Rating: 
Summary: 5 stars doesn't do this film justice...... 2 more might !!!
Review: 7 STAR ALERT! 7 STAR ALERT! 7 STAR ALERT! 7 STAR ALERT!
This film is so incredibly captivating that the first day I bought it (yesterday) i watched it twice.... I have pratically every Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li DVD, and honestly I was AMAZED!!!! Not because I'd nvr seen Muay Thai but I've NEVER seen such a display of PHYSICAL CONTROL AND FLEXIBILITY put into an raw and gritty fight film, that didn't lose it "realness". Seeing the OLD style Muay Thai perform with such precision and expertise was like.... It's unexplainable the feeling!! There is no lack of fight scenes in this film, its a martial arts film and martial arts is what you will get. The old style Muay Thai that he uses is so beautiful to see performed. The director, and the Soo are able to take a brute style like Muay Thai and produce a beautiful display of POWER - GRACE - CONTROL - and adrenaline producing action! I feel bad for the first time given only a 5 to a film we need about 3 or 4 more stars for this one. I bought the DVD in France so I have the french soundtrack and even in FRENCh the story and action shine through. (Which isnt easy considering the necessary translations)
My art of personal preference will always be tae kwon do then Gung Fu but this film, makes me want to at least experience a little Muay Thai..
Rating: 
Summary: Whoa fellas - it was okay but not that great!
Review: First, I hate, hate, hate action "heroes" who are so dim-witted that they take FOREVER before they strike back at the bad guys. This guy waits until people are beaten to a pulp before the signal gets thru his thick skull that people need his help (about half-way thru the flick).
Second, I hate, hate, hate it when they don't finish-off the evil, bad guys (they just knock them out) and then the bad guy comes back again and again to sneak-attack the good guy and try to kill him - DUH. Chuck Norris is a similar character in his movies and TV shows but EVEN HE isn't as bad as this guy. I favor more action figures like Steven Seagal or Arnold Schwarzenegger. They don't put-up with never-ending B.S. before they take action and counter-attack the bad guys.
This "hero" is a great athlete but it was somewhat obvious that the film was sped-up in a few scenes. No one is THAT fast. Even Bruce Lee sped-up some of his scenes.
I understand what one reviewer was saying about the leading woman's voice - it was a bit "screechy" for western ears. But, I think it is that way (for women) in many Asian movies. They naturally have higher-pitched voices than western women. She was a good actress, though. Two scenes where she was grieving for her sister and boyfriend who died had my eyes watering-up.
They must have crashed twenty "cyclos" (3-wheeled motorized taxis) in this movie. I cringed a few times - they seem to take unnecessary chances in their stunts. Jackie Chan can attest to the stunt dangers in Asian flicks - he has the broken bones to prove it.
So, to sum it all up - I was hoping for a movie that centered more around the Muay Thai fight scene. This was a movie where the "hero" used a combination of Muay Thai and gung-fu - a couple of times.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I don't speak Thai, nor can I do anything even related to the language (except maybe write my name and say things like "hello, how are you?"). However, I watched this movie with no subtitles and only a Thai friend to translate here and there. However, the film hardly requires translation in order be entertaining. I set it in front of my foreign club (with only one Thai speaker) and they all enjoyed it as well - without translation. It is an amazing movie with amazing action sequences that ranks up there with all the other martial arts actors.I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has a heart for foreign films. The language barrier is there, yes, but a person hardly notices it (as lengthy conversations are nearly non-existant). There are few things that require translation, that can't come off to the viewer simply through actions, but does not deter comprehension. However, be wary of the female character. Her voice simply grates on my nerves - but it's bearable for a good movie. The storyline itself is decent. A bit mushy here, bit cliche there, and adds humor and drama to the mix. It's one of those films that heavily relies on the action to make up for anything else gone wrong. Luckily, the story does keep you engaged even if the characters are somewhat un-original. In the end, however, I found myself growing fond of each of them - yes, even the girl with the excessively high-pitched voice. In any case, it is a must-see movie for an action fan. And even for those who are not...
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I don't speak Thai, nor can I do anything even related to the language (except maybe write my name and say things like "hello, how are you?"). However, I watched this movie with no subtitles and only a Thai friend to translate here and there. However, the film hardly requires translation in order be entertaining. I set it in front of my foreign club (with only one Thai speaker) and they all enjoyed it as well - without translation. It is an amazing movie with amazing action sequences that ranks up there with all the other martial arts actors. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has a heart for foreign films. The language barrier is there, yes, but a person hardly notices it (as lengthy conversations are nearly non-existant). There are few things that require translation, that can't come off to the viewer simply through actions, but does not deter comprehension. However, be wary of the female character. Her voice simply grates on my nerves - but it's bearable for a good movie. The storyline itself is decent. A bit mushy here, bit cliche there, and adds humor and drama to the mix. It's one of those films that heavily relies on the action to make up for anything else gone wrong. Luckily, the story does keep you engaged even if the characters are somewhat un-original. In the end, however, I found myself growing fond of each of them - yes, even the girl with the excessively high-pitched voice. In any case, it is a must-see movie for an action fan. And even for those who are not...
