Tag Archives: Insee Daeng

Red Eagle Review

My earlier post on Wisit Sasanatieng’s rebooting of the cult Thai super hero Red Eagle (Insee Daeng) generated a fair bit of interest. The film opened in Thailand earlier this month to rave reviews and is generating a lot of buzz internationally.

According one of my favourite film sites, Wise Kwai’s Thai Film Journal, Red Eagle is “Perhaps the most Hollywood-like movie yet made by the Thai film industry, a big, loud and brash superhero action flick that is mostly relentless in its pace and hyper-stylized violence”.

“Fans hoping for the colorful camp and dry wit of Wisit’s previous films like Tears of the Black Tiger and Citizen Dog might come away disappointed with the director’s latest effort.”

Those wanting a big budget Thai action movie that makes the most of the metropolis of Bangkok as a backdrop will not be.

The film is based on the 1960s action franchise that starred the legendary Mitr Chaibancha, which was originally based on a series of crime novels by writer Sake Dusit.

Lao-Australian actor Ananda Everingham portrays “a much darker and brooding character. Instead of the fun-loving drunken playboy lawyer that was Mitr’s alter ego, this Rome Rittikrai is an angry loner – a former special forces operative who was betrayed on the battlefield.… Read more

Return of the Red Eagle

On October 7, Thailand will finally get to see Wisit Sasanatieng’s take on the classic Thai super hero series from the 1950s and 1960s, Insee Daeng or Red Eagle.

Red Eagle has been the focus of huge anticipation ever since Wisit (best known in the West for his homage to the Thai action films of the fifties and sixties, Tears of the Black Tiger) announced the remake.

After three years of political uncertainty, culminating several months ago in pitched street battles in the Bangkok between the military and  red shirt protesters loyal to the ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand needs a hero and the Red Eagle might just fit the bill.

Trailers for the remake floating around the web for a while now. I found the latest, complete with English language sub-titles, on one of my favourite blogs, Wise Kwai’s Thai Film Journal, and it’s an absolute knock out. Wisit’s updated Red Eagle in his leather jacket and red face mask looks great. Bangkok is perfect as the ominous and chaotic metropolis in which the story  is set (not that big a stretch when you think about it). There are heaps of stunts and  John Woo style action, complete with the slow motion work Thai film makers seem to be so fond of.… Read more