Power Kids (AKA Force Of Five/Five Heart Heroes) (2009) - A Review

 

Power Kids is a children's movie not safe for children.

Power Kids (also known as Five Heart Heroes or Force Of Five) is a Thai action/martial arts/comedy movie released in 2009. It stars Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Sasisa Jindamanee, Paytaaai Wongkamlao, Nawarat Techarathanaprasert, Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul, Johnny Trí Nguyễn, and Darun Tantiwichitwech. Power Kids was directed by Krissanapong Rachata.

From left: Pong, Woot, Jib, and Cat.

 

In Power Kids,Woot (played by Nantawooti Boonrapsap), Cat (played by Sasisa Jindamanee), Pong (played by Paytaaai Wongkamlao) and Woon (played by Darun Tantiwichitwech) are friends who live together at their teacher's Muay Thai school. Woon, Woot's younger brother, has a heart condition which is worsening. After an incident with bullies sends Woon to the hospital, they find out he needs a heart transplant as soon as possible. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of view) there is a donor at another hospital in the city. Things are set up and ready to go when terrorists invade the hospital where the donor is located, locking the whole place down. With the knowledge that the donated heart can only survive four hours after being taken out of the donor, Woot vows to get the heart for his brother. Woot, Cat, Pong, and Jib (played by Nawarat Techarathanaprasert) infiltrate the hospital to retrieve the heart before the four hours are up. Along the way they make unlikely allies and fight off gun-toting terrorists!

These terrorists are not messing around!

 

This is one peculiar movie! Though the tone of this film is of a family friendly type of movie...there are some violent scenes in here! Truthfully, this is one of the most violent kids movies I've ever seen! People are getting shot to death (with blood spraying realistically, at least), people falling to their deaths, people being set on fire; it's just wild! It's funny because the movie starts off like a typical kids movie. You don't expect it to go that far! The first sign that this movie is not safe for kids is when a drunk character enters the Muay Thai school cussing up a storm in English! The kids savagely beat him up, naturally. Actually, at the start of the movie there is a violent shoot out between soldiers, so...that would be the first sign this isn't a regular kids movie!

I actually did not like this movie when I first watched it. I usually don't mind a mixing of genres, but this one was a bit too far. On my second viewing of Power Kids (for this review), I actually liked it a lot! I don't know, I just went with it! The movie is a bit funny, at least (the best comedic scene is when Pong and Jib are in the hospital morgue). Though, there is some comedy based on child abuse... so be prepared. The kids are pretty good actors, especially Woon's actor. You really feel for him and hope everything turns out for the best for him.

Woot and Cat go hard on their opponents!

 

The action in Power Kids is pretty good! It's not Hong Kong style, it is based more on Muay Thai. Woot and Cat throw brutal knees and elbows at the heads and faces of their opponents. Sasisa Jindamanee, who plays Cat, is awesome in this. She can really kick some butt! Nantawooti Boonrapsap, who plays Woot, is great too. In one scene he knees a guy through glass, and he doesn't even cover his face while going through the glass! That kid is hardcore! Johnny Trí Nguyễn, who plays the second in command of the terrorists, is a great fighter. He does take a beating from these little kids, though! As for the other action in this, there is violent gunplay, stabbings, and explosions. It's got everything you would want in an action movie!

So, should you watch Power Kids? I have to say yes. This is a movie you have to see to believe! I would advise that you do not show little children this movie! 3 Ninjas this is not! The story is simple, but serviceable. The action is hard-hitting and surprisingly violent. There is some good comedy in this, and it can get sappy at times, but it's undeniably entertaining. Give it a shot!

The cover of the Blu-Ray I watched for this review. I bought it for $1 at Dollar Tree, can you believe it? A dollar for a martial arts movie? I'm there!

 

The back cover of the Blu-Ray. It even hints that this movie is not for kids!

The Blu-Ray disc itself.

 

 

 

 

Reviewed by David Williams

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