Fresh from his success with action comedies "7 Prajan Ban I and II" ("Seven Street Fighters I and II"), director Chalerm Wongpim returns with a movie that blends martial arts with supernatural powers. "Khon Fai Bin", which opens today at theatres nationwide, may have a Wild West feel to it, but Chalerm says he made it as a tribute to his native Isaan.

The film is set in the Northeast and was shot entirely on location in Khon Kaen. Even the soundtrack is in the Isaan dialect, although Thai subtitles are provided.

Chalerm's been thinking about making a movie about Isaan for years to blow away the myths that the Northeast is poor and suffers from famine and that the people are hillbillies.

"I'm not angry about the stereotypes. I just want to give us a different image," says the 35-year-old director.

Set some 100 years ago, the film focuses on the booming buffalo trade and the mahouts who traditionally drove the herds down to the central region for sale. But not all the mahouts were honest. Some robbed the villagers of their livestock. Determined to put a stop to buffalo rustling, Siang (Chupong "Diaw" Changprung) disguises himself as Jone Bang Fai - a Thai version of Robin Hood - and steals the buffaloes back from the bad mahouts.

But he also has a mission - searching for the man who killed his parents.

He soon finds the culprit, fellow mahout Sing (Samart Phayakarun), who is protected by his magical powers.

Meanwhile, Jone Bang Fai also has to face up to corrupt governor Phaya Wang (Phuttipong "Leo Put" Sriwat) who is trying to get rid of the buffalo trade so he can make money with his new tractors. Phaya orders Pop Dum (Panna Ritthikrai), who is known for his black magic powers, to kill all mahouts. Only Sing survives.

Using local props and costumes, the characters look like a cross between Isaan farmers and Montana cowboys. The weapons vary widely too, and include a bung fai (the homemade rocket that is fired into the sky at the beginning of the rainy season to ask for abundant rainfall).

"Both cowboy and Chinese martial arts films share the themes of revenge and the fight for justice," says Chalerm. "I remember a similar story from the action movies I saw as a child.

"That style disappeared from Thai film industry when teenage flicks came into vogue."

While high-kicking action is now popular with Thai moviegoers thanks to blockbusters "Ong Bak" and "Tom Yum Goong", Chalerm points out that the old rough-and-tumble action scenes are now obsolete.

"Today's action is well choreographed and supported with better production,' he explains.

That certainly holds true for "Khon Fai Bin", which has action scenes choreographed by the Somjai Janmontri, aide to action master Panna, who's returning to the screen after a 10-year hiatus.

Actor Chupong was also involved in designing some of his scenes.

"It's very different from [my first film] 'Kerd Ma Lui' ['Born To Fight'], which was quite dangerous and involved being a good gymnast. "There's much more fantasy in this movie and some of the moves are impossible."

Yet despite the fantasy aspects, Chalerm has used fewer special effects than on his two previous films.  "I don't think the computer generated images worked well last time. Not using them has cost us more time and money, but I think it's worth it."

The film has already been sold to a foreign distributor and will go on release in North America next year.

"I don't know much about the details, but I'm told it will screen with the new episode of Harry Potter," says Chalerm.

Parinyaporn Pajee

The Nation