Ong-Bak - The Thai Warrior

The most successful movie in Thai cinematic history is also the best "real world" martial artist film in the past decade. With all the fantastic wire work in Iron Monkey, Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon it's nice to swing the pendulum back the other way toward what I grew up with, Bruce Lee style raw and powerful, full contact fight scenes. Tony Jaa is the next Bruce Lee and will surpass his predecessors Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He has Li's Technical skill and speed, Chan's stunt work and acrobatics and Lee's brutal style with no wires. Jaa is the real deal This is his first film (staring role at lease, Jaa was a stuntman before this) and this movie rocks the entire way though. There are only four main fight scenes but they are so well done and with so much intensity it feels like a Bruce lee film or early Jackie Chan (serious Chan, not buster Kenton Chan). Jaa does all his own stunts, no CGI, no wires. Jaa incorporated Thai Boxing (Muay Thai) which is not well know but is jaw dropping and painfully brutal. You can see every bone crushing blow and truly believe it could inflict some real damage. The music is great and really ups the pace in these hard core action scenes. Like any good Jackie Chan movie this one also features Jaa is various, seemingly unbelievable stunts that are truly unique to Jaa. You just have to see it to believe he can do what he can do. The finally to this movie is amazing, the scene in the cave, raw and so brutal and is shot beautifully with just the right amount of diffused lighting that gives the dark yet visible fight scene and lets you get the mood and still see every blow, crisp and clear. Everyone likes to rag on the plots of these films; if you're watching this for the plot then you're an idiot. Sit back and enjoy seeing the beginning of the new king of movie martial arts, Tony Jaa.

One night I was wandering around in the DVD section on Amazon and discovered this movie. Since I had been to Thailand and the reviews were great, I was curious enough to order "Ong-Bak." Now mind you, I am a retired English teacher, female, and not given to violence. However, I give this movie five stars for several reasons. First, of course, is Tony Jaa, an amazing Muay Thai martial artist. Other reviewers compare him with the greats, but I say he is unique, in a class of his own and still young, thus has opportunity to develop his art further. Let me repeat, Tony Jaa is amazing! However, in addition to Tony Jaa's talents, the movie itself is absolutely worth whatever you spend to get it. The action sequences, not including the martial arts fights, are so cleverly put together. The very first action is an rush by young men in a village to climb a huge tree to retrieve a scarf from its top. Because it is a Thai contest, a cultural thing, American audiences had to be agape at this action. I know I was. Ting (Jaa) wins. Here is a progression of other action scenes so entertaining: *Ting and Humlae running through the side streets of Bangkok, trying to escape bullies out to harm them. Hilarious and amazing. *The race of the tut-tuts. Those little three-wheeled carts are like horse and buggies in New Orleans, a tourist thing. To see them in a "car chase" and how they crash and tumble is also hilarious. *The fights: Some of the early fights are so funny. Big Bear (Australian?) with his Howard Stern hair, the quick-legged Japanese(?) fighter, and the incredible fighter(?) who uses accoutrements to attack Ting: picture frames, broken bottles, tables, chairs, a neon sign, an electric cord, a small refrigerator, a knife--and still loses. From this point the fights become progressively more dangerous. It is about mid-point in the movie when the serious stuff begins and all fights intensify. The viewer sees Muay Thai in life-threatening action. This is an incredible film with incredible action, humor, "car chases" unlike any you have ever seen, and a satisfactory ending. Highly recommended for its uniqueness all around!! Be sure to watch the Special Features section. It is worth the price of the video! And watch out for more of Tony Jaa!

Beyond the stunning fight choreography, it's a tale of faith, redemption and just how far one can fall when consumed by greed.

One name you need to know Tony Jaa. Do you like action do you like fighting martial arts? Do you like insaine stunts then Tony Jaa is your man. This guy is a Monster he will blow your mind when you see any of his films! If you like this movie you need to buy the rest of the ONG -BAK movies! His best film is the Protector 1 there is a part 2 out but it hasnt came to america yet sadly i know it will kick ass and take names. The movie i got was in pretty good condition it had finger prints on the dvd and a few light damage to the back part of the case there where 2 little tears on the plastic part of the case. But this is the place to get awesome movies at awesome prices. You cant find a movie in the stores then look on Amazon and i gurante you will find it old or new Amazon has you coverd. :-)

