Star Rating: 2/5

Team up acclaimed director Nonzee Nimibutr (Nang Nak) with a who’s who of A-list stars and an S.E.A.Write-winning scriptwriter, and you have every right to expect something more than just another epic fantasy with all the usual trappings.

To make this long (and complicated) story short, Queens is set in the 17th century Langkasuka Kingdom where Queen Hijau (Jarunee Suksawas) is under serious threat of being overthrown by rebel Prince Rawaii (Ake Oree) aided by pirate Black Raven (Winai Kraibutr). While the villains are trying to retrieve a formidable cannon from the sea, the queen assigns royal bodyguard Jarang (Diew Chupong) to locate Chinese inventor Lim Kium (Jakkrit Phanichphatikram) to help build her own great cannons. Looking to cement further alliances, she forces her sister Princess Ungu (Anna Hambawaris) into an arranged marriage with Prince Pahang (Jesdaporn Pholdee). But the headstrong princess falls for a sea gypsy, Pari (Ananda Everingham), who uses his Du Lam magic to fight at her side.

With a mix of piracy, sorcery, martial arts sequences and elaborate costumes, Queens is dazzling to watch. But despite its visual slickness, the big-budget flick doesn’t quite live up to the hype in other departments. The story tries to cover too many topics from greed to forgiveness and the environment with a small dose of romance. But none of them is developed in sufficient depth. The A-list cast also has their ups and downs. Veteran Jarunee delivers a dependable performance, but sometimes appears uncomfortable in her over the top outfits. Martial artist Diew Chupong should have more chances to flaunt his kick fighting skills. It’s poster-boy Ananda who steals the scene—not with his performance but his scantily-clad outfit and a superhero-like, stingray-riding sequence.

Fortunately, near the end, the story does pick up and delivers juicy battle scenes to satisfy your craving for action. All in all, Queens manages to tick some of the boxes. It’s worth seeing for the production, but just don’t expect it to be Thailand’s answer to Pirates of the Caribbean.