Typically, movies that deal with hitmen follow a simple formula. At some point in the beginning of the movie, the hitman talks about the rules or guidelines for being an effective hitman.  These usually contain at least one rule about not getting personal with anyone or something to that effect.  Next, the hitman either has a change of consciousness, falls in love, or both, which results in him breaking all of the aforementioned rules. As a result of breaking the rules, all hell breaks loose.

If you can think back to any Hitman movie, I can almost guarantee that it adheres to a similar structure to the one above.  Bangkok Dangerous is no different. Nicolas Cage plays a hitman who is contracted to perform a series of jobs in Bangkok.  As is often the case, these jobs are to be his last before moving on to a better life. Cage outlines his rules and his system for establishing himself and performing his job. He takes on a disposable assistant (read worthless scumbag who will do anything for money and who none will miss once Cage is done with him) and proceeds to plan for his upcoming jobs.  Somewhere along the way, Cage falls in love with a deaf pharmacy clerk and proceeds to rethink his profession.

Without giving away too much, this is the point where the cliches end. What develops from Cage’s relationship with this woman is not exactly your typical Hollywood “everything will work out in the end” premise and it is what gives Bangkok Dangerous a bit of originality in a redundant genre.  Nicolas Cage is a bit of an enigma. He is the extremely rare Oscar winning action hero, meaning not only can he throw a punch, he can also act.  He brings a bit of depth to this role that would otherwise have fallen flat in the hands of a lesser actor. This movie could have easily become a Van Damme or Seagal straight to the video bin vehicle, yet Cage’s acting ability manages to keep it afloat. This is crucial as there is relatively little dialogue in the movie and a majority of it is in the form of monologues from Cage’s character.

The direction by the Pang brothers is also excellent. Their style is reminiscent of early John Woo before he became overly obsessed with bullet time and slow motion leaps.  The film has a very raw and gritty feel to it  and it really helps convey the brooding hustle and bustle of a city like Bangkok.  The direction is clear and well paced without too much over reliance on MTV style replays and action shots that so many modern action films are plagued with.  This helps to bring some seriousness to the tone of the film while reinforcing the concepts of loneliness and isolation reiterated throughout the movie.

While the movie is not Cage’s best work by any means, it is definitely worth a rental. Fans of the genre will find something unique about this movie, while those simply looking for a good action fix will be satisfied as well.