Ong Bak (2003)

Tony is on fire!

Tony Jaa showed the world the fierce beauty that is Muay Thai in Ong Bak. It helps when watching this movie to recognize that Tony worked without wires, without CGI, and without stunt doubles. Fast, acrobatic, and incredibly limber he did moves that will leave your jaw gaping.

Plot? The story scaffolding holding up the film was exceptionally thin. Tony's Ting goes to Bangkok after his village Buddha's head called Ong Bak is stolen by a drug dealer. He meets up with a cousin and his female friend/"sister"/girlfriend who spend their time gambling or fleecing gamblers. The Big Bad loses a ton of money on the fights in his fight club when Ting accidentally becomes involved in them and defeats all comers. Unlike his cousin, Ting doesn't fight for money or gamble, all he wants is the Ong Bak back.

From start to finish, whether it was the villagers racing to the top of a tree or Ting racing through Bangkok leaping over cars, sliding underneath a moving car or flying up a wall (no wires, remember) the action came fast and often. The fight scenes in the club were brutal. There were no holds barred and everything in the room could be used as a weapon. Ting was even hit with a refrigerator! At one point in a different setting, Ting continued to fight with his pants on fire! Most moments of glorious flight ended in an acrobatic dismount. Even the pickiest judge would have given him a 10 for form and style.

I pity the stuntmen who took the hits in this movie, because even with padding there were numerous hits and kicks that were going to leave a mark afterward. Some of the falls were Sammo Hung hitting the ground hard falls.

The director made use of slow-mo as well as showing impressive stunt scenes repeatedly from different angles just in case you missed something spectacular or your eyes refused to believe what they were seeing the first time. Tony trained for several years in Muay Boran, a predecessor to today's Muay Thai, for this movie. To say he was dedicated to his craft would be an understatement.

Grading this movie was tough. Story: C- Acting: C- Cinematography: C Fight scenes/fight choreography: A

Most people know going into a movie like this you aren't going to see great acting or be entertained with a compelling story. This is a pure smash mouth, elbow hitting, shin kicking, pants on fire, good time with one of the most energetic and acrobatically gifted fighters of his time. No wires, no CGI, no stunt doubles. No problem.


5/18/23

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Jackie Chan in Thai.

For many, Thailand equals a dream vacation. For others notorious for drugs etc. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. There are many sides to Thailand: The beautiful exotic country in the far east with its amazing nature, its good food and nice, friendly and hospitable people. In any case, Ong Bak is a nice reel that offers a lot of action mixed with excitement and laughter.

The opening promises well: In the annual competition in the village, all the men who participate must try to get hold of a ribbon that is at the top of a tree. First man wins. It starts off well and pretty much keeps the same fast pace throughout the film. Already there you get to know Boonting, the winner with the extra features and the athletic qualities that get through most things, even the narrowest openings, over the really high obstacles and past the less friendly competitors. Despite his speed and strength, Boonting is also humble. He has trained in martial arts for many years but has to promise his master never to use his fighting skills. Every 24 years the village holds a special festival and sacrifices to the Gods for continued joy, happiness and good harvests. The village's own saint is a Buddha-like statue called Ong-Bak. It is of course sacred and it is the duty of all the villagers to protect it at all costs. Therefore, it is a big setback when, just before the festivities, they discover that the statue's head has been cut off and disappeared. Boonting then voluntarily steps forward as the one to recapture the head and bring it home to the village.

The hunt leads to Bangkok and an old clumsy acquaintance who will do anything for money. They have barely reacquainted themselves before Boonting, in search of his suitcase, follows his host to the local fighting and betting club. To get the money back, he has to box against a number of bigger and stronger shady types. He had promised not to use his skills but now he has no choice and stands up, and of course wins...

The hunt for the missing statue head leads to more shady acquaintances and more fights. Every time Boonting is forced to fight to move forward, he thinks about his previous promise, but to get the village's property back, he makes almost any sacrifice. There are so many who are waiting to see the statue head again and he cannot let them down!

The hunt goes higher and finally he meets the top boss who runs the betting and a lot of other shady and illegal business. Ong-Bak is a fun and watchable film. In Thailand it is a great success and it has also celebrated success in several other countries where it has been shown. The pace is high and there is a good mix of tension, comedy and drama. One of the most exciting and fun scenes is when he makes his way through several blocks, away from the gang who want their lost money. An armed gang of at least 20 people do everything to stop him but fail!

There is quite a lot of action and most of it is done for real without any stuntmen or other tricks! The main actor Tony Jaa is responsible for most of the scenes himself. Ong-Bak is also very reminiscent of Jackie Chan's films. Tony Jaa has admitted in interviews that one of his idols was the Hong Kong hero Jackie Chan. He could also be compared to Chinese born Jet Li.

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