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Parents' Guide to

Bangkok Dangerous

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Slow action thriller from bored-looking Nic Cage.

Movie R 2008 100 minutes
Bangkok Dangerous Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Joe London (Nicolas Cage) is a professional hit man who lives by the cardinal rules of the job -- like "Erase every trace" and "Know when to get out." He's been hired to assassinate four men in Bangkok and plans to retire immediately after the last one. But after Joe hires a witty pickpocket (Shahkrit Yamnarm) as his go-between and meets a gorgeous deaf-mute pharmacist (Charlie Young), he starts breaking the rules and questioning his final hit.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2 ):

This remake of Hong Kong-bred twins Danny and Oxide Pang's same-named 1999 Thai signature hit lacks the energy and fast-paced momentum that American audiences expect from action thrillers. Perhaps the Pangs' first mistake in redoing their film for Hollywood was collaborating with Cage, who's joined Eddie Murphy in the club of actors who don't say "No" enough. Cage is humorless as the loner protagonist, and the Pangs don't help the sleepy first half of the movie with their reliance on slow, boring narration.

Thai actor Yamnarm infuses some much-needed levity into a few scenes, and Chinese actress Young is so lovely you can't blame Joe for falling instantly for her gentle beauty. Ultimately, though, the action is artificial, the characters aren't likable enough, and Joe's not nearly as fascinating as moviedom's most iconic guns for hire.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of stories about assassins. Why are professional hit men the protagonists of so many action thrillers? Despite what they do, are they sympathetic characters? Why or why not? The movie implies that killing "bad" men is OK but killing "good" men isn't. What do you think about that message? What separates the "good" guys and the "bad" guys in this movie?

Movie Details

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