skin trade
2015 review number 61:
Skin Trade: (Action/Drama): 60 out of 100: Here's an action/thriller that doesn't really add anything new to the genre. It's a generic action film where the protagonist is out to seek revenge. There are elements of nastiness with the central theme revolving around human trafficking.
New Jersey detective Nick Cassidy (Dolph Lundgren) heads to Bangkok after surviving a bomb blast which kills his family. He seeks revenge for their deaths and knows who planned them. Viktor Dragovic (Ron Perlman) is involved in the sex trafficking trade but his dealings cannot be proved. After Dragovic's son is killed by Cassidy in a shoot-out, he takes out his family. Arriving in Bangkok, he teams up with Thai detective, Tony Vitayakui (Tony Jaa) to hunt down Dragovic. Vitayakui is suspicious of Cassidy because he believes that he murdered his detective partner. They must overcome the odds to defeat the enemy.
The fight scenes are well-staged and that wouldn't be hard to do considering Tony Jaa is a superior martial arts specialist. After appearing in many Thai films it appears that he is slowly becoming an international star for he was also in this month's "Fast and Furious 7". He's more of an action specialist than an actor and the same goes for Lundgren. Neither actor will be receiving any acting awards. Perlman is menacing as the villain and is a solid character actor. If you are a fan of "Robocop" you will also notice Peter Weller at his threatening best as the police chief.
The location shooting showcases Bangkok. Some of the action scenes in these locations are impressive. Thankfully the editing doesn't involve too many quick cuts during these scenes although the use of slow motion and shaky cameras goes overboard at times.
The story is an interesting one but not fully explored. It could have provided a more significant message about human trafficking but settles for generic action scenes. There's a fair bit of violence during these scenes so they're not for the faint-hearted.
"Skin Trade" is standard action fare which should please action enthusiasts. If you want that little extra social commentary on human trafficking, you won't find it here. People who dislike revenge films should steer clear of this film.
Starring Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa and Ron Perlman
(96 minutes)
Parental advice: Coarse language, violence, adult themes, sex scenes and drug use
Additional scene during or after movie: No
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Dhags2_Yw (Movie trailer)
(Reviewed on Thursday 23rd April, 2015)
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