Unlike the somber tone of the 1992 Bodyguard, the 2004 version is pure slapstick. Wong Kom is a country bumpkin who doesn’t understand city life. He tries to use a mobile phone as a fishing weight. He mistakes a ladyboy for a woman. He communicates with his pet buffalo via telepathy.
The film features a bizarre sub-plot involving a transgender hit squad and a villain who communicates entirely through old kung-fu movie dubbing. This tonal whiplash (brutal neck snaps followed by fart jokes) is a hallmark of early-2000s Thai cinema and an acquired taste—but for those who acquire it, it is intoxicating. the bodyguard 2004
Writers tried to adapt to the times. Early drafts for the mid-2000s version reportedly leaned heavily into the modern surveillance state. Instead of just a stalker, the threats would come from the internet, from hackers, and from the 24-hour news cycle. Unlike the somber tone of the 1992 Bodyguard
But the project stalled. Why? Because The Bodyguard is a movie that relies entirely on two specific elements: the soundtrack and the chemistry. In 1992, you had a voice that comes along once in a generation. Finding a voice that could rival Whitney Houston’s for a remake was a casting director's nightmare. Mariah Carey had dabbled in acting (Glitter), but the memory of that film’s reception made studios hesitant. Jennifer Lopez was a movie star and a pop star, but her style was distinctly different from the powerhouse ballads required for the film’s emotional climax. He mistakes a ladyboy for a woman
If you have never seen this film, here are three reasons to track down a copy of “The Bodyguard 2004” immediately.