13: Game of Death (2006)

Pretty Good

Please don't spend money on this.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Well... i had heard great things about this movie, but frankly speaking i am very disappointed. The script has many loopholes and its very unstable. For example: When the guy makes three children cry and runs off from there, the two teachers get so hysteric and complains about him in the police station like he's some kind of terrorist... And the other one I didn't knew that punching a guy in the face and bashing up a beggar makes you the most wanted criminal in Thailand. WOW. If that would be the case than Thailand must be the most crime-free place in the whole world. And the last part, where the girl is sitting on the bench and the police comes near her... What does that means? I've tried to connect all the dots regarding that, but still i am clueless... It just does not lead to anything then why such a meaningless scene to end the film? Well... seriously i was expecting a lot from this movie but trust me its more like watching a Judd Apatow movie with a serial killer on the loose. Complete letdown.

Dark, often somber(..while also being quite outrageous and comic)psychological parable of what man, in a state of unrest and distress, would do to become rich. Chit's(Krissada Terrence)life is in a state of turmoil. He has been fired from his musical instrument salesman job, lost his girlfriend to rock stardom, and is tormented by a past with a horrible, abusive father. Holding unpaid bills in his hand and seeing his car towed away, Chit is faced with quite a crisis. A call from an unknown source proclaiming to be a reality show game offers Chit a chance to make millions if he agrees to participate in a series of challenges, phoned to him by the network behind the reality show. Each obstacle becomes increasingly more hostile and amoral, as Chit's actions make him a wanted man, his face on the news and the police looking for his whereabouts. Eventually, Chit will have to make a harrowing decision if he wishes to win the big bucks. Either decision will change Chit's life forever.While a bit far-fetched, Chukiat Sakveerakul's tale of desperation exploring the boundaries we are willing to go to achieve fortune sure grips hold thanks to fascinating subject matter. I doubt that Chit could've made it as far as he did, because the screenplay(..how this game show's network is able to always have everything in place by the time their contestant gets there without fail)depends a hell of a lot on coincidence. And, one wonders if anyone(..of course a few numskulls would in this day and age of greed and corruption), let alone poor sap Chit, would continue down such a dark path. This film is a lot like SAW in that a character runs through a series of obstacles where his decisions have great repercussions and everything that occurs from the moment he starts is based on being at the right place at exactly the right time. This is above all things a movie and obviously Chit will make it through every single scenario regardless of how unbelievable they are(..like his unlikely escape from a police force after him in a hospital). Sakveerakul and company ask for a leap of faith...are you willing to take it? The same question would be asked to those who watch SAW and it's endless supply of sequels. "13:Game of Death" has a voice, though, and isn't just an elaborate puzzlebox with endless death traps and gory murders. It has something to say and, despite a series of violent actions and aftermath of the game Chit's playing(..what a clothing line does to traveling motorcyclists and the vicious attack on ex-girlfriend's abusive beau with a steel chair), this film isn't really gory. I'm not sure why it's part of the Dimension Extreme label. There's some blood, and the allegory on display is a wicked one with an ending that will depress the hell out of you, but "13:Game of Death" isn't *that* extreme. The most warped sequence would have to be when Chit must go into a well, emerging from it with the corpse of the elderly cripple inside it while calling his uncaring relatives after he reaches the top! The film is clever, paced extremely well, with stunning camera-work, well acted, and exhausting. But, boy, does our hero get run through the ringer.

This movie is really strong. And it almost achieves to stay strong until the end. The end, that was a bit of a let down to me. The movie or better the director might have wanted too much at the end. It starts so good though, even the scene that is shown first will come back later in the movie and you will get the point the director wanted to make.Of course the "fun" is the guise for the social commentary/critic this movie wants to deliver. (Spoiler ahead concerning the end of the movie) But that is also the downfall at the end, because the morality/humanity of the story is so in your face, that you will probably choke on it. You also can't stop wondering, why the guy just didn't stop earlier ... his motivation not to kill in the end, doesn't seem real (especially after all he's done up to that point) ... but that's nit picking, that is only necessary to determine if this was meant to get a higher rating or not ... 7/10 is good and more than worth a watch!

Out of another great edition of FantAsia, this film received the PUBLIC'S GOLDEN PRIZE - BEST Asian FILM. A well deserved title with a well crafted storyline and fine acting.The premise of the movie is that of a deadbeat salesman who is in debt and in desperate need of money... as well as deeper needs such as love, hope, sense of purpose, etc. He gets a targeted phone call that invites him to play a secret game in order to win incremental amount of money all the way to the grand prize: 100 million bahts. At first he will have to kill an insect which he does without to much problem. The twelve other challenges are likely to be a bit more difficult to achieve in order to bank the jackpot, but this guy has nothing to lose and seems to be going along with the game as he sees money as the answer to most of his problems and pushing his limits by succeeding in this game as some well-needed sense of accomplishment.So the movie relies heavily on Krissada Terrence playing the protagonist, Pusit, and making us go through the motions and the emotions. His is a very capable actor and was well casted and directed to give a fine performance that reaches out to the sympathizing viewer. As for the rest of the cast, they are also of fine caliber. They bring to life this solid script cohesively and captivate the audience with the help of well-timed editing and a definitive storytelling know-how by screen-writer/director Ma-Deaw Chukiatsakwirakul (Chookiat Sakweerakul )Based on a comic, the transition to screen is surprisingly realistic and the story is well explored in all its humour and twisted horror. The game concept reminds us of the Saw trilogy (2004,2005&2006) and has similar elements on top of the reality TV references a la Fear Factor. At times, we are also reminded of Falling Down (1993)'s similar slow fall and emotional meltdown.Trying to conclude this wild ride is tricky and we are left with diverse elements that are not necessarily captivating or as original as the rest of the film on their own merit--nor are they out of place--, but tied together provide the base for the ending that does not disappoint.A clever movie that easily make you embark on a journey that can only be slowly but surely spiraling down. So where is the point where you lose control and what happens if someone else loses it for you?A thin line between deprived and deranged.Thailand 2006 | 113 min | 35mm Thai language (English subtitles)