5 Huajai Hero

Thailand is trying to become the next Hong Kong of film making. For those who missed it, in the Eighties (Lord I feel old) Hong Kong became the Mecca of action films. Even if you never saw a Hong Kong action film the people who did make action films did. Eventually many of the major players in Hong Kong went to america and made films. We have Jackie Chan, Jet Li, John Woo and the whole merry crew. Well Thailand had a good start with Tony Jaa. Tony Jaa was the most kick ass action star around today. Then he rode an elephant shaved his head and became a buddhist monk.

Well that's how it goes sometimes.

Until Tony comes back, Thailand's challenge is not to lose ground. It has to keep up the pace and find some new stars. 5 Huajai hero, aka in english speaking countries as "Power Kids," is a good beginning answer. Here we have a bunch of kids who just happen to know kick boxing trapped in a hospital held by terrorists. Faster than you can say "Yippy kai yai..." these miniature Bruce Willises are kicking bad guys butts with abandon.

The kids are good, well as good as dubbed performances will let me judge. They are cute, cuddly and by George they got the moves. I enjoyed one early fight between them and a steroid freak where the kids strapped on lead weights on their arms and legs and did their version of the 'anvil chorus.' I really liked the girl in the team as well, though she fought real dirty. Not only was she apt to kick the men in the fork like a mule, but she had other tricks that were just as mean. She didn't just take out the bad guys she sterilized them.

Oh one thing I do enjoy about films from Thailand are the names of the people involved. The director of this flick is Krissanapong Rachata. My doesn't that just roll off the tongue like poetry? Our main hero is named Nantawooti Boonrapsap which sounds like the lyric to some hip hop numer. I love it.