Kerd ma lui (2004)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Panna Rittikrai

Writers:

Morakat Kaewthanek (screenplay)
Panna Rittikrai (story)

Release Date:

5 August 2004 (Thailand)

Genre:

Action

Plot:

A group of athletes helping a poor village must stop an evil tyrant and his men from terrorizing the village.

Cast

Nappon Gomarachun	...	General Jang Sei Yang
Santisuk Promsiri	...	Lowfei
Dan Chupong	...	Deaw
Piyapong Piew-on	...	Tun
Somrak Khamsing	...	Tug
Amornthep Waewsang	...	Moo
Suebsak Pansueb	...	Jo
Nantaway Wongwanichislip	...	Nye
Kessarin Ektawatkul	...	Nui
Rattaporn Khemtong	...	Tunta
Chatthapong Pantanaunkul	...	Foong (as Chattaporn Pantana-Angkul)
Sasisa Jindamanee	...	Baetoey
Payong Mounda	...	Village Head
Swat Hoopsom	...	Disabled
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
June Angela	...	Nui (voice: English version)
Vanna Bonta	...	Mali (voice: English version)
Sahaschai Chumrum	...	Lieutenant Thripundomrong Liddomerong
Elyse Dinh	...	Tukta / Newscaster (voice: English version)
Josiah D. Lee	...	Scruff (voice: English version)
Marlene Sharp	...	Additional Characters (voice: English version)
Wannakit Sirioput	...	Foh
Don Tai	...	Tub (voice)
Eddie Vee	...	Deaw (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

Born to Fight (Europe: English title) (International: English title)
Born to fight - Nati per combattere (Italy) (DVD title) [it]
Nascido Para Lutar (Brazil) [pt]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Thailand

Language:

Thai | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

France:-12 | Australia:MA | Brazil:18 | Malaysia:18SG | Germany:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Japan:PG-12 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Patpong, Thailand

Company:

Baa-Ram-Ewe

Goofs:

Continuity: During the truck chase scene, Daew's partner drives his van between General Yang's trucks and shoots on both sides, killing the passenger in the truck on the right and the driver of the truck on the left. After the truck on the right hits its brakes and Daew falls off of it, Daew quickly jumps into the passenger side window of the truck. The dead passenger is nowhere to be seen.

Mindless Action! No subtitles required for this one

Riding on the international success of Ong Bak as a sort of quasi-sequel, Born to Fight works on the simple principle that it's easier to teach fighters to act than actors to fight. It was this that prompted me to watch it without subtitles, not speaking a word of Thai. Bear that in mind when I attempt to explain the plot. Not that the film requires any for if you've seen 'Air Force One' or 'The Rock' you'll have seen this movie before.

Following the daring kidnap of a rebel leader in which his partner heroically dies, our hero seeks solace in a small village. There will be no peace for him for the rebels storm the village, gun down countless children and brutally execute the police officer there before demanding the government release their leader. And in the midst of this, our hero finds himself out gunned and outnumbered, and all that stands between the villagers and certain death.

The hero now wanders the village alone despatching a few guerrillas before being captured: strictly formula stuff. What makes 'Born to Fight' different from American movies is that when the inevitable fight is taken to the villains, it's not just the hero who takes on the terrorists: it's the entire village who take them on. And this is the film's real muscle: athletes and martial artists all showcasing their arcane talents in a fightback that lasts almost half the length of the film.

The low budget means that this isn't a CGI fest of Michael Bay proportions but more in the vein of the gutsy Golan & Globus thrillers of the 80's. Low on money but laden with good and often ingenious stunts 'Born to Fight' is the direct descendant of movies like 'The Delta Force'. It's got limited budget, lots of guns, knives and cheap wooden huts to be destroyed. In fact, at times it's more like playing 'Far Cry' than watching a movie, with pistols, shotguns and machetes used in turn to despatch the red-scarved rebels while the suitably repetitive soundtrack hammers away.

'Born to Fight' is a film out of time, some twenty years too late for the cinema but by no means a bad film, and a welcome one on DVD if you need to kill an hour. You genuinely won't need subtitles for this movie, just a remote control to fast-forward the few dialogue scenes. If you're in the market for more eye-watering stunts I'd strongly go for Ong Bak instead.