After several postponements and having to re-film CG scenes due to an unfortunate incident at the editing house where parts of the film were damaged, the much-awaited final installment of the biopic blockbuster King Naresuan has arrived. Coinciding with the current political situation, there’s perhaps no better time for an action-packed show of nationalism. Somewhat unfortunately, this latest work by Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol leaves out the key ingredient, action, so what we get is more of a patriotic puff piece.  

 

Unable to break into Ayuthaya, the Hongsawadee army, led by King Nanda Bayin (Jakkrit Ammarat) and Prince Upparaja (Napatsakorn Mitraim), is camping across the river. When King Naresuan (Wanchana “Bird” Sawasdee) makes a surprise naval attack one morning and triumphs in battle, Nanda Bayin is left with severe burns and his troops forced to retreat to their kingdom. Angry, Bayin beats up Princess Supankanlaya, the daughter of Ayuthaya’s King Thammaraja, who is held as a hostage in Hongsawadee. The King doesn’t cope well with the news and soon passes away, leaving Prince Naresuan to assume the crown. As the Hongsawadee army moves ever closer, the new king prepares for battle, which leads up to a historical elephant duel that defines his kingdom’s independence.

 

Though the runtime is relatively short compared to some of Chatrichalerm’s previous films, the movie is by no means punchier. With its epic and patriotic scope, Naresuan 5 progresses at a slow march, the parade of grandiose moments occasionally interspersed with short, abrupt scenes of a trivial nature. Accompanying the drama is a grand orchestral score, to some moving effect. But despite some spectacular imagery—the historic setting, the costumes and the naval battle which is reminiscent of John Woo’s Red Cliff—it’s all a bit over-the-top at times. 

 

Given it’s a tale of two kingdoms at war, the film inevitably involves a large cast. Yet too much time is spent on unnecessary characters, such as the mute elephant caretaker, whose presence feels out of place. The lead cast do as well as the script allows, though they all have the annoying habit of having to put every scene in its context with lengthy back stories.  

 

Sadly, the much-anticipated final battle is where Naresuan 5 lets us down the most. All the deft war tactics drawn up never really materialize, sabotaged by a bizarre, unconvincing CG storm. The elephant duel is a bit of a shambles, an oddity rather than a majestic moment. Fans of King Naresuan will nonetheless enjoy this fifth installment, but more due to the depth and buildup of its prequels. As much as it tries to have us embrace the nation’s independence, the slow, dialog-driven plot only reminds us that actions speak much louder than words.