This crazed Thai film from director Phornchai Hongrathanaphorn starts off with great promise. Making a mad dash away from a crime he didn't commit, Bay (Krissada Terrence) is a devout practitioner of Drums of the Gods and races to the safety of his fellow perky percussionist, Don (Nountaka Warawanitchanoun). From there, the film continues its lunacy. Pursued by police inspector Black Ears (or Black Eyes, depending on which subtitle you read), a giant panda of a sleuth, Bay, Don, and her bandmates elude the authorities at every turn. It isn't until they're caught (and easily escape) that the film slowly grinds to a halt.
Even at 98 minutes, this film is a half hour too long, seeming to trip up on its own twisted internal logic. Inevitably reaching its forgone and anticlimactic conclusion, BANGKOK LOCO is worth a look due to its frenetic opening half hour and maniacal sight gags. Its bizarre cultural jokes, however, fell flat with this viewer, reminding me of those jokes buried in old Warner Brothers cartoons that were probably hilarious to audiences of the time but have lost their cultural resonance over time.
Even at 98 minutes, this film is a half hour too long, seeming to trip up on its own twisted internal logic. Inevitably reaching its forgone and anticlimactic conclusion, BANGKOK LOCO is worth a look due to its frenetic opening half hour and maniacal sight gags. Its bizarre cultural jokes, however, fell flat with this viewer, reminding me of those jokes buried in old Warner Brothers cartoons that were probably hilarious to audiences of the time but have lost their cultural resonance over time.