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CHOCOLATE

 ABOUT THE MOVIE

Genre: Drama
Starring: Jija Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabanjong, Amara Siripong, Tapol Pobwandee, Lim Su Jeong, Soumia Abalhaja, “Oh” Sirimongkol, Day Freeman, Sar Mawor
Director: Prachya Pinkaew
Rating: NC-16 (Violence)
Year Made: 2008

 

 


 SPECIAL FEATURES

- Trailer
- Making Of
- Photo Gallery

 

 


 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Languages: Thai
Subtitles: Chinese
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
Running Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Region Code: NTSC 3
Distributor: InnoF
orm Media

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

Yakuza Masashi falls in love with Zin, the lover of a Thai underworld figure. They ere forced to separate with Masashi being sent back to Japan and Zin to continue staying in Bangkok as a single mother. Brought up single-handedly by Zin, their daughter Zen is autistic in nature. She is compensated with agility and picks up Muay Thai through watching television programs and from observing the trainings taking place at the Muay Thai academy next door. Zen becomes an obsessive fighter who excels at catching fast-flying objects. When Zin is diagnosed with cancer, Zen has to fight her way through to collect money from her mother's debtors to raise her medical funds. In fear that her daughter will be in danger, Zin contacts her father Masashi...

MOVIE REVIEW:
  

This reviewer remembers the days when this Thai movie was being screened in local theatres. He couldn’t stop making fun of the silly title – who could resist coming up with silly jokes with a title like “Chocolate”? Especially for an action movie which tells the story of an autistic girl who becomes a lethal fighting machine whenever she becomes angry?

The story isn’t anything to shout about: Because of a certain traumatic experience when she was young, our heroine becomes autistic but you know God is fair when she becomes blessed with powerful Muay Thai fighting skills. And because she loves her cancer stricken mother dearly, she sets out on a quest to hunt down the ruthless gangs that owe her family money.

You can see how the filmmakers have conveniently come up with an excuse in the form of a story plot for the protagonist to fight, kick, box and punch throughout this 90 minute movie. And because Jija Yanin, the female Ong Bak (another Thai action movie title which never fails to tickle this reviewer) of this picture, executes her role so well, you’ll overlook the obvious marketing scheme of the filmmakers to milk money out of action movie fans.

Directed by Prachya Pinkaew of the Tom Yum Goong (the third Thai action movie title which makes it to this reviewer’s list of hilarious movie titles) fame, this picture is rated NC16 (Violence) by our friends at the censorship board – so you know it means serious business when it comes to the action scenes. Save for the melodramatic moments when Yanin has to act like an autistic person (the typical change in tone and eye twitches) and her slight wardrobe malfunction (those baggy floral pants are a hoot), the action sequences are immensely enjoyable. The spot on choreography and the painful looking punches and kicks will please anyone who loves his (we presume the demographics are mostly male) movies roughed out with grit and action.

The movie also features some nice cinematography, where well thought through shots are executed by the camera crew. No action movie would be complete without the outtakes during the end credits. Here you’ll get about five full minutes of them. Like those Jackie Chan movies, you’ll get to see the crew slug it out on set and shedding some painful blood – no wonder the DVD tells us in Mandarin “No computer generated effects; no body doubles; every punch to the skin; every move can be deadly”.

Okay, this reviewer wouldn’t want to make this woman angry, she definitely means business, no matter whether her love for chocolate (cue colorful chocolate beans spilling onto the floor) is one of the most ridiculous ideas for an action movie ever.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

This Code 3 DVD contains a Trailer, an 8-minute Making Of which is presented in Thai and you get to hear how Yanin has to grapple between fighting and acting, and a Photo Gallery.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The disc has a pristine visual transfer which makes the action scenes very vivid and captivating, while the audio is presented in its original Thai track or a dubbed Mandarin track - a shame there are no English subtitles though.

 

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING:


Review by John Li

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This review is made possible with the kind support from InnoForm Media


 

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