The first installment of Panya Renu, an Isaan-language movie, garnered huge praise, going from an underdog in the theaters to becoming a shining star of Thai cinema. It lacked big-name actors, a real budget, proper promotion and it was screened only in a limited number of theaters. But after word-of-mouth support spread on the Internet, it proved a hit at the box office. Now director Bin “Top” Banluerit rolls out its sequel, Panya Renu 2. But this time, studio giant Sahamongkol Film is producing, and famous comedians like Mum Jokmok and Sudarat “Tukky” Butprome are on board.
The story picks up after Panya (Shotiwat Pholrusmee) and Renu (Suthida Hongsa) lose a singing competition and return to their village. Renu gets a new big sister when she meets Apasara (Tukky) at a cow market, but her love life faces trouble again when an up-town girl and love rival Mew (Thariswan Kahawong) comes back to the village. She convinces Panya and Renu to take a second shot at a dancing competition in Bangkok and the country girl is soon headed for big problems in the big city.
The movie has more jokes and comedic characters than the last one, but what it lacks is heart. The charm of rural life, which was the original Panya Renu’s forte, has been replaced by more gags and singing numbers. It’s as if Bin considered trying to create a musical film but lost his nerve and just kept the ill-placed musical scenes. While the pace does pick up when the dance team heads to Bangkok, there are a lot of yawns for a good quarter of the movie.
Though it lacks the charm of the first movie, Panya Renu 2 does benefit from some strong performances, like Suthida’s, whose character is endearing. But while the actors save this movie from complete disaster, it just doesn’t hit the mark.