Queens of Langkasuka (NR) 2008, 133 min.Directed by: Nonzee Nimibutr. Written by: Win Lyovarin
Starring: Jarunee Suksawat, Ananda Everingham, Jesdaporn Pholdee, Dan Chupong
Queens of Langkasuka is one big mess. Spreading palace intrigue, ancient world power struggles, naval warfare, martial arts, sorcery, sea beasties and roving pirates over a sagging 133 minutes, Langkasuka has no idea how to manage any of it. Fortunately for the audience, the high-profile Thai fantasyhappens to be an entertaining and enjoyable mess. Borrowing elements of Old Hollywood adventures like 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and taking a cue from Pirates of the Caribbean and other big budget American popcorn pics, Langkasuka marks a step forward for Thai cinema. Recently, the scene has mostly been cluttered with raucous martial arts movies and tepid horror films. Queens is on a grander scale than anything I’ve previously seen out of the country, and for the most part it accomplishes what it sets out to do. I wasn’t bored, and thats much more than I can say for several of this summer’s big profile ‘blockbusters’. Continue reading
