Clash (Bẫy Rồng)

Vietnam 2009
97 min / color video
Vietnamese with English subtitles

Producers: Jimmy Pham Nghiem, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Ngo Thanh Van
Executive Producers: Tawny Truc Nguyen, Rich Long Nguyen, Ryan Hoang Hubris, Alex Vo, Carson Vo
Co-producers: Jenni Trang Le, Nguyen Thanh Long
Director: Le Thanh Son
Writers: Johnny Tri Nguyen, Le Thanh Son, Ho Quang Hung
Cinematographer: Dominic Pereira
Production Designer: La Quy Tung
Music: Christopher Wong
Editor: Ham Tran
Main Cast: Johnny Tri Nguyen, Ngo Thanh Van, Hoang Phuc, Lam Minh Thang, Hieu Hien, Truong The Vinh

Bay Rong/Clash, directed by Le Thanh Son and starring Johnny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo Thanh Van (Vietnam’s equivalent to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) is an in-your-face action film guaranteed to make your head spin. Expect tons of visceral entertainment in the form of precisely-choreographed violence and gratifying explosions throughout the film. And mixed martial arts enthusiasts will be excited by the wrestling and grappling arts featured.
Shot on the RED camera, the film looks spectacular yet appropriately gritty for the subject matter. Johnny and Veronica look terrific once again in their first cinematic reunion since Dong Mau Anh Hung/The Rebel. One noteworthy character is the vertically-challenged gangster, Phong (played by Hieu Hien), who provides delightful comic relief in an otherwise dark film.
While the film, especially the first half, is entertaining in a playful way, the film does take itself seriously, exploring the dark subplots of the main characters. Director Le Thanh Son only had thirty days to shoot - an incredibly short period of time for an action picture, and thirty more to put the film together, which is simply madness.

Clash is meant to be a “tentpole film,” a movie whose budget and gross profit will go towards supporting an entire film company’s efforts to create more films in the future. Clash is now in nationwide release, and, overall, the film is a huge breakthrough for Vietnamese film as it became a box office hit in Vietnam during a non-Tết season.

By Lee Ngo