Bangkok Dangerous- A really bad idea

Directors:Oxide Pang Chun, Danny Pang aka The Pang Brothers
Writers (WGA):Jason Richman (screenplay) Oxide Pang Chun (1999 film)
Release Date:5 September 2008 (USA) more view trailer Genre:Action | Crime | Thriller
Tagline:There’s only one way out.

Nicolas Cage has always been an enigma to me. Every now and then he give us a knock out performance that will make you ask yourself..”Is this a Nicolas Cage flick?” , because he does has the ability to act well, and convincingly when the desire randomly kicks in.

Remember “Wild at Heart”, “Leaving Las Vegas”, “Matchstick Men”, “Adaptation” ? I personally feel those films showcase some of Nic Cage’s potential as a multi-dimensional actor. In most cases, I’d safely say, his movies are predictable, totally Hollywood, cheesy, and not to mention his acting seems to be identical in almost every film, kinda like Jack Nicholsen but not as intense or good. I read somewhere online that someone was offering video proof of the demise of Nicolas Cage’s status as a semi-serious actor. It was a youtube clip of Cage’s hilariously embarrassing collage of  scenes from another whacked remake “The Wicker Man”..the “NO NOT THE BEES!” scene.

I thought I was the only one who found that scene to be a career ending one. But kind of like the mystery as to why  John Travolta still get’s top dollar for films, studios just cannot get enough of Nicolas Cage. The man’s IMDB page is loaded with at least 10 new future projects in 2009 and 2010. His movies do seem to make money so like usual, that’s all that matters.

EW.com seems agree with me also:

In Bangkok Dangerous, the Pang brothers, remaking their 1999 Thai thriller, turn Cage into a scruffy, blank-eyed cipher of an assassin, who has been hired to kill four men; we learn so little about them that they flash by like the bad guys in a trailer. The filmmakers even manage to turn seamy Bangkok into the least exotic setting imaginable

2 things that Nicolas Cage needs to focus on.

#1 More Challenging Roles - think more like late 90’s and early 2000 Johnny Depp. Remeber how good he used to be before the POTC sequels ruined his credibility as a hardcore actor? Nic needs to stray away from the drab, recycled action story lines he and the movie studios keep regurgitating up on us, the viewing audience.
#2 Please find a hairstyle that works with your rapidly aging face- I am mystified by how awful Nicolas Cage’s hair looks from movie to movie. Take some tips from Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, and others and just let it go man. America loves you, we know your hair is hanging on by a strands. When I saw the movie “Next” , I walked out because I couldn’t bear looking at Nic’s hair a second longer..It just disturbed me. Now in Bangkok Dangerous it’s even worse, the ends literally looks like a clown wig. I just don’t understand. Maybe he just walks to a different beat when it comes to men’s hair grooming trends.