Demon Warriors (AKA Opapatika) Combines Crime Drama, Science Fiction and Horror With a Bit of Bruce Lee
In Demon Warriors (AKA Opapatika) a band of undead demons wreak havoc on humanity while battling their personal demons along the way.
Written by The Horror Czar
September 4, 2009
Release: August 4, 2009 (U.S. DVD)
Directed by: Thanakorn Pongsuwan
Written by: Thanakorn Pongsuwan and Yutnathorn Kaewthong
Starring:
Somchai Kemglad as Jirat
Shahkrit Yamnarm as Paison
Leo Putt as Taesit
Athip Nana as Ramil
Ray MacDonald as Aroot
Kemapsorn Sirisukha as Pran
Demons are among us every day. They may look like you and I, but they are different, powerful… sometimes immortal. Live human beings can become demons, at least some of them can. Certain individuals are born with a recessive trait that causes them to rise to live again at the moment of their human death. Some develop this trait through a traumatic experience. Most don’t have it and will die a normal death like everyone else.
Each demon possesses a special power which varies from one to the other, but in every case the use of the special power causes a corresponding injury to the demon’s own undead body. Sadok, the overlord of a mischief-making gang of demons, for example, has the power to “see the death spot of his opponents”, meaning that if he fires a gun or throws a knife at an enemy he will always hit the precise area necessary to cause immediate death. When he exercises this power, however, he also feels the pain he has inflicted on other’s bodies and carries the scars of the assault on the exact spot that his victim received it. Sadok’s face and body are literally covered with scars.
A young detective, Jirat (Somchai Kemglad), is charged with stopping Sadok and his gang of demons. As a mere mortal, however, this has proven difficult indeed. Then he meets Paison (Shahkrit Yamnarm), a demon on the side of “good”. Paison‘s special power is an ability to see the recessive demon trait in living humans, and he sees this in the detective. With demon powers at his fingertips, all the detective needs to do is kill himself, become a demon himself, and hunt down the gang to stop them once and for all.
The detective’s special power is the gift of intuition – he can read the minds and guess the intentions of other demons… a useful skill for demon killing. Unfortunately, the use of this power also has a price, and every time his intuition is used he loses one of his five senses; sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell.
Can the detective stop the demon gang before losing all of his abilities to get around in the world? What secret motivations lie in the hearts of those who offer help? As the detective ventures out to complete his quest he cannot help but wonder whether he is actually fighting for the right side of the war.
Demon Warriors (which is the U.S. DVD title, the original title in Thailand being Opapatika) is a dubbed film mixing science fiction, crime drama and horror… and a bit of Bruce Lee Kung Fu fighter action thrown in for good measure. The demons are imaginative and created with great effects, each with a personal torture carried with them that adds a decidedly sympathetic perspective. Like so often happens in life, the prospect of an 
extreme advantage has its allure, but the negative aspects are seldom considered. Being a demon is not all super powers and gnarly fight scenes and the demons constantly search for some glimmers of happiness and joy that forever elude them.
The dialogue in Demon Warriors can be a bit difficult to follow, likely a result of the translation to English. Still, the English dub is very good and lacks the distracting ridiculousness that some other such translations struggle with. The sets are simple but effective and the film is wrought with imagery and situations meant to create feelings as much as convey actions.
Lovers of action movies may find Demon Warriors a bit slow as much time is spent developing the demon characters and illustrating the misery of “life” as a demon. The fact that they are constantly hunted by humans and other demons alike means that they are forever on the run with an existence completely devoid of peace.
Demon Warriors is a good little film, low on budget but high in imagery and imagination. While not a classic by any stretch, in the sea of “straight to DVD” horror, this one is a stand out. Questions or comments about Demon Warriors? Discuss it on The Ossuary Forums!
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