Finally the movie that I moved to Thailand for has been released, 4 /12 years after I filmed in it we finally get to see it. For me it was very funny, a sense of deja vu, or in reality being taken back to that naive person who came and worked for peanuts in my 1st ever Thai film, though it was fair for what we did.
Back then I thought how good it would be to be seen on the big screen in my new temporary home and how good it would be to be recognised by a few avid movie fans who had watched the movie, and we waited, and waited.....
Until I worked on a bunch of other movies and forgot about his one almost entirely, the footage is no longer of any use for my showreel, the credit I have had supported with photos I took on set, the acting is not very much as it is a small stunt role and the stunt was throwing a guy over a counter and being shot several times.
POWER KIDS MOVIE TRAILER
Powerkids did not do well in theatre unfortunately, and the reviews were not so good either but then as I watched it I have to admit it is a Childrens movie, in fact the only other people in the cinema when I watched it (the last screening of Powerkids at that location) was a really old lady with a bunch of young kids.
Several central themes like the Remote Control car (including the awesome camera work and heart pumping music in the race scene) clearly show that the target market is small children, so I found myself rather bored at times watching the film.
(2015 UPDATE: Though this was a childrens movie, in the US it was rated 'R' (18+) due to the violence, so cultural differences caused that to backfire slightly)
But enough of what I have to say, much better and longer words were written before me so I'll refer you to them:
Wise Kwai's Power Kids Review
Twitch Film Review and Powerkids live show video
Deknang (site in Thai but lots of official photos from Powerkids)
And finally the real life drama that the story is loosely based on;
Statement on the seizure of the hospital in Ratchaburi, Thailand, by Karen solders of God's Army
BBC News Profile on the TWIN TWELVE YEAR OLD leaders of Gods Army
So there that's about it.
Lastly this might also soon be the end of my time in Thailand, this movie might have been the start of my time here and an eventful 4.5 years it has been but Powerkids might also signal the last of my time here as I have several opportunities that might lead me out of Thailand permanently (or at least for the forseeable future).
It was good to finally see this on screen and I got a certain amount more joy out of watching myself on the big screen, moreso than in Chandni Chowk to China, Drona or Som Tam in fact as this was my first Thai film and only my 2nd cinema release movie and some of the excitement from that time resurfaced and how we thought in 2 years time we were going to be big movie stars in Thailand....
As I said naive to the ways of Thailand (and the movie industry)....
