the king maker will doubtless be a success in thailand where the similar ( but superior ) the legend of suriyothai set box office record . the film direct by lek kitaparaporn after a screenplay by sean casey base on historical fact in 1547 siam have some amazingly beautiful visual element but be disarm by one of the corniest and pedestrian script and story development on film . the event the picture relate be the arrival of the portuguese soldier of fortune fernando de gamma ( gary stretch ) whose vengeance for this father murderer drive him to shipwreck and capture and throw into slavery and put on the bloc in ayutthaya in the kingdom of siam where he be purchase by the beautiful maria ( cindy burbridge ) with the consent of her father phillipe ( john rhys davy ) and a man with a name and a past that be reveal a the story progress . there be a plot to overthrow the king and fernando and his new siamese sidekick tong ( dom hetrakul ) and after some gratuitous cgi enhance choreograph martial art silliness and be first reward by the king to become his bodyguard and only to be imprison together once queen sudachan ( yoe hassadeevichit ) reveal her plot to kill the king and son to allow her lover lord chakkraphat ( oliver pupart ) to take over the rule of siam . yet of course fernando and tong escape and be condemn to fight each other to save the life of their family ( tong wife and child and fernando now firm love affair with maria ) with the expected consequence . the acting ( with the exception of john rhys davy ) be so weak that the film occasionally seem a though it be mean to be camp . the predominantly thai cast struggle with the poorly write dialog and make u wish they have use their native thai with subtitle . the musical score by ian livingstone sound a though exhumed form old tv soap opera . but if it be visual splendor youre after there be plenty of that and that alone make the movie worth watch . it be a film that have obvious high financial backing for all the special effect and mass of cast and set and show it good intention . it be just the basic that be miss . grady harp .