Just because you're a virile Southeast Asian super warrior who demolishes a giant crocodile and saves a village or two while satisfying multiple loversnot all at the same timedoesn't mean that you can save a monstrously bad film. If you don't know who Winai Kraibutr is, can't appreciate mild soft porn headlined by a giant croc (Cinemax meets Sci-Fi Channel), or don't find the sight of a man in a loincloth the least bit appealing, I strongly suggest skipping Suthat Intaranupakorn's "Krai Thong".
The surge of Thai cinema in the international scene has been spearheaded by directors Nonzee Nimibutr and Apichatpong Weerasethakul and in part by the success of the martial arts phenomenon "Ong-bak", headlined by martial artist Tony Jaa, aka Panom Yeerum. Within this wave, Kraibutr seems to be the most visible symbol of Thai masculinity. Ruggedly handsome yet possessing masculine grace, the dark-skinned actor has portrayed noble warrior protagonists in all the films I've seen him in, the other two being Nimibutr's "Nang Nak" and the over-hyped Oliver Stone-produced "Bang Rajan". Though not free of flaws, these 2 films are far more superior in all aspects than "Krai Thong", except when it comes to gratuitous flesh-baring and sex scenes.
Kraibutr plays the title role, a warrior and crocodile hunter who has gained legendary repute in rural Thailand. Assuming you can get over the cheesy horror, bad acting, and low-grade production values (which are so bad it may be impossible for most to do so), Krai Thong and his women comprise one of the most attractive casts I've ever seen on film. Though the film awkwardly jumps back and forth between action, horror, and soft porn, there's a consistent mood of earthy sensuality which pervades. It really isn't that the sex is blazing hot or there's a lot of flesh bared, the high erotic quotient here is more about watching an alternative, non-Western (I hesitate to use the convenient yet Eurocentric term 'exotic') point of view. Furthermore, from a typically urban cinephile context, the novelty of the warrior stud and his nymphs significantly contributes to the eroticism.
In Philippine mythology, Malakas (meaning strong) is the first man to walk on earth, the idealized form of Southeast Asian manhood, Maganda (beautiful), his female counterpart. Suthat Intaranupakorn's "Krai Thong" may not be the best film ever made but for a select few it's worth watching modern day versions of Malakas and Maganda come to life. A similar film to check out is "Sema: The Warrior from Ayodhaya". A 6 out of 10 stars, easily 2 or 3 without the eye candy.
The surge of Thai cinema in the international scene has been spearheaded by directors Nonzee Nimibutr and Apichatpong Weerasethakul and in part by the success of the martial arts phenomenon "Ong-bak", headlined by martial artist Tony Jaa, aka Panom Yeerum. Within this wave, Kraibutr seems to be the most visible symbol of Thai masculinity. Ruggedly handsome yet possessing masculine grace, the dark-skinned actor has portrayed noble warrior protagonists in all the films I've seen him in, the other two being Nimibutr's "Nang Nak" and the over-hyped Oliver Stone-produced "Bang Rajan". Though not free of flaws, these 2 films are far more superior in all aspects than "Krai Thong", except when it comes to gratuitous flesh-baring and sex scenes.
Kraibutr plays the title role, a warrior and crocodile hunter who has gained legendary repute in rural Thailand. Assuming you can get over the cheesy horror, bad acting, and low-grade production values (which are so bad it may be impossible for most to do so), Krai Thong and his women comprise one of the most attractive casts I've ever seen on film. Though the film awkwardly jumps back and forth between action, horror, and soft porn, there's a consistent mood of earthy sensuality which pervades. It really isn't that the sex is blazing hot or there's a lot of flesh bared, the high erotic quotient here is more about watching an alternative, non-Western (I hesitate to use the convenient yet Eurocentric term 'exotic') point of view. Furthermore, from a typically urban cinephile context, the novelty of the warrior stud and his nymphs significantly contributes to the eroticism.
In Philippine mythology, Malakas (meaning strong) is the first man to walk on earth, the idealized form of Southeast Asian manhood, Maganda (beautiful), his female counterpart. Suthat Intaranupakorn's "Krai Thong" may not be the best film ever made but for a select few it's worth watching modern day versions of Malakas and Maganda come to life. A similar film to check out is "Sema: The Warrior from Ayodhaya". A 6 out of 10 stars, easily 2 or 3 without the eye candy.
