ThiefHott Too much of everything

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

CinemaClown Jam-packed with crazy stunts & insane action choreography, and introducing Tony Jaa as the next major martial arts star after Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan, Ong-bak (also known as Ong-bak: Muay Thai Warrior or simply The Thai Warrior) is more an exhibition of the famous combat style than anything else, for the story it packs in is barely serviceable.The story of Ong-bak follows a young martial artist who journeys to Bangkok to retrieve an artefact that was stolen from his village by some thieves. Enlisting the help of his cousin who already lives in the big city, he attempts to track down the thieves but finds himself delving deeper into the Thai underworld and has to rely on his combat skills to defeat his adversaries.Co-written & directed by Prachya Pinkaew, the plot is paper thin yet many of the storytelling shortcomings are brushed away by the acrobatics & martial arts on display here as every action scene is violent yet fascinating to watch. However, it is also overdone, as evident in the different angles employed to capture the same stunt multiple times throughout the movie.The absence of CGI & wire fu is a welcome element, providing its practical stunts & action choreography an authentic & realistic touch that most martial arts films tend to lack. It isn't just the face-offs that's thrilling to watch but also the chases that the film has in store. The plot outline is a simple one, dialogues aren't good at all, and yet it is a mostly entertaining ride.Tony Jaa is what makes Ong-bak so refreshing on so many levels. His acting may not be up to the mark but watching him destroy his opponents with the combat skills, speed & athleticism he has in his arsenal is an absolute delight. There are a few moments the story could've done without but majority of its action segments carry zero complaints. The background score however is a total letdown.On an overall scale, Ong-bak brings ancient Muay Thai to mainstream cinema in a truly memorable fashion and is one of the finest martial arts films in existence. Its shortcomings are plenty yet for every action aficionado, it is going to be a mostly satisfying cinematic experience. Announcing the arrival of a new martial arts star in grand style and keeping its combat style well within the realms of physics, this Thai classic is a must for every action film fanatic out there.

Takeshi-K "Ong Bak" refers to a really old statue of The Buddha that sits in a small Thai village. Thieves from Bangkok disrespect and decapitate the statue and take the head with them. Believing their village is now cursed without it, the upset villagers determine to recover it. One of the villagers, Ting, played by Muay Thai legend Tony Jaa, volunteers to travel to Bangkok. His logical starting point is Don, a drug dealer who attempted to buy the statue and so begins his spiritual warrior journey into the depths of Bangkok's criminal underworld.As a Thai I admit I am biased but this is one of the great martial arts films of all time. The action is incredible and the fact that there is no cgi makes it all the more epic and rewarding. No wire work either. It is a battle of good vs evil elevated to epic status since the hero's journey is spiritually justified. Muay Thai and Taekwondo fans will recognise many of the moves. This is an exciting introduction to Thai Culture and our people.

Adam Foidart The simple story of "Ong-Bak" is enough to carry the audiences through, but poorly developed characters means that the martial arts by Tony Jaa are the real highlight of the movie. The martial arts work are impressive and varied from scene to scene and mixing chases with fights against increasingly difficult opponents means that you will be excited to see what comes next. Some of the stunts here are unlike anything you have ever seen (except maybe in exaggerated animated films) and if you're a fan of kung-fu films, or if you're OK with non-stop action with a thin storyline and non-characters, you'll be blown away.Watching this movie, it got me thinking. In this age of CGI and quick-cut editing, there's a real lack of material for people who like seeing real physical performances like dancing, martial arts/fighting, singing and other stunt work. There's probably a lot of that market that can be crossed over as well. I mean while we have "Step Up" style extreme dancing, maybe the thin story lines those movies have can be spiced up with the elements of these type of martial arts films. You already have people jumping around and doing flips and crazy stunts so why not? Maybe a kung-fu musical where we don't get a thousand cuts and we get the actors to sing as they are doing the actions (instead of dubbing them in post) could be a real eye-opener for fans of either genre. Does that sound so crazy? It's starting to make sense to me. With that in mind, even if a movie about martial arts doesn't sound like your thing, give this one a try because the stunt work is impressive and there is a lot of enjoyment that can be had knowing that on screen you're actually seeing real people throwing punches and kicks at each other. (On DVD, August 12, 2012)

matthewwalker50 There isn't the most interesting story. But that doesn't matter one bit when you experience some of the most groundbreakingly breathtaking action sequences ever in martial arts. Wait, in movie history! Tony Jaa trains in Korean martial arts Muay Thai. I have practised a bit myself with a qualified trainer for Muay Thai. But this guy pulls every move off perfectly with unbelievable technique. It is annoying that they used all the effects they did. It can make people curious about the special effects making Jaa out to be even more amazing, which is probably true. Even with all that in mind, in my opinion he's even a better fighter than the legendary Bruce Lee. (Trust me, that's the 1st time I've ever said that about any fighter in any country.) Tony Jaa's elbows are the most deadly strikes I've ever seen in martial arts. He could easily take someone's life with his moves. They call him a Thai warrior. I'd call him the Thai master myself. Whats amazing is that he even topped this in Warrior King. Which was an even better film than this stunner. Forget the other modern martial artists like Chan & Jet Li, this guys the real BIG deal. Although realism fails a lot in this film, it still takes nothing from the sheer entertainment is boasts. I recommend of the highest priority to any martial art fan (Die-hard martial arts fans must get this stunner of a movie).