I found this movie some years ago and just remembered to watch it again. The filming is actually quite good. I like how he ran the action scenes. I don't follow Muay Thai but Tony Jaa is something else. Fantastic action and it's always interesting to see films shot on location instead of a movie set. All around - even if you're just an occasional fan of martial arts, this is a must-see

Good

I bought this film,as I love martial arts films, and have recommended many films to others. A couple of friends told me that I really haven't seen a martial arts film unless I've seen Ong-Bak, and the new and greatest martial arts actor Tony Jaa. So, I purchased the film and watched it last night. Now, I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but in my opinion, I wanted to turn the film off about half-way through, and watch some re-run on cable. The movie was boring, the story was pretty lame, terrible acting, and except for one great kick in the beginning of the film, I really wasn't impressed with his "screen" fighting sequences. Sure, this Tony Jaa is great jumping over things, but I really wasn't impressed with anything else. Also, most of the movie was people running through the streets, or chasing each other in taxi-cycles. If you want to see a movie with great story, acting, and fight scenes, buy "Ip Man"!

Bottom-Line: "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" is great entertainment for fans of the martial arts, but it is no Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. There is something about a movie featuring the Asian martial arts that just fascinates. The raw power, the artistry of movement, the delicate ballet of strike, counterstrike, strike and repeat; it is a treat to behold and marvel at. Who knew the human body was capable of such beautiful, yet dangerous feats? And so it has been since I was in my early teens; I enjoy watching the fighting unfold upon the screen no matter how bad the story behind the fighting actually is. Enter "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" featuring a new martial artist from Thailand, the lithe and spectacularly flexible and powerful Tony Jaa. Story-Line Written and directed by Prachya Pinkaew (The Protector, Chocolate), the premise of "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" is rather silly from the Western perspective. When the head is stolen from the body of a Buddha in Ting's (Tony Jaa) rural village he journeys to Bangkok in order to retrieve it. As it happens the thief is connected to a bar wherein the criminal element gamble over bare-knuckled, no-holds-barred fighting contests, overseen by a baddie in a wheelchair of all things. Despite his best efforts Ting is drawn into the arena, as it were. But that of course is only the beginning of the story. The rest unwinds on the streets of Bangkok as Ting (Jaa) jumps over under, and through a number of objects not unlike Jackie Chan used to do. My Thoughts Yes, there are copious amounts of fighting in "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior", but the movie is mostly a vehicle designed to showcase the unorthodox talents and martial arts abilities of Tony Jaa, whose proficiency in the martial arts draws natural comparisons to Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan and a host of other martial arts master who came before him to the silver screen. While it's a safe bet that Tony Jaa probably will not be nominated for an Oscar or Golden Globe anytime soon, the man is not in the acting business so-to-speak, he is in the kicking butt business and in that he excels. He has an engaging presence on screen and has no problem carrying a movie that at its core is a very violent affair, so be aware. But it is violence that is fascinating to watch unfold up on the screen as Jaa's style of martial arts is different from that which has come before much like Jet Li style of Kung Fu was unlike anything we had heretofore experienced. Jaa's Thai style martial arts relies heavily on bashing with elbow, knee, and closed fist. But, it's not violence alone that draws me in, it how it applied with lighting fast speed, and consummate skill. "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" is great entertainment for fans of the martial arts, but it is no Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Next up Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning.

Ong-Bak es la primera película como protagonista de Tony Jaa y es una auténtica joya para los amantes de las artes marciales, Tony Jaa se preparo en el Muay Thai Boran durante 4 años para hacer la película, no usa dobles ni cables ni nada de CGI, todo lo hace él y muy bien (más adelante en sus películas si utilizaría todo lo mencionado antes, pero aquí no) La edición nunca me llegó ya que el repartidor no sé dónde la dejaría y me hicieron un reembolso porque no había más en stock de esta edición, la tuve que buscar en vendedores externos de segunda mano...es una edición muy buena tanto en extras como en metraje ya que trae la versión uncut de la película (aunque creo que es sólo para completistas ya que es poco lo que censuran) no trae subs ni audio en Español, solo subs en Inglés e idioma en Tailandes.

