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The Bodyguard (2004 film)
Encyclopedia
The Bodyguard is a 2004 wire fu
action-comedy written and directed by Thai
comedian and actor Petchtai Wongkamlao
and featuring martial-arts choreography by Panna Ritikrai. It is followed by the 2007 sequel
, The Bodyguard 2
.
Chaichol, the son and heir to the family fortune, fires the bodyguard and takes it upon himself to find the killers. He's then ambushed, and the rest of the bodyguard team is wiped out. Chaichol, however, comes out of it alive, and finds himself in a Bangkok
slum, living with a volunteer car-accident rescue squad and falling in love with tomboy
ish Pok.
Meanwhile, Wong Kom is working to clear his name, and stay ahead of the chief villain and his bumbling gang of henchmen.
Wire fu
Wire fu is an element of Hong Kong action cinema. It is a combination of two terms: "wire work" and "kung fu". Wire fu is used to describe a sub-genre of Kung-Fu movies where the stuntmen's skill is augmented with the use of wires and pulleys, as well as other techniques, in many cases to perform...
action-comedy written and directed by Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
comedian and actor Petchtai Wongkamlao
Petchtai Wongkamlao
Petchtai Wongkamlao, , is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ; and is a popular Thai television personality...
and featuring martial-arts choreography by Panna Ritikrai. It is followed by the 2007 sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, The Bodyguard 2
The Bodyguard 2
The Bodyguard 2 is a 2007 Thai action-comedy film written, directed by and starring Petchtai Wongkamlao. A prequel to his 2004 film, The Bodyguard, The Bodyguard 2 tells the origins of Petchtai's bodyguard character, and like the first film, it features a host of cameo appearances by Thai...
.
Plot
After a shootout with dozens of assassins, Wong Kom, bodyguard to Chot Petchpantakarn, the wealthiest man in Asia, finds his subject killed.Chaichol, the son and heir to the family fortune, fires the bodyguard and takes it upon himself to find the killers. He's then ambushed, and the rest of the bodyguard team is wiped out. Chaichol, however, comes out of it alive, and finds himself in a Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
slum, living with a volunteer car-accident rescue squad and falling in love with tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish Pok.
Meanwhile, Wong Kom is working to clear his name, and stay ahead of the chief villain and his bumbling gang of henchmen.
Cast
- Petchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai Wongkamlao, , is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ; and is a popular Thai television personality...
as Wong Kom - Piphat Apiraktanakorn as Chaichol Petchpantakarn
- Surachai Juntimatorn as Chot Petchpantakarn
- Suthep Prayoonpitak as Choung Petchpantakarn
- Aranya NamwongAranya NamwongAnchali Sirachaya , née Anchali Choppradit , stage-named Aranya Namwong is a Thai actress. She was the runner-up of 1964 Miss Thailand . She was the lead actress in many Thai films in the 1970s, often co-starring with Sombat Metanee...
as Rattana Petchpantakarn - Pumwaree YodkamolPumwaree YodkamolPumwaree Yodkamol is a Thai film and television actress. She co-starred in Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, portraying Muay Lek alongside Tony Jaa...
as Pok - Apaporn Nakornsawan as Mae Jam
- Wachara Pan-Iom as Songpol
- Yingyong Yodbuangam as Arthit
- Choosak Iamsook as Songpol Gangster No. 1
- Samart PayakaroonSamart PayakaroonSamart Payakaroon, real name Samart Tiptarmai is a Muaythai boxer.-Thai Boxing career:Samart has an older brother, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, who induced Samart to start training in Muay Thai.Samart started Muaythai training when he was 11...
as Songpol Gangster No. 2 - Krisranapong Ratchatha as Songpol Gangster No. 3
- Sayan Muangcharoen as Songpol Gangster No. 3
- Tony JaaTony JaaTatchakorn Yeerum , formerly Panom Yeerum , better known in the West as Tony Jaa, in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, choreographer, stuntman, director, and monk...
as Supermarket fighter / himself (as Panom Yeerum)
Casting notes
- Petchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai Wongkamlao, , is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ; and is a popular Thai television personality...
