An OK film, but with a good message

I just saw this film and I must admit it's a decent watch. Yes, some things are ridiculously over-the-top, like the nuke in the village (WTF!?), and the "soccer" shenanigans, but overall, it wasn't *that* horrible.

However, I greatly appreciate the strong anti-terrorism theme in this film. In a way, it sorta reminds me of United 93: these people were not going to let these terrorist bastards push them around and eventually slaughter them all. They fought back and that gives me great respect for the film-makers. Although in real life, they would have all died, they would have at least given the terrorists a bloody nose and spoiled their plans to videotape their deaths and broadcast it to the government.

One scene in particular makes stands out strongest to me: it is the scene when in the middle of the fighting, the Buddhist boy monk sits down and chants the old prayer that "we have overcome evil." And the next thing that happens is that a group of about 10 villagers/terrorists all gun each other down. That is a powerful message: wishing the bad guys away doesn't work. Violence is a regrettable but necessary outcome to stop them.

Also, I believe the terrorists in this film (who are never explicitly affiliated with any particular group) are meant to represent Muslim terrorists in Thailand, who have killed thousands of Thais in recent years. Here is a brief history of Thailand's "war on terror":

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/thailand2.htm

Here's a more condensed, easily accessible read:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/25/news/thailand.php