Bangkok Summer' is the new movie arising from those Pramod-Pappanic approaches. Compared to their earlier outings, this movie with a number of relatively fresher artistes is watchable, in parts. This time the director duo, who usually rely on editing and camera techniques to flesh up the proceedings, also have a story to tell.
'Bangkok summer' is all about an adopted son named Sreehari (Rahul) coming to Bangkok in search of his brother Madhavan( Unni), as their mother Rugmini teacher is severely ill and is asking for him. After much search with the help of nurse cum tourist guide Maria, Sree Hari is able to find Madhavan , but in a fragile stage heavily thrashed by the leading mafia dons of city, Villy and Mao.
Back to health after a short time, Madhavan tells his trails in Bangkok and his efforts to save the girl Ganga from the hands of the mafia, who has already killed her brother. Sreehari now make schemes to fight the mafia at their den and to get Ganga back for his brother. The twists and turns that follow is the nutshell of the story.
Told in the backdrop of the boxing rings where the mafia men arrive to settle their scores, the movie written by Rajesh Jayaraman has plenty of fight sequences, which are the highlights of the movie. But the mafia in the big city never looks dreadful even like our local quotation gangs. The movie misses by a mile to engage us totally, though it has managed itself to become a racy thriller at intervals. The visuals of Bangkok by Mohan Puthussery are also interesting and help us for a virtual ride through the busy streets of one of the biggest cities of the world.
The flip side of the movie is that there is hardly any real life visible in the proceedings, with crucial moments turning plain and ordinary. The music side is also a letdown with Ouseppachan not able to create even one good, foot tapping melody for the movie. The editor also takes liberal steps to go for in film advertisements in almost every scenes.
The performance by the newcomers are well and good with Unni Mukund once again etching out a good show, after his acclaimed debut in 'Bombay March12'. He also excels in action and emotional scenes and can be an answer to the long wait for a true action hero, who can carry a movie on his shoulders. Rahul is energetic and confident in the former half but needs to work on his styling and walks. Richa and Rosin just play to their roles with singular expressions through out and doesn't show much promise.
Though 'Bangkok Thriller' may not be a captivating thriller that you've watched, there are moments that keep you hooked to the proceedings. Also, there is suspense in store, if you continue to play the guessing game all through. Final word? If one goes with minimal expectations, chances are that you may like this film. But with actors with the minimal audience pull and poor pre- publicity, 'Bangkok summer' may end up as a dry affair in the Box Office.
Rating:4.5/10
