“Also
known as Power Kids, the action
comedy Force Of Five is an amusing and
enjoyable film that kicks off dramatically
with a hopeless battle and an increasing
body count before changing pace
to introduce five youngsters studying
at a Muay Thai School who get sucked
in to the serious business of fighting
terrorists...”
GROWING UP IN THE STRICT ENVIRONMENT of a Muay Thai Martial Arts School,
young Nantawuth Boonrapsap (Huntawut Boonrubsub) — known as Wuth
— indulges his sick younger brother Wun, who is desperately in need
of a heart transplant in order to lead a normal life.
The brothers and their friends, Pong (Phethai Wongkhamlao), Catt (Sasisa Jimdamanee:
Born To Fight) and Jib (Navarat Techarantanaprasert), have become highly
skilled at Muay Thai martial arts, although they do not always follow their
disciplines.
When Jib allows Wun to play with the remote control car she races at a special
track, she further fires Wun's determination to have his own racer — little
realising that this is going to lead to a life-threatening situation for the
little boy.
By fair means or foul, the determined youngsters succeed in getting Wun his
dream car. But during a race, one of the older boys sabotages Wun's chances
to win and a fight breaks out, causing him to run away and collapse on the pavement.
Wun is rushed to hospital to await emergency surgery, using a suitable heart
that is in cold storage at the Siam Inter Hospital. But before the heart can
be transferred to the clinic where Wun is awaiting emergency surgery news is
breaking of a terrorist attack on the Siam Hospital, where American Senator
Peter Anna is being examined. And this is where the film comes into its own.
With the hospital under the control of the Teelor military and 500 hostages
at risk from the former rebel soldiers, who are prepared to kill if their politically-driven
demands are not met by the authorities, Wun deteriorates. And it is up to Wuth
and his friends to pull out all the stops to get to the hospital, find the heart
and get it back to Wun's surgeon — within four critical hours.
Armed with only their martial arts skills and the will to save their friend's
life, this small group of resourceful mini-Muay Thai marvels embarks on a desperate
race against time in which they will be forced to defy danger, confront an army
of terrorists and make an heroic bid to overcome insurmountable odds.
Brilliantly showcasing the talents of the next generation of Thai action movie
superstars, Force Of Five is described as a raw and relentless thrill
ride that culminates in a jaw-dropping final showdown that will have viewers
shaking their heads in disbelief. A clever blending of children's adventure
story and adult thriller-drama, Force Of Five scores on comedy, visual
Muay Thai martial arts and edgy tension, with poignancy thrown in for good measure.
Given a 15 Certificate because of some violent elements, the slapstick thread
running through the film and the incredible Muay Thai martial arts skills are
ably handled by the up-and-coming child stars who make this film light and enjoyable.
English subtitles are clear and easy-to-follow.
Force Of Five also features: Pimchanok Leuwisetpaiboon as Teelor Girl;
Arunya Pawilai; Richard William Lord; and actor, martial arts co-ordinator and
stunt man Johnny Nguyen (Serenity; Spider-Man 1 and 2; Cradle 2 The Grave).
• From producers Prachya Pinkaew, Panna Rittikrai
and Sukanya Vongsthapat — the creative forces behind such world famous
Thai action movie hits as Ong Bak, Warrior King, Raging Phoenix, Born To
Fight and Chocolate — comes Force Of Five (aka Power
Kids), the directorial debut of Krissanapong Rachata. Force Of Five
will be released on DVD and Blu-ray by Cine Asia on 5 July, 2010. Running Time:
110 Minutes | RRP: £17.99 (DVD); £24.99 (Blu-ray).
Special Features
Interview Gallery; Making Of | Behind The Scenes | original Trailer | Dolby
Digital Thai 2.0 and 5.1 (DVD); DTS HD MA Thai 5.1 (Blu-ray) | English subtitles.
"Force Of Five scores on comedy, visual Muay Thai martial arts and edgy
tension" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
“Also
known as Power Kids, the action