The Bodyguard

Chaotic, over-the-top, and unapologetically eccentric, The Bodyguard blends explosive action with slapstick comedy, creating a uniquely Thai take on the action-comedy genre.

The film follows Wong Kom, a stoic bodyguard whose loyalty to his employer is put to the test when a powerful tycoon is assassinated. Tasked with protecting the heir, Chaichol (Piphat Apiraktanakorn), Wong Kom is drawn into a web of crime, corruption, and bizarre encounters across Bangkok. The narrative is a vehicle for both frenetic action and outrageous comedy, often pushing tonal boundaries between parody and sincerity.

The film's strengths lie in its inventiveness and cultural flavor. Action sequences, choreographed with energy and precision, range from gunfights to martial arts showdowns, paying a playful homage to Hollywood blockbusters while maintaining a distinct Thai cinematic identity. Humor-sometimes slapstick, satirical-is layered throughout, keeping the tone unpredictable. Petchtai anchors the film with a mix of deadpan seriousness and comedic timing, while cameo appearances by Thai celebrities add to its quirky charm.

However, tonal inconsistency is its biggest weakness. The film often swings too abruptly from serious action to absurd comedy, which can be jarring for audiences unfamiliar with Thai genre-blending. Some gags feel overextended, diluting narrative momentum. Yet, its willingness to embrace excess makes it memorable, if not always refined.

Ultimately, The Bodyguard succeeds as a cult-style action-comedy: messy, entertaining, and uniquely Thai.

Rating: 7/10 - A fast-paced, eccentric blend of action and comedy that entertains with energy, even if it sacrifices polish for chaotic charm.

I only watched this because of the cast from Ong Bak was in it and to my great surprise it was one of the funniest movies I have seen. I was not expecting much because I thought it would just be plain silly and not so funny. But I was not so wrong, it was silly, but so funny that sometimes I found myself cleaning the floor when I was rolling on it. In such movies you have begin it on a high and they surely managed it with the shootout. And during the rest of the movie I never took the smile of my face. That's how comedies should be! Great job by Petchtai Wongkamlao and fantastic cameo appearance by Tony Jaa. But the best was the bald guy who ends the movie really on a high.

I saw this movie a while ago.. I must admit, it was very funny.. The idea of this bodyguard WongKom, who gets fired after the death of his client is just of those clichés.

But then later on, WongKom realises that a group of assassins are after the client's son, so that they can their hands on the fortune..

There were some funny scenes, good one liners.. Fights scenes and shoot out scenes, they were great.. Just like what you may've seen in another film ONG-BAK..

I think with this guy Petchai WongKomlao.. I think he'll be Asia's next Jackie Chan. So he used to be a comedian, unlike another Asian favourite, Takeshi Kitano.. But now as he takes the director's chair.. He really gave the film a good going over.. with all the thrills and spills of any action movie and combined with a bit of a slapstick humour just to add to all the fun..

I manage to see the behind-the-scenes featurette, which basically looks at the film on how it was made, as well as having the cast and crew interviews.. Well, not much crews.. But I must say, I've enjoyed it..

It was very good! A thumbs up! 9 out of 10!

I live in Thailand and try to see Thai movies when I can. Some of them have been excellent--Ong-Bak, Suriyothai, Tropical Malady, Tom Yum Goong, Mor Jeb, Luang Phii Theng, to name a few. The Bodyguard doesn't fall into the excellent category. It falls into "what the hell is going on and why are all the Thai people laughing" category. This movie is supposed to be a comedy. The English subtitles were particularly bad, I speak more than a little Thai and many times I knew the English was not good because I understood the Thai. I didn't laugh once with the rest of the audience--all Thai, I was the only Caucasian (farang). Then there were the 3 or 4 times I did laugh out loud, and I was the only one laughing! This movie is of almost the "slapstick" variety, chock full of "inside" jokes (being on the inside in this case means being Thai or understanding the Thai language better than I do) and silly humor. It stars one of Thailand's most popular comedians, Piphat Apiraktanakorn, more commonly known by his nickname "Mahm" (usually spelled Mom, but he's a guy and not a real mom that I know of...) I think this guy is great and funny. This lends credence to my theory that the English subtitling was just awful. Mahm has a 3 minute cameo in "Luang Phii Theng" that is the funniest part of the movie. Try one of the other Thai films before going to this one. Especially Ong-Bak, probably the best martial arts film I have ever seen--And Tony Jaa is the best martial arts movie fighter I have ever seen (and he does it all without stunt double, wires, or computer effects). If you see one Thai film this year, make it Ong-Bak, not the Bodyguard!

The Bodyguard (2004) is a movie I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a bodyguard who is fired when the man he is hired to protect is murdered by a rival gang. Despite being fired, he seeks revenge for the murder in hopes of redeeming himself from his mistakes and to ensure the son of the murdered man stays alive. This movie is codirected by Panna Rittikrai (Ong Bak 2 & 3) and Petchtai Wongkamlao (The Bodyguard 2) and also stars Wongkamlao (Ong Bak), Tony Jaa (Ong Bak) and Pumwaree Yodkamol (The Protector). The storyline does a great job of not taking itself too seriously and focuses on the comedic content, crazy one-liners and cartoon like characters. The action scenes are just okay, but the props and choreography are clever. The final fight scene is awesome and definitely worth a viewing. This is one of those movies that is filled with it or miss elements. This isn't a waste of time but isn't worth going too far out of your way to see it either. I would score this a 5/10.