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Among a plethora of recent Asian "street movies", most of them little more than action sequences with MTV-like backdrops, Bangkok Dangerous stands out. Its harsh amalgam of guns, sex and crime is typical of the genre, but Danny and Oxide Pang have put together more than just a filmed video game. The comradeship between Kong, deaf mute and quick-witted hit man, and Joe, accident-blighted marksman turned mentor, is strong enough to withstand whatever the city can throw at them. The love element, in which Kong falls for the wide-eyed chemist's assistant Fon, hardly detracts from the violence and mayhem, but is enough to make Kong face up to his existence on the margins of society and his inability to choose another course. As high-impact as the visuals are, it's the balance between stasis and dynamism--with virtuoso camera work and editing--that makes for compulsive filmmaking. On the DVD: Bangkok Dangerous has an anamorphic widescreen picture that gives the visuals a garish immediacy. English subtitles are included, as are a selection of promo pictures and filmographies for the Pang brothers and star Pawalit Mongkolpisit. Mark Wyatt's film notes set the background succinctly, but an interview with either or both of the Pangs, or a location feature would have been even more welcome as context. As it is, those drawn to the idea of hard-hitting action with substance will not be disappointed. --Richard Whitehouse
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1. Top Gun