SPL: Sha Po Lang is a 2005 martial arts crime drama (a genre people in southeast Asia are treated to far more often than westerners), which came to America as Kill Zone. It featured impressive fights sequences from Hong Kong action stars like Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen, so perhaps in an attempt to match (and even exceed) the original, the prequel SPL 2: A Time for Consequences recruited Thai martial artist and Furious 7 villain, Tony Jaa (The Protector, Skin Trade). Jaa features prominently on the prequel’s poster, which also hints at his character, described by Twitchfilm as, “a father [trying] to get his daughter’s leukemia treated by getting bone marrow through the illegal market.”
Being a prequel, dead characters from the first SPL are free to return without the help of magic or science fiction, so expect to see Wu Jing (one of the first’s villains) back, along with Simon Yam (one of the first’s heroes). Other cast members include Louis Koo (Triad Election, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart) as a creepy evil doctor, and child actress Unda Kunteera Yhordchanng as Jaa’s daughter.
SPL 2 is set to be released in China June 18 this year. You can get a taste of the film’s high impact action in the trailer below – don’t worry, it’s subtitled.
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