Wongkom is a bodyguard protecting the person of Choti, one of the most successful businessmen in Thai. One day, however, he loses Choti in a moment's distraction and the gangsters set up a plan to kidnap and kill off Chaichon, the only heir to the Choti fortune, to usurp the right. Chaichon, a kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth, has never had a chance to think about the meaning of life. He escapes the threat of murder by a hair's breadth and meets a haughty but attractive girl named Pok. Wongkom, however, having committed an unforgivable mistake as a bodyguard, tries to protect the fortune of his master by holding the gangs in check. He want's to overcome his guilt but it's not so easy. The bodyguard, a story of an unfortunate bodyguard, is the directing debut of Petchai Wongkamlao, the action star of Ong-Bak fame. It is a sheer action flick filled with thrilling fight scenes and chases. There are some upscale action sequences, like the one with 4 cars crashing and blowing up in the air. Both classic Hong-Kong wire-actions and Thai real actions are equally used in the film, presenting the viewers with spectacularly "Blockbuster" visual quality. But still, the narrative is focused on the process in which Chaichon, initially a cold unfeeling greenhorn, grows up to be a mature man. In this respect, the film aims at catching two rabbits, drama and action, with one stone. The most valuable asset of the Bodyguard is its unique sense of Thai humor. Although the movie starts off with a wrenching tragedy, it still makes audience laugh out loud at the most unexpected moments. For instance, no one really can pull a straight face watching naked Wongkom run for his life in the main street or his charismatic presence at the last faceoff. (YI Sul)