Dynamite Warrior
Encyclopedia
Dynamite Warrior is a 2006 Thai martial arts film
directed by Chalerm Wongpim and starring Dan Chupong
(from Born to Fight).
. Siang (Dan Chupong
) is a young Muay Thai
warrior and rocketry
expert who steals back water buffalo taken from poor Isan
farmers by unscrupulous cattle raiders
. He is searching for a man with a tattoo who killed his parents.
A local nobleman, Lord Waeng (Phutiphong Sriwat), wants to create a market for his steam tractor
s, so he hires a hulking convict, "The Thief" (Somdet Kaewleu), to kill all the cattle traders and round up all the water buffalo for slaughter, depriving farmers of the draft animals
they need to cultivate rice. Lord Waeng's men are eventually pitted against Nai Hoi Sing (Samart Payakaroon
), a cattle trader with supernatural martial arts powers and a tattoo on his chest. The tattoo gets Siang's attention, and while the Thief is attempting to steal Sing's cattle herd, Siang briefly confronts Sing but is repelled.
Lord Waeng consults the Black Wizard (Panna Ritikrai), who was once cursed by Sing so that he cannot withstand sunlight, to find a way to defeat Sing. The Black Wizard says the only way to reverse his spells is to use the menstrual
blood of a virgin – the Black Wizard's daughter, E'Sao (Kanyaphak Suwankut).
was Tabunfire, but was renamed Khon Fai Bin by Sahamongkol Film International
chief executive Somsak Techaratanaprasert who wanted the film's name to be similar to the Thai title for Chen Kaige
's The Promise
, which was Khon Ma Bin (literally "flying horseman"). Khon fai bin means "flying man of fire". Khon is also spelled with the obsolete character ฅ, presumably still in use at the time of the action, but since replaced by ค.
The English title underwent a change as well, to Dynamite Warrior, as the film was sold to Magnolia Pictures
, an American
distributor.
In Thailand, the English title has been listed as Fire Warriors.
The film was made with an all-Isan
cast and crew, filming for several months in a small village in Phu Wiang District, Khon Kaen Province
. "With over a hundred buffalo in the village, it provided the perfect backdrop for the movie," star Dan Chupong
said in an interview.
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
directed by Chalerm Wongpim and starring Dan Chupong
Dan Chupong
Chupong Changprung is a Thai martial arts film actor. He is also known by his Westernized name, Dan Chupong...
(from Born to Fight).
Plot
The story is set in 1890s SiamThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Siang (Dan Chupong
Dan Chupong
Chupong Changprung is a Thai martial arts film actor. He is also known by his Westernized name, Dan Chupong...
) is a young Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
warrior and rocketry
Rocket Festival
A Rocket Festival is a merit-making ceremony traditionally practiced by Ethnic Lao people throughout much of northeast Thailand and Laos, by numerous villages and municipalities near the beginning of the rainy season...
expert who steals back water buffalo taken from poor Isan
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
farmers by unscrupulous cattle raiders
Cattle raiding
Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
. He is searching for a man with a tattoo who killed his parents.
A local nobleman, Lord Waeng (Phutiphong Sriwat), wants to create a market for his steam tractor
Steam tractor
A steam tractor is a vehicle powered by a steam engine which is used for pulling.In North America, the term steam tractor usually refers to a type of agricultural tractor powered by a steam engine, used extensively in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.In Great Britain, the term steam tractor...
s, so he hires a hulking convict, "The Thief" (Somdet Kaewleu), to kill all the cattle traders and round up all the water buffalo for slaughter, depriving farmers of the draft animals
Working animal
A working animal is an animal, usually domesticated, that is kept by humans and trained to perform tasks. They may be close members of the family, such as guide or service dogs, or they may be animals trained strictly to perform a job, such as logging elephants. They may also be used for milk, a...
they need to cultivate rice. Lord Waeng's men are eventually pitted against Nai Hoi Sing (Samart Payakaroon
Samart Payakaroon
Samart Payakaroon, real name Samart Tiptarmai is a Muaythai boxer.-Thai Boxing career:Samart has an older brother, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, who induced Samart to start training in Muay Thai.Samart started Muaythai training when he was 11...
), a cattle trader with supernatural martial arts powers and a tattoo on his chest. The tattoo gets Siang's attention, and while the Thief is attempting to steal Sing's cattle herd, Siang briefly confronts Sing but is repelled.
Lord Waeng consults the Black Wizard (Panna Ritikrai), who was once cursed by Sing so that he cannot withstand sunlight, to find a way to defeat Sing. The Black Wizard says the only way to reverse his spells is to use the menstrual
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that can occur in fertile women for the purpose of sexual reproduction. This article focuses on the human menstrual cycle....
blood of a virgin – the Black Wizard's daughter, E'Sao (Kanyaphak Suwankut).
Production
The film's working titleWorking title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
was Tabunfire, but was renamed Khon Fai Bin by Sahamongkol Film International
Sahamongkol Film International
Sahamongkol Film International Co. Ltd. is a Thai motion picture production and distribution company. It is the leading movie company in Thailand, ahead of GMM Grammy's GMM Tai Hub, Five Star Production and...
chief executive Somsak Techaratanaprasert who wanted the film's name to be similar to the Thai title for Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige
Chen Kaige is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. His films are known for their visual flair and epic storytelling.-Early life:...
's The Promise
The Promise (2005 film)
The Promise is a 2005 Chinese epic fantasy film directed by Chen Kaige and starring Jang Dong-gun, Hiroyuki Sanada, Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse. The film is based on the wuxia romance The K'un-lun Slave, written by P'ei Hsing at the time of the Tang Dynasty.First released in mainland China on...
, which was Khon Ma Bin (literally "flying horseman"). Khon fai bin means "flying man of fire". Khon is also spelled with the obsolete character ฅ, presumably still in use at the time of the action, but since replaced by ค.
The English title underwent a change as well, to Dynamite Warrior, as the film was sold to Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures is an American film distributor, and is a holding of 2929 Entertainment, owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Magnolia was formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, and specializes in both foreign and independent films....
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
distributor.
In Thailand, the English title has been listed as Fire Warriors.
The film was made with an all-Isan
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
cast and crew, filming for several months in a small village in Phu Wiang District, Khon Kaen Province
Khon Kaen Province
-History:The first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people. King Rama I made Rajakruluang the first governor of the area when establishing tighter connections with the Isan area. The main city was moved six times until in 1879 it reached its modern...
. "With over a hundred buffalo in the village, it provided the perfect backdrop for the movie," star Dan Chupong
Dan Chupong
Chupong Changprung is a Thai martial arts film actor. He is also known by his Westernized name, Dan Chupong...
said in an interview.