ROTTEN TOMATOES: Critics Consensus: Bangkok Dangerous Plays Too Safe

Critics Consensus: Bangkok Dangerous Plays Too Safe

Plus, The Pool is refreshing and Mister Foe is dark and magical.

by Tim Ryan | September 04, 2008

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This week at the movies brings only one wide release: the Pang Brothers' remake of their own Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicolas Cage as a conflicted hitman. What do the critics have to say?

Nicolas Cage has been on a critical losing streak, one that looks to be extended with Bangkok Dangerous. Cage stars as a cold-blooded assassin who, tasked with executing rivals of a crime boss, finds himself befriending a young street kid and falling into a tentative romance -- ending his self-imposed isolation at a time when his life is in danger. Bangkok Dangerous was barely screened for critics, and those who have seen it say it lacks the grittiness and stylistic flair of the Pangs' 2001 original (at 58 percent on the Tomatometer); instead, the brothers substitute clichés from other, better crime movies, and the action scenes lack punch. At 25 percent on the Tomatometer, pundits say Bangkok Dangerous plays it too safe.

What makes Bangkok dangerous? Well, for starters, steep stairs and ultraviolet rays.

Also opening this week in limited release:

August Evening, a drama about an aging undocumented worker and his relationship with his daughter-in-law, is at 100 percent.

Chris Smtih's The Pool, a low-key tale of a hotel employee in India, is at 91 percent.

Mister Foe, starring Jamie Bell in a dark magic-realist tale of a young man's search for the truth of his mother's death, is at 81 percent.

Jessica Yu's Ping Pong Playa, a comedy about a hoopster who reluctantly attempts to uphold his table tennis-mad family's honor, is at 56 percent (see an exclusive featurette here).

Everybody Wants to Be Italian, a romantic comedy about a guy who fakes his ethnicity to win a girl, is at zero percent.

With Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady sidelined with injuries, this guy singlehandedly kept the Rockets' playoff hopes alive.

Finally, crazy mad props to man in the water, alsanali, hatingvindiesel, luishere, and quietus28 for correctly guessing that Disaster Movie would score a perfect zero on the Tomatometer. I also gotta give a shout out to rockclmbr6 for coming the closest to guessing College's eight percent Tomatometer.

Recent Nicolas Cage Movies:
--------------------------------------

29% -- Next (2007)

31% -- National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007)

28% -- Ghost Rider (2007)

70% -- World Trade Center (2006)

63% -- The Ant Bully (2006)

Related Items

Movie:	August Evening
	The Pool
	Mister Foe
	Ping Pong Playa
	Everybody Wants to be Italian
Celeb:	Nicolas Cage

(1-20 of 21 posts) | Reply

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Sep 04 2008 05:11 PM

Man I cant wait for Burn After Reading, finnaly a really good movie! BANKOK is a difinite rental. Starting next weekend we will just about be getting a good flick every friday. Appaloosa looks good, BLINDNESS looks great, Miracle at Saint Anna looks good, Choke looks good, and Eagle Eye might be fun even though I still think it will end up being Morphius on the phone or an-anti advertisement "WHEN A GPS SYSTEM GOES BAD!"

(Reply to this)

fullmetal_medji writes:
on Sep 04 2008 05:25 PM

I like Nicolas Cage and everything, but Bangkok Dangerous looks horrid. I think I'll take my chances with Hamlet 2.

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lestatthevampire writes:
on Sep 04 2008 05:34 PM

Dude....
Burn has a bad rating already. Granted, not out for a bit, but I am guessing that it won't raise too much higher.
Hey fullmetal - Hamlet 2 is awesome! Go in there expecting to be rocked... by a sexy Jesus. Seriously, me and a bunch of co-workers (we are all high school teachers) laughed our goddang asses off.

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Kokushi writes:
on Sep 04 2008 05:52 PM

I was expecting BAR to start at 90% and going down but regardless of the rating i cant wait to see it and Righteous Kill too, but how much it get from 60% that it have right now, maybe 85?.

