The Fatal Thai X-Men. The title of the film is as complex and difficult to pronounce as the names of the producers and director of this film.
There is only one known surname here - Prachya Pinkayu, this is the producer who brought some fame to Thai films in the 2000s.
This film belongs to the brightest period of Pinkai’s work. He became famous after 2005, thanks to the films “Honor of the Dragon” and “Ong-Bak” (with the chip of knee-elbow punches). After this film, Pinkai will release a stunning in its melodramatic action movie about the girl “Chocolate”, and a completely wonderful “Phoenix infuriated” (colorful and acid-alcoholic).
And between them comes a clear fantastic action movie “Battle of the immortals”. It's not as naive and guileless as most Asian films. It's not as stupid and playful as "Mercury" (one could put it in the simpler word available to the modern generation, "dumb"). In general, Pinkai, as a producer, offers films much better than those in which he also directs. In the films he directs too simple emotions and straightforward plot.
Other directors offer much more interesting concepts.
In this film, for example, the immortal heroes are all macho, and one of the main characters is generally dressed as an action star of the 80s (for example, “Cobra” with Stallone) and it is very funny. The film has a clear design, all immortals (opapatics) are thoughtful, have their own chips, as in the film adaptation of the comic. These chips are very original, and the blood in fights flows exactly as if Quentin Tarantino dreamed.
Most of the film consists of fights and shootings, corpses are laid in sacks and detachments (in each episode the number of killed from 50 and above). At the same time, the main characters suffer and are looking for a way out of this situation. That is, psychology is present as a necessary part of a quality action movie. The overall atmosphere of the film is gloomy and somewhere reeks of a “black” film, partly reminiscent of “Sin City”, where there are no positive characters. Thai immortals with superpowers give a drive both in action scenes and in dialogue.
Buddhist motifs in the rebirth and revival of heroes are similar to the legends of sorcerers, werewolves and other heroes of the Asian-Indian epic. The inconsistencies of the plot can be attributed to the mysterious Asian understatement and mystical culture.
The result is a grinding action movie from Thailand, one of the best representatives of a fantastic action movie from Asia.
P.S. Another big plus is that there are no elephants that Pinkai puts in at least one movie to give them a special Thai flavor.