*** Official ONG BAK: THE THAI WARRIOR Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

I just got back from a preview screening of ONG-BAK subtitled "The Thai Warrior" starring Asian sensation Tony Jaa. If you are a fan of Martial Arts movies this is one that you have to add to your "must see" list. I'm not a huge fan of the genre but I sat mesmerized for the entire 105 minutes. Huge "how did they do that?" factor without special effects or wirework. Amazing! Jacky Chan and Jet Li move over.

Check it out!

I've been trying to see this for awhile, but the only DVD availble has no English subtitles (i'm not sure they would help that much, though), and the only version that does have subtitles is the VCD.
As soon as a legit DVD comes out anywhere in the world, I'm on it.

Very cool. I saw an ad for this featuring the RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. I was skeptical about it then (despite Wu-Tang's love of kung fu), but now I'll definitely look out for this.

They had it at a film festival or two here back in October; kicked much ass. Just an out-and-out delight.

it is now in my netflix queue...

I saw the same ad Ben saw for this...I'd heard a lot about it a while back (specifically in Asian Trash Cinema) but had forgotten about it til that incredible "trailer'...it looks like he (Tony Jaa) is absolutely kicking the living s**t out of the other "actors" - looked brutal/amazing! I'm checking the Hi-Pointe & Tivoli (local art film theatres in St. Louis) movie listings in anticipation of this...gotta see it!

I believe if you do a search, there was already a discussion about this movie. I have it on VCD. There was some convention at a local mall this weekend and I saw the import DVD, but didn't buy it because it looked like a bogus copy. Very fun flic

thx alex. i double-checked and it does appear to be the actual movie?

http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?...vieid=70020954

Just because Netflix has it available to put in your queue doesn't mean it's out yet. They put some movies on Netflix right after it hits theaters, it's just a chance for people to get a head start on reserving a copy when the DVD is released.

sorry, should have clarified. it's not available yet...it's in my tbd queue...not the actual shipping queue.

Must-see indeed... some of the chases (with plenty of humour) really remind me of Jackie Chan at his best. I really liked how the action was filmed (despite all the big choreographed shots being repeated 3x ), that is, a lot of wide shots--this really allowed Jaa's amazing skills to shine, unlike say, in LOTR or other epics, medium/close shots of sword combat, while seemingly brings the audience closer to the action, doesn't really allow us to see the hand-to-hand combat.

Uh OH! I loved the way this looked in the trailer, mainly because it didn't seem to have any humor, appearing more like an all out, old school ass kicking martial arts flick. I hope it's not played up too much. It opens this week end in town, so I'll probably check it out.

am I the only one who's sick and tired off Jackie Chan? I think Drunken Master 2 is a fantastic film, but I haven't been all that excited by chan for a long time. There are only so many times I can watch a guy run away and try not to fight, no matter how athletic and well coreographed those scenes are. I guess I just miss the old Sonny Chiba ripping a guys nuts off days .

There's just enough humor to keep ONG-BAK fresh but, yes, it is, in essence a good old fashion good vs. evil butt kicking flick with enough bone crunching, head bashing, and other Martial Arts material to keep most people glued to the screen. And, as has been noted elsewhere, some of the really spectacular stuff gets the multiple angle, multiple shot treatment which I found effective in the theater where the lack of a remote control prevents one from backing up for a "did I really see what I thought I saw?" analysis.

Opens in theaters (I don't know how wide) on Friday 02/11/05. I understand that Quentin Tarantino has fallen in love with it and is vigorously promoting it. With other Hollywood types like Spielberg et. al. also embracing Jaa it's only a matter of time until he becomes as well known in the U.S. as he is in Asia and, as I understand it, Europe.

Fun stuff (if you have the temperment and stomach for it.)

This film has the potential for some great DVD "extras" if done right. I'll have to buy it just for the extended stunt sequences.

I've been waiting to see this movie for a while. Looking forward to it. I particularly like the fact that some of the fights are short(for example, in the trailer where he knocks out the other guy with one kick
) just like real martial art fights.

Here is a link to a nice clip involving a chase with some amazing stunts:
http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/586/586163p1.html

Just saw the trailer for this...Looks sinkin' amazing. I'm very excited for this one.

Fun stuff and Tony Jaa is amazing but hopefully his talents get put into a better movie. Ong Bak was just so-so. It felt like I was watching some internet download of a guy doing amazing stuff but just slapped together.