderhond
Source: Twitch
Translation: EvilDollaR
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