Trailer for Somtum, starring Nathan Jones

At the office, I checked out the trailer for the latest food-themed Thai action flick, Somtum, and had some co-workers hovering over my shoulders as I watched it, and what a blast it is.

Following up on Tom Yum Goong and Chocolate, Somtam stars towering Australian professional wrestler and strongman Nathan Jones, who has played a big brute in such films as Troy with Brad Pitt, Fearless with Jet Li and Tom Yum Goong with Tony Jaa. In Somtum, Nathan gets to stretch his dramatic and comedic chops, playing against type as a meek homeless foreigner living on the streets of Bangkok.

Frightened by the backfiring of a tuk-tuk, he ends up getting beat on by a bunch of thugs, only to be rescued by a pair of little girls -- one of them the pint-sized Muay Thai fighter from Born to Fight. I don't know her name, but she will soon become a household word as she is obviously being groomed to be the No. 2 female action star in the Sahamongkol stable -- like Dan Chupong is to Tony Jaa, this ferocious little girl will be a relief hitter to Chocolate's Jeeja.

Sahamongkol scion Narawan "Grace" Techaratanaprasert also stars. And, in what will prove to be something to be seen on the big screen, another 7-foot-tall stunt actor, Conan Stevens, will be sparring with Nathan, once the secret ingredient is provided to rid Nahtan's character of his meekness. You see, despite his height and strength, he is as peaceful as a lamb. After the girls take him in, he serves as a temple boy for a Buddhist monk, and helps haul fish from the docks to the market. But when the girls feed him some super spicy somtum (papaya salad), he becomes full of rage -- sort of a Hulk-like figure, but instead of green he turns red.

Somtum opens in Thailand cinemas on May 29.

(Via Twitch and ThaiCinema.org)