Ancien film mais super histoire. Je ne me souvenais plus de toutes ses scènes. Vraiment hyper doué Tony Jaa. Aurait mérité une carrière plus approfondie. A voir et à revoir

I'm 63, but have loved martial arts since my pre-pubescent years! I got to know about Bruce Lee in 1970 when I was only 13 years old. He was alive then. In 1990 I visited Bruce Lee's grave site at Lake View Cemetary in Seattle Washington, on July 20th, 1990. It was the 17th anniversary since his passing. Since then these movies have rocked my world! Sonny Chiba, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme , Chuck Norris, Damme, Donnie Yen...but non have come as close as Bruce Lee. The following write-up says it all: "Bruce Lee remains the greatest icon of martial arts cinema and a key figure of modern popular media. Had it not been for Bruce Lee and his movies in the early 1970s, it's arguable whether or not the martial arts film genre would have ever penetrated and influenced the mainstream North American market! Although I thought that I had seen it all, I was not prepared for Tony Jaa. In Ong-bak, he does things that I never thought possible for a human being! His fights with the best in this movie are quite memorable including the fight with "Big Bear"! You may want to also consider "The Protector" also with Tony Jaa which also has an incredible duel between him and a Brazilian champion! The movie was made by Quentin Tarantino. It's sold on Amazon.ca too. In the middle of this review I really got into it and went on Amazon and bought "Kill Zone 2", "The Protector" both with Tony Jaa, and also "Chocolate" with JeeJa Yanin who I have never heard of but it's also made by by the same director as "Ong bak" and the "Protector" Quentin Tarantino which means it can't be that bad! I'll never get tired of martial arts!!! Anyway, that's something to think about.

Hallo liebe Amazonler, hallo liebe Muay Thai Filmliebhaber! Heute schreibe ich über einen meiner absoluten Lieblingsfilme "Ong-Bak". Dabei ist der Film nach dem benannt, was den Bewohnern von Tings (Tony Jaa) Dorf am heiligsten ist, der Buddhakopf "Ong-Bak" Der Film bietet dabei eine geballte Ladung Action und spannende Fights im Thai Style, dabei setzt Tony Jaa neue Maßstäbe und füllt seine Rolle mehr als 100%ig aus! Dabei unterhält einen die Story die eine Mischung aus Geschichte des Dorfes, Wiederbeschaffung des Buddhakopfes und die "Rückkehr des verlorenen Sohnes" enthält, gespickt mit packenden Kämpfen und gefilmt in Thailand. Zur der Geschichte selber möchte ich nicht viel verraten, einfach nur weil man sich diesen Film unbedingt angucken sollte. Aber ihr habt hier einen Film der einfach nur unterhaltsam ist und zu 100% zu empfehlen ist. Es gibt viele Filme die versuchen Kämpfe mit überspitzten Kampfgeräuschen zu "highlighten", darauf wurde hier gänzlich verzichtet. Passend zu den Kampfszenen wird gute "Kampfmusik" eingespielt bzw. Situativ halt, das fand ich richtig gut. Es ist zwar die "geschnittene" Version aber im wesentlichen fielen der Schere nur folgende Dinge zum Opfer: - Handlungsstrang: Muys Schwester - Alle Referenzen auf Drogen bis auf eine Ausnahme wurden entfernt - Farbfilter wurden neu gesetzt - Musik wurde an einigen Stellen durch hochwertigere ersetzt. Entgegen den Gerüchten gibt es jedoch keine französische Rap-Musik im Film, nur im Abspann. Der größte teil der Musik blieb sowieso gleich! Ich habe beide Filme gesehen und empfehle selbstverständlich die Uncut Version, weil dort eben alles enthalten ist, vor allem der Handlungsstrang mit Muys Schwester ist doch relativ interessant! Qualitativ kann man sich den Film (obwohl DVD) auf jeden Fall angucken, klar sprechen wir hier nicht von einer Blu-Ray Version mit allem drum und dran, aber wir bewegen uns noch in einem anschaubaren Niveau ;) Ich kann euch den Film nur mehr als empfehlen und spreche daher eine klare Kaufempfehlung aus! ### Schlusswort ### Sollte euch meine Rezension gefallen haben, oder bei eurer Kaufentscheidung geholfen haben, so würde ich mich über einen kurzen Klick auf "Ja" freuen. Damit helft ihr mir weiterhin gute und qualitative Rezensionen zu schreiben und zeigt mir gleichzeitig auf wenn etwas nicht so gut war und ich mich dementsprechend verbessern kann. Vielen Dank :-)

High Octane martial arts. Action packed. All the stunts and jumps all done practical and well before the days of the crappie CGI. Breath taking fight scenes. The best of it's breed, 10 outta 10