Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
When a sacred Buddha statuette called Ong-bak is stolen from Ting's (Tony Jaa) village by a shady businessman intent on realizing a profit from his ill-gotten gain, Ting takes it upon himself to reclaim the pilfered religious treasure by following the trail of clues to Bangkok. And Ting's the right man for the job, as he possesses an impressive array of Muay Thai fighting skills that can lay out all his adversaries.
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Is this movie an overall great movie? No. It has little elements other then non-stop action that keep this movie going forward. Yet, don't get me wrong, the action scenes are intense and jaw dropping to watch. Tony Jaa will be seen in many more action movies to come. Over all, watch it for the action and nothing else.- ND 275902
The most noticable kung fu film acheivement in years. Tony Jaa barrels his way through the world of street fighting and simultaneously cements his spot amongst Jackie and Bruce! A befuddling physical display of dexterity, speed, and strength. In other words: Ong Bak kicks @$$!
- TroyJ15
This is a cornerstone film in the kung fu genre. Tony Jaa is a wonder to behold. Doing his own stunts with no wires or CGI is a treat in today's age of flying people for no reason. His stunts are jaw dropping and his fighting style is truly avant garde in this genre. He is a new Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan or Jet Li. I seriously hope he makes it big and makes a ton of more movies. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes the kung fu genre or great action. There is really only one nit pick I have about this film and it was the reason I couldn't give this a full five star grade, well other than the almost typical storyline. As I have said previously, there are some great action shots. However this director was so impressed with them that he shows us some of them two or three times. I understand the pride people have in their work but this is an amateur move. Yes, I might like to see these scenes in slow motion over again a few times, but putting them in the movie takes me right out of the action and the story. However, other than those two shortfalls, I highly recommend this movie to anyone. This also shows what great movies can come out of other parts of the world, other than Hollywood. Bravo Thailand...bravo.
- agentx216
Ong-bak is worth seeing just for Tony Jaa. He?s as good as everyone claims he is, and maybe better. He does all of his own stunts, and they are simply amazing. Hollywood movies chock-full of computer imagery and wires try to be this stunt-laden, and fail. I?ve heard people compare Jaa to Jackie Chan and Jet Li. While both are good in their own styles, I enjoyed watching Jaa far more. He doesn?t have much on-screen personality, but I think it?s just a matter of time. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie was a miserable failure. If you watch Ong-bak, watch it for the action, the fighting, and the stunts, but not anything else. The story was so thin it was laughable. The supporting cast was ridiculous. The villains were anything but intimidating. The acting was bad. The scenery was very blah and the color palette was, well, brown. The direction looked like that of a first-timer (which it was) and was full of camera tricks and instant replays that got old fast. I think the most disappointing thing about Ong-bak was the sense of failed potential. The movie was so close to being a great, A+, 5-star, Muay Thai death-fest, but in the end it failed. You simply can?t make a movie based solely on action and fight scenes. They can be the centerpiece, but the cornerstones have to be a decent story with quality characters. With those, a movie can stand out and become a classic. Without, and it?s nothing more than the fad of the week.
- eclapham
Wow wow wow wow... Wow? Wow!!! Tony Jaa has broken fresh ground with Ong-Bak. His Muay Thai and choreographed stunts look SO FREAKING GOOD on film. He is a hyper-kinetic super force. He hurls and whirls his body at his opponents, delivering blows in unexpected and beautiful ways. The close contact and explosive nature of his art gives the combat scenes a gritty feel that's nicely complemented by the tea-stained sepia tones of Thailand. The story is a familiar formula, but Tony Jaa's riff on it is a fresh perspective on the martial arts film tradition. An absolute must for the MA fan.
- egb 1714360
First things first, Tony Jaa is amazing. Acrobatic, strong, smooth and everything else one could hope for in a martial arts master. My only real issue with Ong-Bak is the continual use of slow-motion replays. Yes, the stunts are bloody amazing. And, yes, it's nice to see them in slow motion so you can stare slack-jawed at your TV saying how did he do that? However, is it really necessary to show 3 or 4 replays of every single feat from different camera angles all in slow-motion? Probably not. The chase scene through the streets is the most blatant offender of this overworked device. But, aside from that, Ong-Bak is a great vehicle to display Jaa's obviously superior fighting ability. For what it is, Ong-Bak is at the top of the list of modern martial arts masterpieces that I would recommend seeing.
- pterosaur