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Ong Bak
2003
When the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it. Read more
| Starring | Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol |
|---|---|
| Director | Prachya Pinkaew |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, World Cinema |
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Ong Bak
When the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it.
| Starring | Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol |
|---|---|
| Director | Prachya Pinkaew |
| Studio | E1 ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 44 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: Thai, English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 22 Aug 2005 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
Ong Bak (2003)
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Enjoyable action movie built around the athletic skills of Tony Jaa, whose more spectacular stunts are shown two or three times, shot from different angles and in slow motion in case audiences missed them the first time around.
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Nong Pra-du village, northern Thailand. Once every 24 years the festival of Ong-Bak comes around, but this year the... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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52 out of 60 people found this review helpful
Tony Jaa is shaping up to take the martial art crown
Muay Thai - a particularly effective Thailand based martial art. This film has it and isn't afraid to use it.
The plot is fairly simple, but who wants complicated plots when the action is so smooth and in so much abundance.
A martial art film for martial art fans, lightly humoured and finally hitting our shores.
The film sometimes looks like a showcase for Tony Jaa, who, if the rumours are correct, could be the next Bruce Lee but definately the next Jackie Chan.
If you are growing tired of blue screen, unrealistic effects, too much wire work then this is the film for you. NO WIRES, NO STUNT DOUBLES and NO CGI!
Look to the east for more action films, Thailand should be sitting proudly next to Hong Kong. America beware - your Hollywood glory days are numbered.
(Who needs to be disappointed by Star Wars when quality viewing like this is available) -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Either you find the goofball, low-tech spirit of the piece entertaining and easygoing or you don't. Either way, Tony Jaa is a force to be reckoned with
Awaiting his chance to be ordained a monk in his small Thai village, Ting's (Tony Jaa) plans are put on hold when thieves steal the head of the beloved Buddha statue ('Ong Bak') the village revolves around. Putting their faith in Ting's skills as a martial artist, the villagers send the young man off to Bangkok to retrieve the head. Upon arrival, Ting finds that his con-artist cousin (Petchtai Wongkamlao) may hold some leads to the whereabouts of the statue. Unfortunately, he also realizes that he must compete in illegal underground fights to get closer to his objective.
The birth of an action film star is a very precious thing. Bruce Lee stopped the world in 'Fists of Fury,' Jean-Claude Van Damme came out of nowhere with 'Bloodsport,' and Steven Seagal made a promise that he couldn't keep with 1988's 'Above the Law.' 'Ong Bak' comes from the same pool of martial arts entertainment: low quality, lit with matchsticks, and with a focus not on story, but the lead actor's unbelievable skills. This new player in the game is Thai superstar Tony Jaa, and he packs enough punch to resuscitate the not-quite-dead-but-certainly-pathetic action genre.
While it lacks a certain glossy crossover quality that insures success, 'Ong Bak' is a terrific way to introduce Jaa to world audiences. Bored with Jackie Chan? Tired of bloodless, over-choreographed fight sequences? 'Ong Bak' answers these pleas with vicious, tight combat, putting Jaa's honed 'Muy Thai' fighting style to the test in a number of action sequences that showcase his blunt brutality along with his nimble, balletic movement in tricky situations (like, say, jumping feet first horizontally through a roll of razor wire). Director Prachya Pinkaew gets a little carried away capturing Jaa's extensive abilities, and has the annoying tendency to repeat shots of Jaa in motion two or three times in a row for effect. However, Pinkaew understands to let the camera do all the talking for Jaa, and lets his star show off some dynamite martial arts skills for the larger set pieces without clogging up the images with needless style.
'Ong Bak's' most curious pledge is the lack of GCI or any wirework during the chase sequences or slap fights. This boast shows in the messy, ragtag quality of the brawls, but it's wonderful to see an action film that has little reliance on visual trickery. I'm curious to see how long Jaa will be able to keep this up.
While Jaa's technique and thunderclap force is compelling, 'Ong Bak' all too often straddles that dangerous line between parody and disaster. The film is structured like a prototypical 1990s Van Damme vehicle, earnestly taking such goofy ideas as a wheelchair-bound, tracheotomy-patient bad guy, another villain who pounds needles into his chest when extra fightin' power is needed, a dank 'fight club' bar with its legions of overacting patrons, and some awful Thai hip-hop to score the combat, and delivers it all with a straight face. The retro feel to 'Ong Bak' actually adds to the experience, and to be fair, either you find the goofball, low-tech spirit of the piece entertaining and easygoing or you don't. Either way, Tony Jaa is a force to be reckoned with, and 'Ong Bak' a dazzling debut for this fresh face. -
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