, a popular Thai comedian, plays the straight man. - Some of the film's promotional materials imply that this followup to Ong-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior , also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed...
stars Tony JaaTony JaaTatchakorn Yeerum , formerly Panom Yeerum , better known in the West as Tony Jaa, in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, choreographer, stuntman, director, and monk...
. In fact, Tony only has a small (but still memorable) role as an anonymous fighter in a supermarket. - In addition to Tony Jaa, dozens of Thai celebrities, including sports figures, comedians and musicians, have roles and cameos on the film. Among them are:
- Surachai Juntimatorn, portraying Chaichol's father, is more popularly known as "Nga Caravan" of the pioneering 1970s songs for life band, CaravanCaravan (Thai band)Caravan is a Thai folk-rock band that formed out of the 1973 democracy movement. It launched the Phleng pheua chiwit genre that has since been popularized by Carabao.-Personnel:...
. - Yingyong Yodbuangam, who portrayed one of the leaders of the bad guys, is a well-known luk thungLuk thungLuk Thung refers to the most popular form of a style of music found in Thailand. The term is short for pleng luk thung .Luk Thung songs typically reflect the hardship of everyday life among the rural poor. Tempos tend to be slow, and singers use an expressive singing style with a lot of vibrato...
singer. - Twin-brother boxers Kaokor GalaxyKaokor GalaxyNirote Saenkham in Petchaboon, Thailand, is the twin brother of boxing star Khaosai Galaxy and twice world champion in his own right.Like his brother, Nirote Saenkham started his career in the sport of kickboxing and later switched to orthodox boxing...
and Khaosai GalaxyKhaosai GalaxyKhaosai Galaxy is a former professional Thai super flyweight boxer and Muaythai kickboxer. Khaosai defended his WBA world title 19 times in seven years , winning 16 of his title fights by knockouts. A member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame he is widely considered as one of the greatest...
, portraying the "twin assassins". - Another boxer, Samart PayakaroonSamart PayakaroonSamart Payakaroon, real name Samart Tiptarmai is a Muaythai boxer.-Thai Boxing career:Samart has an older brother, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, who induced Samart to start training in Muay Thai.Samart started Muaythai training when he was 11...
, is Songpol Gangster No. 2. - ChaoThai royal and noble titlesThai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
Kokaew Prakaykavil na Chiang Mai, a blue-hairedBlue hairBlue hair is a type of hair color that does not naturally occur in human hair pigmentation, although the hair of some animals is described as blue. In humans, the color may occur after exposure to cobalt or indigo....
fixture on Thai newspaperMedia of ThailandThailand has a well-developed media sector, especially by Southeast Asian standards. Compared to other countries in the region, the Thai media have historically been relatively free, although the government has always exercised considerable control, especially over broadcast media...
society pages until her death in 2005, portrays a maidMaidA maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
.
- Surachai Juntimatorn, portraying Chaichol's father, is more popularly known as "Nga Caravan" of the pioneering 1970s songs for life band, Caravan
Production notes
- One of the most infamous scenes in the film is when Petchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai Wongkamlao, , is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ; and is a popular Thai television personality...
's character runs naked across BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
's crowded Victory MonumentVictory Monument (Bangkok)Victory Monument is a large military monument in Bangkok, Thailand. The monument is located in Ratchathewi district, northeast of central Bangkok, at the center of a traffic circle at the intersection of Phahonyothin Road, Phaya Thai Road, and Ratchawithi Road.The monument is one of Bangkok's...
public square, a major junction for public transportation. Petchtai sought to have a body-double do the stunt, but couldn't find anyone to do it, so he had to do it himself. On the "making of" documentary on the DVD, he said it was the most embarrassing thing he had done in his life. - There are several references to the Movie Ong-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior , also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed...
. An Example is in the Supermarket fight scene, where Tony Jaa's character says : You are welcome, Humlae, and Petchtai Wongkamlao responds by stating that this is another Movie ( Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior). Petchtai Wongkamlao played a character named Humlae in this Movie.
Awards and nominations
- Best supporting actress winner, Apaporn Nakornsawan, Thailand National Film Awards, 2005.