Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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83 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No Stunts, No Wires, No CGIs, Just Actions; Just Amazing, February 14, 2005
You like Jackie Chan films? Or remember Bruce Lee? If so, don't miss this one from Thailand, where the film industry is thriving more than ever. And remember the name of Tony Jaa, stunt-turned-actor (incidentally, he was a stunt in the second 'Mortal Kombat' film, and his then co-worker was Ray Park, 'X-Men') Jaa's martial arts skills based on Muay Thai (Thai-style fighting) are simply astonishing.
[NO STUNTS, NO CGIs] Strangely titled film 'Ong-bak: Thai Warrior' is, as the title says, an exciting Thai actioner starring Tony Jaa (real name Panom Yeerum), who plays the hero Ting living in an apparently sleepy country in Thailand. Not exactly, you soon see. In this interesting opening scene, you see these scantily dressed guys climing up one big tree, and during the fighting, they fall one by one onto the ground. This is actually a kind of festival, or ritual, of the hero's village, but what you should realize is, the film uses NO CGIs, NO WIRES ATTACHED.
[FORGET THE STORY] Story? Need one? OK, Tony Jaa's hero has to track down the theives who cut off and stole the head of the sacred statue in his village. With this mission, he goes to town, where he meets one middle-aged man George, and his friend (perhaps girlfriend) Muay. Before you know it, they all got in troubles for the thugs start attack them.
[ACTIONS] Then, actions begin, which are simply eye-poping. One example: in the cat-and-mouse chase scene in the market, running away from the bad guys, Tony Jarr jumps over the tables, stalls, and cars (!) with Jackie's comic timing. And look how he slides into UNDER an RV! To add to them, he leaps through a ring of barbed wires (real ones, I suppose), and comes out unharmed, never stopping a moment!
Himself a Muay Thai fighter, Tony Jaa (or his character) joins in several illegal boxing bouts. You might say you have seen this kind of bloody, bone-crunching fight sequences in the past. Not Tony Jaa's high-kicking that strikes the opponent at the speed of lightening. This sounds like cliche, I know, but it is true, his agile movement reminds me of the deadly power of Bruce Lee and the ultra-fast speed of Jet Li.
And that's not the end, for Jaa does many, many other actions, which I refuse to write about here, for you should see them for yourself in theatres. Again, I say, Tony Jaa uses no stunts, no special effects or no strings. Of course, he will not win the Oscar for acting the hero of this film, but when he can fight like Lee, Chan, and Li, who cares?
My advice: 'Ong-bak' is a must for any fans who love action films. Watch it, and be surprised.
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53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blunt-force Trauma as High Art, September 1, 2005
I saw this movie recently at the Acadamy Theater in Pasadena, California. I was feeling a little under the weather. There were about 20 other somber people in the theater, including my five year-old daughter who I brought with me despite my concerns about the R rating.
Suffice it to say that about thirty minutes into the movie the entire audience was visibly activated and energized by this stone-cold classic-for-eternity. My health had suddenly returned, I was pumped up on massive doses of epinephrine. Folks, this movie succeeeds on every level. I'm not a huge martial arts expert like many of the reviewers, but I was a kid in the late 60's when Bruce Lee (and Jimi Hendrix) ruled the world, and rightly so. This is the only fighting movie which I've seen since which even comes close to one of the better Bruce Lee movies. I will even contend, with some reservation, that it surpasses the Bruce Lee classics: there is humour, dramatic and sophisticated tuk-tuk chase scenes, foot-chase scenes, splendidly convincing archeological sights, and obviously, absolutely SAVAGE multiple fight scenes where good defeats evil with satisfying Dirty Harry righteousness. The fight scenes in this movie are certified artistic masterpieces and deserve their own special place at the Smithsonian. And, even the soundtrack is good, with a pulsating techno-style music that really builds the tension. This movie delivers the goods.
Having been to Thailand several times and loving that country, I was very happy that this movie pays such a fitting tribute to their culture, the Thai kickboxing sport as well as the gentle and happy demeanor of the Thai people.
I should mention that by the end of the movie I had nothing but pleasure in having had my daughter watch the movie and share this unique experience. Goodness prevails over evil. Bad guys die a deserved death. Disciplined boy saves his village through courage, honor, persistence and skill. Wayward soul (Ting's cousin who has gambling debts and other character...flaws) is reminded of his roots through observing the integrity of his friend, and he finds spiritual redemption through his efforts at becoming a good guy once again.Boy returns to village having honored his family and completed the mission...I'm afraid Sesame Street could not teach a better lesson about life and its struggles.
This movie will almost certainly become more famous as time goes on and people outside of the martial arts community learn about it. I left the theater stunned and enthralled. Just awesome.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sizzling Martial Arts Action and Compelling Drama, February 10, 2007
From a small Thai village the statue of the revered deity Ong Bak is vandalized ... his head is stolen. The film shows how the eight moves of Muay Thai are executed by Ting, the best maritial arts fighter in the village who is sent to the city to find and return this sacred object. The local priest admonishes Ting to use only peaceful means because the moves can be deadly. Ting is given money and valuables by the villagers who aresimple and poor but faithful he will succeed ... He is advised to seek the help of a cousin, who lives in the city. Ting finds his cousin who is less than enthusiastic to receive a visitor from his village. The cousin is ashamed of his village roots, he has taken on an American name and has a girlfriend whom he likes to impress that he is "cool" ... unfortunately, he also has a gambling habit that has gotten him into deep debt with the underworld bosses.
After the cousin stole Ting's money and gambled it away, Ting ends up fighting goons sent by the local gangster to put fear into his cousin, essentially pay up or risk permanent injury. Ting's fighting prowess impresses his cousin who gets the idea to have him fight at a local arena against the best fighters where betting takes place. The cousin is certain he will recoup his losses ...Ting agrees on the condition afterwards his cousin will help find Ong Bak. While the story line is basic, the fighting scenes captivate and capture the viewer's attention and hold it throughout the film.
The scenes where Tony Jaa jumps over several produce carts during a chase in the city while knives are thrown at him is astonishing. Another phenomenal scene involves a huge number of three wheeled taxis which are driven by Ting's would-be captors as he fights them off while he is riding in a moving taxi. When they come to the end of the freeway there is an unexpected drop off ... like the edge of a cliff, the freeway is under constructed and incomplete. There is an explosive ending related to the capture of the gangster boss and the *surprise* location of an unprecedented number of Buddha heads which were stolen. This DVD has great extra features, such as a live performance of martial arts by Tony Jaa on stage in Paris during the opening of his film. It also has a rap music video which incorporates phenomenal martial arts performed by Tony Jaa. Some behind the scenes footage features the creation of specific stunts within the film. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]
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