Product Details

• Actors: Tony Jaa
• Directors: Prachya Pinkaew
• Format: Import, NTSC, Anamorphic, Widescreen
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Studio: Sahamongkol Film International Co. Ltd.
• Run Time: 110.0 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FC4EAK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,614 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Tom Yum Goong, from the creators of Ong Bak, marks another chapter in the rise of martial arts superstar, Tony Jaa. Following the same simple formula that helped make Ong Bak a runaway international success, Tom Yum Goong is filled with bone crunching fight sequences and jaw-dropping stuntwork. Kham, (Jaa) a simple Thai lad from the countryside, is forced out of his quiet lifestyle, and indeed his country, after his elephant is stolen by a vicious band of animal traffickers. He travels to Sydney, Australia and starts his quest to track down his missing pet, and in the process discovers that dealing in endangered species is the least of the evil gang's crimes. As with Ong Bak, the plot takes a definite back seat in favor of the action, with story and character development hardly a primary concern. In effect little more than a ninety-minute showcase of Jaa's talents, Tom Yum Goong is trashy popcorn entertainment at its best and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of martial arts lovers everywhere.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE, August 14, 2006

By 

Anton Ilinski (Moscow, Russia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tom Yum Goong [IMPORT] (DVD)

For those who've seen "Ong Bak" - Tony Jaa's previous film - I have to say that you know roughly what you're going to see, only this movie is even better. And those who haven't - well, what you are about to see you're not going to forget for a long time. The plot is practically the same as in "Ong Bak" - some villains kidnap a simple village guy's (who by the way practices Muay Thai) elephant. The guy leaves for big city to find those who did it and take his elephant back. Certainly he's going to do a lot of fighting.

Tony Jaa is something you've never seen before - a Jackie Chan kind of stuntman but tougher, can you imagine that? It's amazing what he does on screen (and everything is managed without any CG or wire as you probably heard already) - he jumps so high you wouldn't believe it, he fights dozens of enemies and wins while you don't have a slightest doubt he couldn't do it, he runs on walls and does all kinds of acrobatic and martial arts stuff that will blow your mind. All of his punches and kicks look real, and both in Tony Jaa's movies and in behind the scenes footage you can see he really delivers his punches, they are not just waving hands and legs in front of someone's face. I remember old Van Damme films where the major part of his kicks were not real and you could see he actually didn't kick anyone. But in "Tom Yum Goong" when Tony Jaa fights two guys who both are 7-feet tall and weighing more than 300 pounds it actually takes something and not just imitating kicks to persuade the audience he can really win this fight. And the fight looks ferocious because it's done on the verge of rationality and sense.

There's another scene which lasts about 5 or 7 minutes or maybe more when Tony goes in some casino that belongs to the bad guys, and he goes farther and farther fighting everyone who dares standing on his way. And this scene is done in 1(!) take. Where have you seen something like that? I haven't. And by the way all the fighting is shot beautifully with nice wide shots so that you can see everything in detail not wondering what it is glimpsing on screen.

There're many different stunts in "Tom Yum Goong", if you love martial arts cinema you'll appreciate it a lot, and even if you're not a fan you'll be extremely impressed. For you haven't seen anything like this neither in Jackie Chan movies nor in those of Jet Li. For me "Tom Yum Goong" was a kind of revelation. A cinematic one and also regarding the abilities of human body.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tony Jaa is the new face of martial arts!!, August 19, 2006

By 

H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Just moved to posh Marina Del Rey, CA - where if you drop a quarter, why, you just keep on walking) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tom Yum Goong [IMPORT] (DVD)

Tom-Yum-Goong (which is a popular Thai dish) comes two years after the success of Ong Bak: Thai Warrior and once more displays Tony Jaa's kinetic and concussive full-contact martial arts. Once again, just like in Ong Bak, the fight scenes do away with stunt doubles, wire-work or CGI. What the audience gets, instead, is a pure, unadulterated, very intense Tony Jaa doing his own eye-popping stunts.

When a bull and baby elephant are stolen from his family by the Asian Mafia and smuggled into Sydney, Australia, young Thai fighter Kham (Tony Jaa) follows to recover the sacred animals and exact [...]-kicking vengeance. In Sydney, he is befriended and aided by Sergeant Mark (Petchthai Wongkamlao), a Thai policeman toiling in Australia and by Pla (Bongkuch Kongmalai), a Thai girl and victim of a modern day slave ring. But, even with their help, can Kham beat the overwhelming odds as represented by syndicate boss Madame Rose and her numerous hencemen? I'm guessing... yeah.

The plot and actors aren't what you'd call top-notch (and the sub-title work is very shaky), although, in the midst of all the explosive fight scenes, you do have a rather sweet love story between a boy and his elephants. But, let's get real here; if you've come to this movie expecting quality exposition and Shakespearean emoting, boy, are you in the wrong part of town. Tom-Yum-Goong is a martial arts flick thru and thru, where a cohesive storyline and professional acting are eschewed for all-out, bone-crushing, head-bashing, nut-cracking Muay Thai mayhem.

Tony Jaa is the fresh face of martial arts and he's coming hard. It's a revelation to see him go up against and dispose of a hard crew of extreme sports thugs, Asian Mafia henchmen, several giants escaped from Wrestlemania, and a few practitioners of various martial arts (wushu, capoeira, etc.). The warehouse fight is typically high energy and shows off Tony Jaa's agile acrobatics. And, an hour into it, there's an extended fight sequence (about 4 minutes) which takes place inside a multi-floored restaurant - where a camera is continuously on Jaa for the whole length - that has to be seen to be believed. Kham rumbles his way up every level of the bordello, facing a host of baddies each time he ascends a floor (Game of Death, anyone?). The culminating fight sequence - where Jaa goes up against about 30 black-clad henchmen and uses various leg holds and arm locks to crackingly snap limbs and break body joints - is mind-boggling! As of right now, he's giving Jackie Chan and Jet Li a run for their money.

Tony Jaa, when not fracturing jaws or pulverizing clavicles with his vicious elbow strikes and knee thrusts, has an innocent, unaffectedly fresh persona he resorts to when he has to act. He made his loyalty and love for his elephants very genuine to the audience and realistically grounded the movie's main plot motivation. To his character Kham, these pachyderms were indeed treasured family members, members who he'll go thru hell and high water for. It's interesting to see if his acting evolves along with his martial arts moves. Petchthai Wongkamlao (also from Ong Bak, as George) as Sergeant Mark is decent as the unorthodox but upright cop. Johnny Nguyen as Johnny, to me, is the standout villain.

So, what more can I say? Tom-Yum-Goong will be released here in the States under the film title The Protector on September 8, 2006. So check it out and jump on the Tony Jaa bandwagon, while there's still room.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tony Jaa is the superman of martial arts today, September 13, 2006

By 

Brian Smith "Arm Chair Critic" (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tom Yum Goong [IMPORT] (DVD)

I have never seen such amazing martial arts stunt work as I saw in this movie. Tony Jaa is like some kind of superhuman killing machine as he goes after the gangsters who steal his beloved elephants. To think that he uses no wires or cgi, is remarkable. A must see for all martial arts fans. RUN don't walk, RUN to get this DVD! Run, even if it means running down the street in your underwear into oncoming traffic! If it is late at night and the stores are closed in your area, RUN THERE ANYWAY, and wait all night outside untill the store opens in the morning. If the police try to stop you, run away from them, into the woods where they won't be able to find you, and continue on your way to the store through wooded areas until you get there. DO IT!