Bangkok Dangerous

Chan Kam Chuen/Lionsgate

Review in a Hurry: This stylish but laborious thriller stars Nicolas Cage as a hit man abroad suffering the obligatory crisis of conscience that forces him into a tight spot with his employers. And since it's a remake, it's twice as little warmed-over fun!

The Bigger Picture: The premise of Bangkok Dangerous wasn't anything new in 1999, when Hong Kong directors Danny and Oxide Pang made a splash with their surprisingly adept debut. A decade later, unsurprisingly, the concept is 10 years older and none the wiser.

Even less so, since the protagonist of the original was a deaf-mute assassin, and though Cage is in his laconic mode here, he's still talking way too much.

Especially in voice-over. Sitting through the sleepy narration just drives home the point that there's nothing in the story you haven't seen a dozen times before—or more, if you're a John Woo fan. It's the one where the hired killer makes an unexpected connection to his lost humanity; you know the beginning, the middle and the end, and the only thing that makes it interesting is the details.

And while Bangkok Dangerous has its moments, little flashes of technical verve that speak to the imagination, they're not enough to make you want to keep watching. There's no denying that the Pangs can engage the mind's eye, but here it's only for a few seconds at a time.

The film being much longer than that, it turns out that one night in this Bangkok is one too many.

The 180—a Second Opinion: Truth in advertising: the titular city is vibrantly showcased. Though the Thai tourism bureau might not agree, as the film makes Bangkok look about as seamy a place to die as any world traveler could find.