MAYHEM! (2023)

Directed & Story By: Xavier Gens

Written By: Magali Rossetto, Guillaume LeMans, Stephane Cabel

Cinematography: Gilles Porte 

Editor: Riwanon Le Baker 

Cast: Nassim Lyes, Loryn Nounay, Olivier Gourmet, Chananticha Chaipa, Vijay’s Pansringorm, Yothin Udomsanti 

A model prisoner’s leave ends in tragedy when his past resurfaces, forcing him to flee. He starts over in Thailand until a local criminal coerces him back into crime. After this man attacks his family, he vows revenge.


When it comes to this film, you have to look at it sort of the same way. You would look at Director Xavier Gens work over the years. 

He is a talented and serviceable Director but while his films have all had style, most of his films, generally come off as disappointing usually maybe more due to scripting problems or story problems. They look vivid, but they can never keep the audience’s interest throughout 

This film seems more inspired by the work of Gareth Evans, writer and director of THE RAID movies.

As This film has some truly incredible fights that are bone, breaking, and crushing where you feel the violence in the hits in the action as the camera moves with it, and we see the action and the aftermath. 

These scenes do come often more in the second half of the film isn’t as balls to the wall as advertised. As with everything you need a lead-up for there to be that action, and here it’s there even though in the lead-up, it’s a little more typical, and ends up becoming more of a revenge story, but a revenge story on both sides in a way.

They also try to set up the main character to be not violent to be violent even though he’s a fighter, he usually avoids any extracurricular violence as in the scene when he’s in the gym in a fight breaks out he stays out of it so more he only fights when he has to, He is forced Which is what set up the second half of the film is that he doesn’t want to, but he has to if he wants to get his revenge.

Most of the story and film are typical, but those are fight scenes. They are what helped raise the film above the material if it had been 90 minutes of just the action sequences with maybe reasoning in between this definitely would’ve been better as directors like Timo Tjahjanto managed to do that they managed to have spectacular action, but also stay on point with the story so that it is, they are both interesting this is a nice attempt and certainly is not worthy but unfortunately, it’s not successful across-the-board but it is entertaining and worth checking out especially if you are an action movie fan.

Grade: B- 

FURIES (2022)

Directed By: Veronica Ngo 
Written By: Veronica Ngo, Nha Uyen Ly Nguyen, Nguyen Truong Nhan, Ngu Yen Ngoc Thach and Aaron Toronto Cinematography: Phunam
Editor: Nguyen Cong Dang

Cast: Dong Anh Quynh, Toc Tien, Thuan Nguyen, Rima Thanh, Song Luan, Gi A Nguyen, Thanh Nhien Phan 

A mysterious woman trains a trio of girls to take revenge on a criminal gang that abuses females. The three lady warriors risk everything to challenge this corrupt empire.


This film could have almost been nicknamed GET ‘EM GIRLS. 

Now this film doesn’t reinvent the wheel. As it pretty much is predictable and you have seen it before. It does offer excitement as you watch it and tries to provide some twists and turns of its own.

This is the first female action-oriented film that I have truly been impressed by since CHOCOLATE. This film offers female action heroes and feels like a mixture of a revenge tale with parts of  CHARLIE’S ANGELS & GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE. Though luckily without as much humor as those films and less gunplay. As there are guns involved but this is more hand-to-hand combat with machetes and steel pipes. Think DAREDEVIL, the series’ action scenes.

So the film is a bit more vicious than expected. 

The third act of the film feels like a video game with a henchman who looks like he came out of one. This goes along with the cartoonish main villain whose real danger is the threat from those who follow him in force.

Other than actually being a dangerous fighter on his own. Where the audience questions why they follow him in the first place then.

It even offers some drama just to up the stakes and meaning In These fight scenes.

The film is well-directed and has a danger to it. Like the other films I compared it to, it has a little gloss and lots of filtered and neon lighting. That leaves the film with plenty of styles. 

Grade: B-

CHOCOLATE (2008)

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Directed By: Prachya Pinkaew
Written By: Napalee & Chookiat Sakveerakul
Cinematography: Decha Srimantra
Editor: Rashane Limtrakul & Pop Surasakuwa

Cast: Jeeja Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Ammara Siriphong 


When Zin, former girlfriend of a Thai mob boss, falls for Masashi, a Japanese gangster in Thailand, the boss banishes them: Masashi to Japan, and Zin, with her small daughter Zen, to live next to a martial arts school. Zen is autistic, with uncanny swift reflexes. She watches the students next door and Muay Thai movies, absorbing every technique. She’s now a teen, and her mother needs chemotherapy. Zin has taken in a chubby kid, Moom, who watches over Zen. Moom finds a ledger listing business men who owe Zin money; he goes to them one at a time to collect in order to pay for Zin’s treatment. Zen, with her martial skills, becomes his enforcer. A showdown with the boss is inevitable.

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