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jokerboy1991 writes:
on Sep 04 2008 06:16 PM

In reply to this comment (#2017372)
Its at a 60% out of 5 reviews, and I don't expect No Country For Old Men ratings because not everyone loves that type of screw ball humor, and I love that stuff. Intolerable Cruelty was really good and O Brother Where Art Thou was great, I think you either love or hate screw ball comedy.... Also CAGE will make his come back in KNOWING, its an Alex Proyas movie so it will definitely be good and KICK *** will be coo I bet.

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rambo- killer #2 writes:
on Sep 04 2008 06:52 PM

Bangkok Dangerous. Yet another incredibly B- movie cliched name for a movie for me to laugh at this week(The others? Midnight Meat Train, Lakeview Terrace, etc.)

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CaptainSiberia writes:
on Sep 04 2008 07:13 PM

Guys, you need to fix the new Review Review page so we can comment on it.

(Reply to this)

CaptainSiberia writes:
on Sep 04 2008 07:17 PM

In reply to this comment (#2017478)
That's Review Revue. Because I need to post my Review Revue Review.

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jason913 writes:
on Sep 04 2008 07:39 PM

Nothing good this week. I expected as much.

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rockclmbr6 writes:
on Sep 04 2008 08:07 PM

Oh my God I got a shout out! Thanks :-)

I wish Burn After Reading would come out this week. Bangkok Dangerous (that title still makes me laugh) looks awful. I lost all hope after the boat-chase clip I saw a week or so ago. Worst chase editing EVER.

And I'll see Burn After Reading no matter what it gets; it looks like just my type of movie.

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steveoisgreat writes:
on Sep 05 2008 03:39 AM

I, as a Coen fan, have high hopes for Burn After Reading. They don't make much junk. I do think it'll be more Intolerable Cruelty (not bad) than The Big Lebowski (legendary. I'll predict 66% on opening day.

Bangkok Dangerous will look better, just because of the **** it opens in front of. I'd say 22%

(Reply to this)

steveoisgreat writes:
on Sep 05 2008 03:44 AM

I, as a Coen fan, have high hopes for Burn After Reading. They don't make much junk. I do think it'll be more Intolerable Cruelty (not bad) than The Big Lebowski (legendary. I'll predict 66% on opening day.

Bangkok Dangerous will look better, just because of the **** it opens in front of. I'd say 22%

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Gimy writes:
on Sep 05 2008 06:24 AM

woo hoo, BD is rollin at 9%...awesome. can't wait to see it now that the critics hate it

the next flick i'm looking forward to see is Choke. the trailers look hilarious. burned before reading looks decent but, this is the same two dipsh3ts who brought us that piece of garbage No Country right? yeah, i'll probably pass. my luck it'll start out great and have no ending...

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Random_Jake writes:
on Sep 05 2008 08:29 AM

In reply to this comment (#2018154)
Burned Before Reading?
Seriously its being advertised all over this site. Get the name correct.

(Reply to this)

sfsilver writes:
on Sep 05 2008 09:03 AM

biggest reason to not see Bangkok Dangerous: worst Hair ever

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sfsilver writes:
on Sep 05 2008 09:09 AM

biggest reason to not see Bangkok Dangerous: worst Hair ever

(Reply to this)

jokerboy1991 writes:
on Sep 05 2008 09:36 AM

In reply to this comment (#2018154)
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN=CLASSIC!

(Reply to this)

Random_Jake writes:
on Sep 05 2008 12:20 PM

Hair is good incentive to avoid a movie.

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CaptainSiberia writes:
on Sep 05 2008 12:31 PM

Real reason to avoid Bangkok Dangerous: Nicholas Cage sucks. He has such a boring, wooden face. He's worse than Keanu Reeves, and either better or worse than Alec Baldwin (I can't decide.)

Also, it's a remake of a film by the Pang brothers, and their movies suck in the first place.

(Reply to this)

Random_Jake writes:
on Sep 05 2008 04:05 PM

Someone who agrees with me on Nicolas Cage. Finally.

(Reply to this)