BKO: Bangkok Knockout (2010)

Director:

Panna Rittikrai

Writers:

Dojit Hongthong (screenplay), Panna Rittikrai (story),

Stars:

Sorapong Chatree, Kerttisak Udomnak, Krittiya Lardphanna

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sorapong Chatree	...	Jaram
Kerttisak Udomnak	...	Wanchai
Krittiya Lardphanna	...	Kuk Yai (as Krittiya Ladpanna)
Supakson Chaimongkol	...	Joy
Pimchanok Leuwisetpaiboon	...	Bai-Fern
Chatchapol Kulsiriwuthichai	...	Pod (as Chatchapol Kulsiriwoottichai)
Sarawoot Kumsorn	...	U-Go
Sumret Muengput	...	Ao (as Sumret Muangput)
Puchong Sartnok	...	Eddo (as Puchong Sartnork)
Poonyapat Soonkunchanon	...	Lerm (as Poonyapat Boonkunchanok)
Gitabak Agohjit	...	Git
Tanavit Wongsuwan	...	Pom
Wirat Kemkrad	...	Jao (as Virat Kemgrad)
Winai Wiangyangkung	...	Nat (as Vinai Weangyanggoong)
Deka Partum	...	Jame

Storyline

---

Genres:

Action

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and strong martial arts action and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Thailand

Language:

Thai English

Release Date:

16 December 2010 (Thailand)

Also Known As:

BKO: Bezkonkurencyjny Bangkok

Company Credits

Production Co:

Na Film, Sahamongkolfilm Co.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

The action ain't bad, but...

Another all-action martial arts offering from Panna Rittikrai, the guy who's kept Thai action cinema alive for the past thirty years or so. Unfortunately, KNOCKOUT(they dropped the BANGKOK for the British release) is one of his lesser offerings. For those who complained about the paucity of the storyline in WARRIOR KING, you ain't seen nothing yet: the surrounding storyline in this film is amateurish in the extreme, a kind of riff on THE CONDEMNED which sees a bunch of characters thrown together in an old abandoned warehouse and forced to fight for their lives.

The film it's closest to in terms of scope is Rittikrai's original BORN TO FIGHT, made back in the '80s. All the requisite elements of Thai action cinema are present: masked, ninja-style assassins, goons on motorbikes flying through the air, scenery being broken and destroyed, people thrown from great heights. The fight scenes are enjoyable, although they lack the kind of finesse of the classic Tony Jaa outings: there seems to be no distinct beginning, middle and end to them, the film just depicts an ongoing melee situation and the bad guys are faceless and dull.

The use of multiple characters for the heroes was a bad idea. It worked in the BORN TO FIGHT remake, where each member of the athletics team had their own special skill clearly delineated. Here, though, the use of different styles wasn't clear; I didn't even realise they were being used until I watched the short making-of documentary afterwards. Mostly, the fights just consist of people running up walls, jumping and kicking people in the head. It's fun, but highly derivative.

The cast are pretty rubbish – these are the kinds of guys who make a good stunt team, but who are hopeless as characters we're supposed to get behind and root for. The melodrama scenes are overstated and, even worse, there's an obnoxious comic relief character we're stuck with for a long, long time. While there are a few familiar faces in minor parts, the only actor I really recognised was Rittikrai himself, playing another merciless fighter with a twist – this time, he's got asthma. You can guess the outcome.