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Joe (Nick Cage)'s total ignorance about Thailand

posted 15 years ago by Captain_Bob
7 replies | jump to latest

How can the guy be this mysterious international expert hitman in Bangkok and then not have a clue about Thai language culture & behavior? It was like watching a tourist on their first arrival. Walks into pharmacy "I have a cut on my arm do you, like, have disinfectant?"

He then orders in these highly-conspicuous superbikes that almost no one else can afford or would ever have in Thailand, to do a busy downtown hit with tires spinning making loads of smoke and noise. Why not just use an ordinary Honda Wave CB150 or other commonly-seen smaller bike so as to blend in with regular Bangkok traffic? You can't ever go more than about 60kph in Bangkok traffic anyway so it's not like the superbike bought him any time.

Then he goes for dinner with the deaf mute Thai lady (who works at a pharmacy?) and nearly dies sweating over a bowl of Tom Yum Gung. WTF? You didn't know Thai food is often spicy? He just acted like a total dweeb during that scene. And obviously they chose to have the girl be deaf so Nick Cage wouldn't have to learn any Thai. Charlie Yeung is Hong Kong Chinese and probably also can't speak any Thai.

Seriously, when James Bond goes to any foreign country he has a decent grasp of the language and ways to make women swoon while always looking cool. "Joe" by comparison was unconvincingly clueless, perhaps Cage's worst role to date (and I am a fan).

[–] MAXMILLAIN 15 years ago

do you live in Bangkok? I do and i see superbikes all the time where I live in Thong Lor. Granted it is one of the more upmarket areas of BKK, but saying no one can afford them is far from the truth. I see lambos, Ferraris and Aston martins drive down my road all the time. There are very many rich people in Bangkok. and they like to flaunt the fact that they are rich.

And you can easily do more than 60mph, let alone 60kph in bangkok traffic at night on a bike.

[–] passport_to_pimlico 15 years ago

Werd. My taxi driver easily managed over 80kph a few nights ago going down Thanon Lat Phrao.

[–] thomas-746 13 years ago

I agree about the big cars i seen Lambo, Ferrari Audi R8 in bangkok myself. But he has a valid point if you want to get lost in the trafic it would be best to fit in. So if it was me then i would take a normal Thai motorcycle tune the engine (or exchange with a bigger) so it can move away faster and the ditch it somewhere.

And you you can even do 60 in a car at night.

[–] Jigsaw737 14 years ago

I agree that his hits were way too high profile, but I found the rest believable, because it most likely really was his first time in Thailand and he didn't have the time to get acquainted with the language and customs before getting there

By the looks of it he didn't hop around all over the world. He stayed in a country as long as he could get jobs and only left for another country when the situation became too hot and dangerous for him. So he really only started to learn the Thai ways when he arrived in Thailand.

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~No matter where you go, there you are~

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] thandon_s-901-236180 13 years ago

I don't see anything wrong with the big bike. They're actually not so rare.

The only scene that bothers me is the parade for the politician, with lots of people waving flags. C'mon... most of the Thai politicians are a$$holes. There would be some supporters, but not that many.

Well, this remake isn't as impressive as the original, but still somewhat entertaining.

PS. I'm Thai and I didn't know that chewing on mint leaves helps when eating spicy food. Gotta try that.

[–] 13 years ago

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