One of those 1990s films that hasn't aged past the decade. It was a mistake to remake the Yul Brynner classic and not bother with the songs, which made the movie; in its place they fill this with tiresome and heavy-handed politics, including random anti-British propaganda, and extraneous characters who feel more like caricatures. Jodie Foster is miscast in a romantic lead role - watch SILENCE OF THE LAMBS again to see the kind of role she should be playing - and as much as I love Chow Yun-Fat, he has little to do here. What a shame.

It's 1862. Anna Leonowens (Jodie Foster) is an English widow school teacher who travels to Siam with her son Louis (Tom Felton). She is to teach English to the children of King Mongkut (Chow Yun-Fat). Mongkut is trying to maintain his country's independence while modernizing amid colonial pressures. He faces deceit from within and a force from Burma. She faces internal palace politics and cultural differences.

This is beautifully shot. The acting is mostly fine. Jodie is a bit too hard. Chow Yun-Fat is bemused. They have little chemistry together. The movie is a bit overly long with a few too many side stories. It needs to decide to concentrate on the romance or the military intrigue. The movie seems to want it all and struggles because of it.

... especially if it's a remake! And this time or better in this case, the remake might look good (even on paper, with two heavyweights in the front line - Chow Yun Fat and Jodie Foster, and some bit players behind them, Bai Ling and so forth),but it's what inside that counts. And there it lacks ...

It lacks the heart and the purity of the original with Yul Brunner as a much better "King" (with more edges than Yun Fat). The original had another flavor, it played around another time and it worked. Although Jodie is an excellent actress, you just don't buy into her. And you especially don't buy into the "relationship" between her and the King ... etcetera etcetera etcetera! (had to do that at least one time, for Brunners sake). So if you want to listen to me, go watch the original instead of this one (yes the original is a musical, but even I liked it and I'm not that into musicals!)