This week we take a look at the new released that stumbled into first place at the box office. Bangkok Dangerous (R) stars Nicolas Cage as an assassin looking to get paid for one more job before retiring. Sudden, inexplicable personal relationships interfere with his plan.
Ryan: It’s not too surprising that the weekend box-office was the lowest it has been in five years. When Bangkok Dangerous is the lone new big release then there’s a problem. Honestly this movie is as silly as the title suggests. I had to chuckle to myself while waiting in line to watch this movie. There was a group of guys buying tickets to the movie and one of the guys wasn't even sure what the movie was about. His buddy replied, “You know...it's Nicolas Cage shooting people.” After watching the film, I cannot disagree with that assessment. That's pretty much the movie and that's pretty unfortunate.
Andy: Bangkok Dangerous is exactly the type of shoot-em-up action film that has given Nicolas Cage a bad name in recent years. The voice-over narration that introduces his character at the film’s onset is formulaic and droll, and it sets the tone for the entire movie. A film like this has the best chance of success if it is based around a strong character. Somewhat surprisingly, Cage does not deliver the strong character needed.
Ryan: Bangkok Dangerous is one of those films that brings little to the table. The story of a hitman discovering his conscious and falling in love is hardly a new theme to the action genre. Eighty percent of the movie takes place at night and for some reason the filmmakers shot most of those scenes in a washed-out fashion that consequently makes the cinematography cloudy. Furthermore the action scenes that are in the movie are completely devoid of thrills and excitement. Granted the movie does have (somewhat of) a surprising ending. But by that time, most moviegoers aren't really going to care.
Andy: This film has the distinction of somehow being predictable while lacking a plot. The concept is very formulaic, yet the movie lacks a compelling villain to supply conflict with the main character. There is no real reason to get invested in the character or the plot because nothing particularly intriguing happens for most of the movie. Even with a few decent action scenes, Bangkok Dangerous ends up being mostly boring.
Ryan: I don’t know what the deal is with Nicolas Cage. This man is an Academy Award winning actor as well as being a fairly consistent box-office draw (he has seven films that have crossed the 100 million dollar barrier). He’s one of those unique stars that can aptly handle summer box-office fair along with nuanced indie films. But apparently Cage also likes to make mindless action films. Two of his last three films (Next and Ghost Rider) are just like Bangkok Dangerous in that they are nothing but below average senseless action flicks.
Andy: The fact that a movie with this little to offer and no buzz surrounding it whatsoever could manage the top spot at the box office, even on such a slow movie weekend, is a testament to the draw of Nicolas Cage. I think it is safe to say that if he keeps making movies like this one, that draw will go away entirely. This movie is very forgettable, and that’s probably the best thing it has going for it as far as Cage’s career is concerned.
Bangkok Dangerous is not a horrible movie, but it lacks a compelling reason for people to see it, and that is a pretty major problem. Final grade: D.
Ryan: It’s not too surprising that the weekend box-office was the lowest it has been in five years. When Bangkok Dangerous is the lone new big release then there’s a problem. Honestly this movie is as silly as the title suggests. I had to chuckle to myself while waiting in line to watch this movie. There was a group of guys buying tickets to the movie and one of the guys wasn't even sure what the movie was about. His buddy replied, “You know...it's Nicolas Cage shooting people.” After watching the film, I cannot disagree with that assessment. That's pretty much the movie and that's pretty unfortunate.
Andy: Bangkok Dangerous is exactly the type of shoot-em-up action film that has given Nicolas Cage a bad name in recent years. The voice-over narration that introduces his character at the film’s onset is formulaic and droll, and it sets the tone for the entire movie. A film like this has the best chance of success if it is based around a strong character. Somewhat surprisingly, Cage does not deliver the strong character needed.
Ryan: Bangkok Dangerous is one of those films that brings little to the table. The story of a hitman discovering his conscious and falling in love is hardly a new theme to the action genre. Eighty percent of the movie takes place at night and for some reason the filmmakers shot most of those scenes in a washed-out fashion that consequently makes the cinematography cloudy. Furthermore the action scenes that are in the movie are completely devoid of thrills and excitement. Granted the movie does have (somewhat of) a surprising ending. But by that time, most moviegoers aren't really going to care.
Andy: This film has the distinction of somehow being predictable while lacking a plot. The concept is very formulaic, yet the movie lacks a compelling villain to supply conflict with the main character. There is no real reason to get invested in the character or the plot because nothing particularly intriguing happens for most of the movie. Even with a few decent action scenes, Bangkok Dangerous ends up being mostly boring.
Ryan: I don’t know what the deal is with Nicolas Cage. This man is an Academy Award winning actor as well as being a fairly consistent box-office draw (he has seven films that have crossed the 100 million dollar barrier). He’s one of those unique stars that can aptly handle summer box-office fair along with nuanced indie films. But apparently Cage also likes to make mindless action films. Two of his last three films (Next and Ghost Rider) are just like Bangkok Dangerous in that they are nothing but below average senseless action flicks.
Andy: The fact that a movie with this little to offer and no buzz surrounding it whatsoever could manage the top spot at the box office, even on such a slow movie weekend, is a testament to the draw of Nicolas Cage. I think it is safe to say that if he keeps making movies like this one, that draw will go away entirely. This movie is very forgettable, and that’s probably the best thing it has going for it as far as Cage’s career is concerned.
Bangkok Dangerous is not a horrible movie, but it lacks a compelling reason for people to see it, and that is a pretty major problem. Final grade: D.
2 comments:
we almost went to see this b/c akemi forgot it was a nick cage movie. she thought it was the 1999 version out of Thailand, which seems like a considerably cooler movie.
hahaha! I was just going to post a similar comment to Sam's. Great minds think alike... or we've been together so long that we have the same thoughts.
w00t!
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