6) POWER KIDS

Director: Krissanapong Rachata
Stars: Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Sasisa Jindamanee, Paytaai Wongkamlao, Nawarat Techarathanaprasert, Johnny Nguyen
Year: 2009
Rating: R
(in Thai with English subtitles)

The great film with the silly title, Power Kids (original Thai title: 5 Heart Heroes, but also known as Force of Five) is a terrific, action-packed martial arts film produced by the director of Ong-bak and Chocolate - which, if you've seen either of these films means you know what a rollercoaster ride the action sequences in this will be. Kids are the heroes here, as the film opens with a little shrimp of a kid named Wun, who lives with his brother Wut at a Muy Thai school where they have grown close to a few other students, forming a close bond of friendship between all five. Adorable and precocious, all Wun wants to do is be a normal kid - but born with a severe heart condition, the little boy has always had to take things slow, always under the protective eye of his older brother.

When circumstances occur that make Wun even more ill, to the point where a transplant is the only solution or Wun will die, the local hospital seeks frantically around Bangkok for a compatible heart donor - finally locating one at another hospital nearby. But with only four hours to spare, the heart is held up at the hospital - literally - when a band of violent terrorists take over the hospital, taking hostages and threatening to kill any and every person who stands in their way until their demands are met. With Wun so close to death, young Wut and his three friends band together to sneak past the terrorists, retrieve the heart for Wun, and get it back to the hospital before it's too late.

Yeah, the film is pretty obvious in trying to tug at the heartstrings ... but it's also an entertaining, action-packed roller coaster ride that has, at its center, a story of bravery, dedication, and friendship. The kids, while decent actors, are freaking amazing martial artists; there are no "little people" stunt doubles here, and these kids can both give and take a hit with real conviction on-screen; you'll be rooting and cheering for Wut and his friends from the very beginning, fairly yelling at the screen for them to kick the total ass of the bad-guy terrorist leader (Johnny Nguyen, coolly evil here).

Sure, the film can be overly sentimental; the plot even a bit far-fetched. But Power Kids is one of those films you'll be completely, emotionally caught up in, that also happens to have a positive message about love and friendship (though definitely not for young children, due to the violence and fight/action sequences). A worthy addition to your DVD library, and also worth repeat viewings just for those way-freaking-cool fight sequences alone! ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See