Ong Bak. Overall, this movie is fairly decent. It's got action sequences, rom- I mean, more action sequences and even more action sequences. Don't get me wrong, but this movie should have been titled, "Obstacles and people thrown at Tony Jaa and See what Happens." I like how muay thai is incorporated into this flick, but the story's sort of just lurking in the back ground. Speaking of the story, in the remote village of Ban Nong Pradu, some thugs steal the head of the Buddah statue in hopes it will make them rich. Ting, a local boy who is a master of elbows and knees (aka, Muay Thai) goes after the thieves to get the head back. On the way, he uncovers an evil scheme and brings an end to it. Oh, did I mention there were lots of action scenes? Because, 98% of the movie is Tony Jaa running around, beating people up and doing Thai boxing parkour. Not that I have a problem with this, it just feels like the story should have been more...thought out. For example, when Ong Bak's head is stolen, Ting's grandmother says the village is doomed unless the head is back. The only scene of the "doomed" village is short and pointless. Apparently, Ong Bak brings rain to the village, and if he's headless there's no rain? That's like when Scar in the Lion King took over the lion pride. Scar is so evil, apparently he causes a lush land to become a dead and lifeless because weather forgets how to work when evil is taking over. I don't recall Buddha having the power of calling forth the rain, but I digress. There should have been more scenes depicting the village going through trouble since Ong Bak isn't there. Ting does get the head back and the village is saved.
The Good:
Obviously, the action. Tony Jaa is incredible to watch, and the stuff the movie throws at him is like riding a roller coaster. Lots of excitement. Seeing Muay Thai in a movie makes it different, and also, let me tell you, Thai boxing is violent. I mean, the stuff you see in this movie makes you cringe, but at the same time, you're thinking "Man, that looks awesome, I wish I could do that." The comic relief, Mum Jokemok, plays George, a con man with bad luck, is funny and makes a few laughs along the way.
The Bad:
The story. If Ong Bak is not present in the village, no rain comes....for how long? A few weeks? Maybe a few months? I don't know. The story doesn't explain that to me. The bad guy is flat and not in the least threatening. Ting, is one dimensional, and doesn't grow or develop. In the beginning of the movie, his teacher tells him not to use Muay Thai to fight, but he ends up using it to fight. At least have him try to avoid conflicts peacefully before kneeing the baddies in the gut! Ting does the opposite of what his master and uncle tell him to, so maybe Ting's a rebel? Sticking it to the man? I don't know. There should have been more character development for Ting. And the ending is confusing. I can't tell if everyone's happy that the head's back or if there some sort of funeral parade going on.
Conclusion:
Overall, Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior is a fun movie. If you don't care much for a compelling story, this movie takes the cake. If you're into different types of martial arts, Ong Bak provides. Chances are, I'll keep watching this movie, just because it's fun to watch.
3.5 drunken boxers out of 5.
Ong Bak 2:
So, now we move onto the second movie of the trilogy. In this movie, we're sent back in time to the 15th century and watch the previous incarnate of Ting, Tien. Tien is the son of a noble. His parents are murdered by the power-craving Lord Rajasena. Tien barely escapes and is captured by slavers. His anger and power attract the attention of a thief who raises the boy into the ultimate warrior. Tien seeks his revenge on Rajasena, but due to his bad karma, he fails and his fate is unknown. This movie's story is much better than the first one. The action fits with the story and the characters are written better. Tony Jaa does a much better job as Tien, and no not this Tien.
The Good:
Parts of the story are decent and these parts explain the motives for Tien. You understand why he seeks revenge on Rajasena. The action is just stunning and fits in with the story, unlike the first film. The bad guy is actually a -bad- guy, not some meh dude. I also like the variety of styles incorporated into this movie as well. It gives the movie more fluidity and life into the story.
There's not a whole lot of bad things I can say about this movie. I guess, I'd call this nitpicking. The parts of the movie that leave you with questions instead of answers sort of bothered me. For example, Tien fails at his revenge because of his bad karma. What bad karma? From what the movie shows me, he saved a bunch of slaves, and raided some guys. Of course, those guys he raided might have been good, but I don't know that. Next up, is the final fight scene. The movie can't decide what kind of assassins need to kill Tien. First it's random baddies, then ninjas, more ninjas, a few ronin, a ring wraith (yes, I'm not kidding, I saw a honest to God ring wraith as an assassin.) and an evil samurai. Don't get me wrong, this scene is awesome, but where did all these ninja and samurai come from? The plot "twist". Now, I'll be honest, I didn't see this coming from a mile away, but when the "twist" was revealed, I wasn't surprised. It left me with more questions instead of answers.
Conclusion:
Ong Bak 2 is by far a better movie than Ong Bak. Story's good, action's still stunning, and I was left satisfied for the most part. However, this movie left me with more questions than answers. Hopefully, Ong Bak 3 will answer them.
4.5 drunken boxers out 5
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