Regarded by many as the Thai epic that was successful enough to launch a new wave of internationally-popular movies from Thailand, BANG RAJAN is similar to Hollywood's BRAVEHEART, and just as interesting. That's impressive alone, seeing as the budget is about a thousand times lower than the Mel Gibson epic, but when you consider that the bloody battle sequences are just as good as in that and the likes of THE LAST SAMURAI, you'll realise that BANG RAJAN is a very good film indeed. The movie tells a SEVEN SAMURAI-style tale about villagers holding out against an army, and that cues two hours of bloody mayhem, heartfelt speeches, strong character building and tons of suspense. The budget is low and the camera-work sometimes choppy, but that's where the negatives end; in all other respects this is an epic movie with a high entertainment value.I always feel that 'true story' movies – like this one – have an extra 'oomph' to their fictional counterparts, and knowing this really happened makes BANG RAJAN a really interesting film to watch. Some Western viewers have found problems with the villagers themselves, seeing as they all have the same haircuts, are all mostly naked, and all look pretty much the same. That's not too much trouble though, as the main characters are easily distinguishable, from the drunken axe-wielding guy (who reminded me of Ajax from TROY) to the moustachioed hero and the younger family man and his pregnant wife. Acting from the unknown cast is surprisingly strong, and combined with a workable script, you end up with characters you really care for – and shed a tear or two about – in the battle sequences.The latter are varied and exciting, and easily the best parts of the movie. This film is chock-full of action and it never lets up, delivering more and more bloodshed until the exciting, climatic showdown. Thai filmmakers don't skimp on the gore either, so there are tons of bloody arrow hits, decapitations, flying limbs and people being blown to smithereens; sure, they're all shown very quickly, almost glimpses, but somehow that makes the battles seem more realistic and more hard-hitting. Sometimes the film transcends predictability and becomes inspired, like the bit where the heroes ride massively horned buffalos into battle, or when the villagers decide to make their own cannons from scrap metal. Other images, like the husband and wife on the battlefield, or the warriors emerging from the river, really stick in the mind for days to come. All in all, this is a highly rewatchable war film that offers pretty much everything for fans of the genre; even the cheapo special effects (like the digital explosions) are good enough to convince.

I assume this to be one of the pittiest movies I have ever seen. It would be sheer flattery to call it a "b" movie. If the fighters from Bang Rajan could come to future, smashing the heads of this films authors would be on top of their to-do list, I guess. Watching till the bitter end makes you think what a bunch of ludicrous posers those guys must have been (they were dead serious, mind you). However there is definite advantage for people involved in making this: You cant be criticized. Who would dare to have something against the heroes of Bang Rajan? I have nothing against them. The scriptwriter certainly does. It has no storyline whatsoever, it is NOT believable and the fighting scene at the end is surpassing my poor English vocabulary(vulgarisms aside). For extreme Rambo fans this film might seem a helluva good movie. You don't mind the lack of substantial conversation, yeah, who cares about that sh*t, there's bloood, buckets of bloood. And the sound of swords cutting human meat, insane "heroism" for no reason at all, hmm, the dying part is a bit out of place, but all in all, this one is banging!

Thailand is not the place people would expect to see high quality movies made. Though over the last couple of years some very interesting films have surfaced. This is yet another.This is a biographical tale of a village called Bang Rajan. During the Burmese invasion of Siam (Thailand) in the late 1700's this village played a pivotal part in the war against the invaders.The movie starts out quite below par with a rather cheesy battle scene. Though stick with it, as the film becomes very engrossing shortly after. You get to meet the characters of the film and witness their struggle against the cruel Burmese. The film is about honor and bravery against even the worst of odds.There may be qualms about the acting as most of the cast seem to be amateurs, though this does not detract from the film rather than actually heighten the reality. Some of the special effects are cheap, though the action is great to watch.I give this 8 out of 10 and highly recommend it to lovers of pre-1900's war movies and Asian Cinema buffs!

( Minor spoiler alert.)I bought this DVD after thorough scrutiny, being a total stranger to the Thai film-industry. I recently purchased it, based basically from the reviews it got here at IMDb. I had rather high expectations, especially as I am a big historical-epic-war-movie lover! I am happy to say it satisfied my expectations to the full. The structure of the movie is perhaps not conventional or optimal, starting out with a massive battle-scene,largely without any buildup, save a narrated introduction. However, the film manages to get deep into the characters as it goes along. The movie is filled with massive battle-scenes and action,as the bare-breasted villagers meet the Burmese army. The violence is of a very graphic nature,in the vein of Braveheart, including swords, hatchets,bow and arrows, guns, clubs and cannons. The climactic battle is simply breathtaking, not to mention riveting.