Now, I am not familiar with the Thai legend of the Sming, but that didn't really prove to be a problem in order to enjoy the 2014 movie based on said legend.¨
As luck would have it, I happened to get a chance to sit down and watch the 2014 movie "Sming" from writer and director Pan Visitsak here in 2020. And given my fascination with the Asian cinema, of course I found the time to do so. However, I must say that I wasn't particularly much a fan of the movie's cover/poster, because it was just too far out there.
Turns out that writer and director Pan Visitsak actually managed to conjure up an enjoyable and entertaining movie here. I will say that I was genuinely entertained with the storyline and the events that transpired on the screen.
The characters in the movie were interesting, and they had a good ensemble of casted actors and actresses to portray the various roles and characters. I can't really claim to be familiar with anyone on the cast; which is actually something I enjoy in a movie. It is always nice to watch new talents and faces on the screen.
"Sming" is a movie that was relying heavily on the use of CGI in order to bring the shape-shifting Sming to life on the screen. And most of the time it worked out quite well, because the CGI team managed to animate the tiger in a realistic enough manner. But at times the tiger was just painstakingly CGI animated, and when the half-man and half-tiger creatures were on the screen, it just shifted to something atrocious that looked like something out of a 1990s PC game. That was some questionable and dubious CGI work at best.
However, I was entertained from the beginning and right up to the end. And I liked the twist to the storyline that writer and director Pan Visitsak threw in towards the end.
My rating of "Sming" is a well-deserved six out of ten stars.
Plot summary
Pran Boon, or Hunter Boon, saves a child's life by killing a young Sming that attacked him. Little did he know that the young Sming was not the only one in the area. After having witnessed Pran Boon killing her son, mother Sming sets out to Pran Boon's village, seeking revenge that leaves Pran Boon's wife dead and his daughter injured. Knowing he and his daughter would never be safe again until the Sming is dead, Pran Boon begins his hunt for the most dangerous hunter in the jungle with the support of Pran Hlong, an immigrated Chinese hunter who seems unlikely to be an ordinary hunter. As the Sming's hunt for villagers escalates, a young ranger, Chart, is sent to Pran Boon's village to investigate. Meanwhile, an English hunter, John, and his team tag along with Chart with the purpose of hunting wild animals. Along the dangerous hunt, all the different contestants will have to face different deadly situations. As the story goes on, a Cambodian hunter shines light on the origins of the Sming, now one-eye blinded by Pran Boon.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Turned out to be rather enjoyable...
A shape shifting tiger which traps souls of its victims. Nice concept but poor execution due to low budget, nonetheless...
Its a one time watch for creature films fans but don't expect ripping n munching. The plot - A hunter saves a young boy from a tiger by killing it. It turns out that the tiger's mother is a supernatural shapeshifting ferocious beast which uses illusions to kil people. The beast wreaks havoc on the hunter's family n village. As more and more people r killed, many fellas join in the task to kill the beast and soon a deadly games unsues blurring the line between the hunter and the hunted. If only the budget was good, the makers wud have done some good gore effects with lottuva kills. A decent effort by a first time director.