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Old Style Muay Thai
Review: Not only does this guy do incredible stunts without wires, he demonstrates old Muay Thai forms that many thought had dissapeared from the art. This movie took 5 years to make, and it was definitely worth it. If you like hard core fighting, yet with clean technique, this is for you. If you like Muay Thai, and want to see how it compares against other styles, they show it here, hard. At the beginning he does an old Muay Thai form that is the envy of other forms. Must see to believe.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Old Style Muay Thai
Review: Not only does this guy do incredible stunts without wires, he demonstrates old Muay Thai forms that many thought had dissapeared from the art. This movie took 5 years to make, and it was definitely worth it. If you like hard core fighting, yet with clean technique, this is for you. If you like Muay Thai, and want to see how it compares against other styles, they show it here, hard. At the beginning he does an old Muay Thai form that is the envy of other forms. Must see to believe.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Coolest Action/Martial Arts Flicks Ever
Review: Ong Bak - Thai Warrior. I recently purchased this movie from another online DVD store without having seen it before. Risky? Yes, but not with this movie. I am a huge fan of martial arts films(Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, the Shaw Brothers...) and other action movies. I can easily say that this is instantly one of my all time favorites. Ong Bak is a mix between a Jackie Chan film and U.F.C.. It is full of amazing stunts and awesomely brutal muay thai action. Briefly, the story is of a young man from a small village in Thailand. The head of the villages' statue of Buddha is stolen and the young man sets out to retieve it. It's a little more complicated than that but I won't get into it.
Panom Yeerum, who plays the lead character Ting, is absolutely incredible. His mastery of muay thai is unlike anything I've ever seen. He is ridiculously fast and agile. He can flip and spin while fighting and doing stunts as well if not better than anyone I've ever seen. Only some of Jackie Chan's moves and Yuen Biao's acrobatic talent come close. No joke. I was just amazed repeatedly by the moves and fighting skill of Yeerum. This film is almost non stop action from start to finish. It is full of fights, chases, and stunts that keep astounding you more and more with each new scene.
I am not sure of the exact version that is being offered, but the one I have is a special uncut edition that is perfect. It is anamorphic widescreen and has Dolby Digital surround sound. The audio is in the original language(Thai) with optional subtitles. All are a very high quality.
This movie proves that nobody does action like asian cinema. If you like martial arts/action movies, you haven't seen anything yet until you see this. A must own.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable!!!
Review: Recently, I ran into Ron Balicki, one of the nation's top martial arts instructors, and asked him what he felt was the best martial arts movie. He asked, "Have you seen 'Ong Bak'?" That was all the recommendation I needed. I won't go into any detail about the film, as that has already been adequately done with the other reviews. I will add that the fighting sequences are simply amazing, unlike any you have seen. What is so incredible is that each fighting sequence is better than the other, and the first ones will blow you away, so you can only imagine what is at the end!
The story that is told is pretty good, and after seeing it once with the subtitles (some of them come and go so fast you can't read them), you really don't need to see them again. However, if it were the worst plot ever devised, it would still be worth the price to see what Ja Panom can do. I love Jet Li and Jackie Chan, but this guy makes them look pretty average.
Let's hope he has some other movies in the works.
Rating:
Summary: See Phanom Yeerum AKA Tony Ja In Action!!!
Review: The story of the movie is mediocre. Nothing really original, but Tony Ja, the leading star, is just amazing. This guy reminds me so much of a young Jackie Chan. This guy can obviously do Muay Thai, but he also does his own stunts, jumps over cars, slide underneath cars, leaps around all over the place. His attitude in the movie is like Bruce Lee's plus he does heroic things like Jet Li and does crazy stunts like Jackie Chan. He's a combo of the greatest martial artists in one guy. If this guy does more movies like this, he's going to the next big Asian sensation. I heard from a stunt man that indirectly knows Tony Ja, that "Ong Bak 2" is in production. Can't wait to see that.
Rating:
Summary: Look Out Jackie Chan!
Review: This movie is incredible. You don't even need subtitles to really enjoy it. Tony Ja Panom is completely awesome in this martial arts flick. I am sure that within 2 or 3 years Tony Ja Panom will be as famous as Jackie Chan is in the States. There is already talk about Tony Ja Panom becoming the biggest martial arts star in history. Possibly even bigger than Bruce Lee.
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