BKO: Bangkok
Knockout (2010/Magnolia/MagNet
Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B- Extras: C Film: B+
A group
of martial art friends are in a competition for chance to go to Hollywood to become
martial art actors, but after winning the competition they found themselves drugged
and awaken to a life and death survival reality show. Now, they the 'director' threatens them to
fight or he will kill one of their friends who is being held hostage... they
have no choice but to fight to win, and the sakes are their lives in Panna
Rittikrai’s BKO Knockout (2010).
What was thought to be a friendly martial arts competition turned out to be a
test to find the strongest team to be in an illegal reality TV show. These 'games' are sponsored by a wealth
American catering to the super rich, betting on the lives and outcome of the
various predetermined fights. Now, Pom
and his friends must fight in a broken down factory to not only save their
lives, but to save each other and to free their hostage friends.
This movie plays like a Thai version of Fight
Club as the group of friends (the good guys) were tricked, drugged and then
forced into last man standing fight for the entertainment of sick rich people.
The setting was in broken down factory/construction site which allow variations
for the fight scenes and the greater usage of debris and environment, which we
have seen all before but works better here. The fights were like watching a
bunch of 'Jackie Chans' fighting. The opponent fighters (the bad guys) were
mainly dressed in black, ninja-like outfits with iron masks, armed with weapons
and armor, but most unique (and amusing) fighter was a gay cross-dressing
fighter. This looks really good, but
sound is a mixed bag. Extras include
making of the film, behind the scenes and trailer.
- Ricky Chiang
