This is one of those films that has a simple goal to achieve, and does. There are enough plot changes from the original to keep the story fresh. There are a number of well known martials arts performers alongside ACTUAL MMA fighters to give the film a bit of street cred.
The fight scenes are solid. Cinematography was appropriate, with minimal editing mid-fight. The sunburnt color of the film is appropriate for the Thai setting. Also: props to the fight choreographers for including more actual Muay Thai techniques than in the original!
The actors all hit their marks as far as characters. Alain Moussi seems to be an issue for many of the reviewers. What I saw was a strong screen presence and what looked to be actual martial arts training. Dave Bautista was perfectly cast a Tong Po. The biggest miss for me was Van Damme's voice editing. This had to have been a post-production error.
Give it a watch and avoid the haters. No it will not win any awards but it is a concerted effort by a group of people who cared about the original. The final product is quite enjoyable!
The fight scenes are solid. Cinematography was appropriate, with minimal editing mid-fight. The sunburnt color of the film is appropriate for the Thai setting. Also: props to the fight choreographers for including more actual Muay Thai techniques than in the original!
The actors all hit their marks as far as characters. Alain Moussi seems to be an issue for many of the reviewers. What I saw was a strong screen presence and what looked to be actual martial arts training. Dave Bautista was perfectly cast a Tong Po. The biggest miss for me was Van Damme's voice editing. This had to have been a post-production error.
Give it a watch and avoid the haters. No it will not win any awards but it is a concerted effort by a group of people who cared about the original. The final product is quite enjoyable!