Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior

I've been eyeing this film ever since it discreetly came onto the DVD scene last August, odds are you've never heard of it till now. I had heard about it online. I cant remember exactly where but I remember reading about the awesome action scenes and if you know me, I'm a sucker for big, awesome action scenes, particularly ones that involve intense moves being performed.

Tony Jaa is simply stunning in this movie. The moves he pulls off are awe-inspiring. They're wonderful to watch but there is something about them that takes them to the next level: theyre real. Thats right. EVERYTHING you see Jaa do in this movie he does for real. Theres no stunt doubles, no CGI and no wires. Its 100aa and boy, some of the moves he pulls off are astounding. He trained for four years for this movie and it pays off. Jaa is an utter joy to watch. Hes elegant, yes elegant, in his fluidity and the array of moves he pulls off. He uses his elbow, A LOT. You think Tom Cruise went elbow crazy at the end of M:I: III? In Ong-Bak Jaa goes nuts, and its awesome (he even sets his feet on fire and kicks someones ass!)

The movie is in Thai but also has an English dubbing. Dubbing is evil so forget about that. The acting is solid for the most part. Its hard to say how they are exactly considering you cant tell how their delivery is, but their performances were solid. Each character was unique but not out there (ok, the voice box guy was different). The music is funky at times but generic fare here. Nothing memorable or stand out. Theres a lot of techno and hip-hop used throughout though and it isnt as distracting as youd expect. This movie also has the best Thai three-wheeler chase Ive ever seen. Probably cause its the only Thai three-wheeler chase Ive ever seen.

As I said above, the action is top notch. But it isnt flawless. The faults in the action scenes are the directors fault though. He uses slow motion way too much and he shows almost everything Jaa does (and other things that happen) more than once. At least 2-3 times (sometimes more) for most events, as well call them, that happen. Slow-Mo is a great technique to use in movie making, but while some things look cool slowed down, other things dont. There are plenty of scenes and moves that were slowed down in this movie that would have been better if they were kept at a normal speed. Jaa is fast and his elegance and fluidity should be shown at normal speed for some scenes. Some things turned out well with the aid of slow-mo but there were some scenes I would have liked at a normal speed. This sounds like a major gripe but it isnt. It doesnt hinder the movie severely or make it any less enjoyable, its just something that I as a viewer noticed.

There are also some genuinely funny moments, some that are unintentional but arent what youre thinking. They arent the ones that are so bad theyre funny or ruin the movie. Theyre the rare unintentional funny moments that are good. One in particular is when you first see what Jaa can do in the boxing ring. When he does what he does I laughed to myself and said Ha-ha, thats awesome! Its those kind of moments, not moments of cheese.

I'm a sucker for a good action or martial arts movie. I really enjoyed this movie. The plot was not overly complex and was there enough to the point where I stayed interested, but never bored. Ong-Bak was a fun romp. The action was turned up to 12 and it was never boring. I definitely recommend a viewing if you like action/martial arts movies and/or just want to have a good time.