Power Kids Movie

Power Kids was the movie that got me over to move to Thailand in the first place, hence Power Kids was the first movie that I worked on in Thailand.

Shot Dead In Powerkids 

The Power Kids movie was already in pre-production and some filming had already taken place when my friend John who had moved over to Thailand 6 months before called me up and told me he had a part in the Power Kids movie, and they were looking for other big guys...

*Update: 2009 release date now official 

At the time I was having difficulties in my business and after reasessing what I wanted from life I decided to quit my work and move to Thailand.

Funnily enough John pretty much followed my move to Sydney from Newcastle, Australia for his own reasons that were similar to mine, then 10 years later it is me following him to Thailand as he too quit his job and moved to Thailand. 

So I arrived in Thailand and a meeting was set up for me to meet the Power Kids Assistant Director, they liked me and offered me a part in the movie.

Now the part in Power Kids was not big and I die in the first 5 minutes of the movie but it is a pivotal career point in that it is my first Thai movie role and I am getting professionally introduced to Baa Ram Ewe movie studios.

Basically, like most studios, they do not care what you have done previously unless it is a big budget American movie so I had to start at the bottom in this new market as a day rate stuntman and work my way back up.

Also interesting to note was that Pee Nu, the Assistant Director in Power Kids was excitedly telling me about the new movie called Som Tam that was to star Nathan Jones, fellow Australian and 7 foot actor.

I looked at Pee Nu and said "Who is going to be the bad guy?"
He said "I don't know"
Standing up to my full height I said "Who else is big enough to fight a 7ft Australian wrestler..... except another 7ft Australian wrestler?" tapping myself on the chest.
Nu's eyes lit up and he raced out of the room to get a producer.

And so 18 months later after many delays I finally got to film Som Tam with Nathan and to fight against him in the final fight, pretty much because I opened my mouth and planted the seed (as far as I can tell).

But back to the Power Kids movie.

Also to note is one of the child actors, Sasisa Jindamanee, from Powerkids also stars in Som Tam.

Power Kids is about agroup of terrorists breaking into a hospital where the UN Ambassador is having a check up. They plan on taking him hostage and using him for ransom.

The problem in Power Kids is a couple of children who are Tony Ja's students (both in the film and in real life) are at the hospital for a friends life saving operation and the terrorists entering the hospital has now put their friends life in danger so the kids go about twarting the terrorists in an attempt to get their friends operation before he dies.

Johnny Nguyen is the main bad guy in the Power Kids movie, you may remember him from Tom Yum Goong as the smartly dressed Wu Shu fighter in the white suit. Johnny has since gone to Vietnam and written, produced, directed and starred in Vietnams biggest movie ever - The Rebel. Congratulations Johnny! (little did I realise at the time that 12 months later I to would be following his lead when I wrote the script for Bangkok Adrenaline).

The 'hospital' for the filming Power Kids was actually this University just outside of Bangkok

Burmese Terrorists wait and wait for shooting, shooting with cameras of course as all the weapons had blanks, though with the special effects you would not know it as they come in mowing people down and shooting the place up

   

Johnny Nguyen, the terrorist leader and my executioner relaxes below. 

    

Following are some more photos from on set. As my part was small I was only on the movie for 3 days of filming, it was a good atmosphere and I met some very nice and interesting people.

Similar to Bangkok Adrenaline, Powerkids too had fancy American cars, in this case a stretch limo - like the hot GTO in B.A. this Limo too had no aircon, so first thing we had to do before stepping out of the car was to wipe the dripping sweat off our faces

  Bodyguards and  Doctors after work.

  Director and Assistant Director with the camera crew.