Ong Bak 2 – A Review of Tony Jaa's New Film
Tony Jaa’s Ong Bak 2 – Best Martial Arts Film Of All Time?
Oct 27, 2009
Ong Bak 2 is Tony Jaa’s third film after Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong (released as The Protector in North America) and is a loose prequel set several hundred years ago in Thailand. Tony Jaa’s other films demonstrated exemplary stunts and action sequences while he utilized Muay Thai to deliver flying knees and elbows. In Ong Bak 2, Tony Jaa continues to grow as an action star as he demonstrates several other martial arts to create a visually stunning action film.
Ancient Thailand On Film
Tony Jaa plays Tien, whose family was killed by mercenaries hired by a rival noble. While he escapes, he is captured by slave traders and forced to fight a crocodile for their entertainment. Proving himself worthy, he is adopted by a group of bandits and sequestered in their village. Through flashbacks the story unfolds, and the film reveals a careful detail to costume and scenery which are both incredibly engaging.
Ong Bak 2 is an incredibly dark movie that mulls over revenge and betrayal set against the backdrop of noble power struggles during the Ayutthaya period. Tien desires revenge, and is taught the various skills of the bandit village populated by Malays, Persians, Chinese, Japanese and Thais displaying the crossroads history of Thailand. Establishing himself as leader, he becomes a ruthless bandit in turn, ever while looking for the murderers of his family. He locates his father’s rival, but later finds that those he hunts are closer to home.
Although a dark film, there are bright spots of beauty. In addition to the frenetic pace of the martial arts sequences, the movie takes a pause to deliver two stunning traditional dance scenes. During an assassination attempt, Tony Jaa, who trained in dance, delivers a solo martial-arts influenced dance performance infused with grace and power. This is also complemented by a traditional dance sequence with elaborate costumes creating a stunning visual.
Best Kung Fu Movie Ever?
While being raised in the bandit village, the martial arts movie convention of a training montage is given full play. Tony Jaa learns Muay Boran (Ancient Muay Thai), Krabi – Krabong (Thai Sword – Staff), Silat, Japanese swordsmanship, and a large variety of kung fu styles. He is tested in turn in each discipline by other students in well – choreographed fight scenes that mix energetic action with taut lines of tension. Tony Jaa demonstrates his talent at mimicking other styles with great effectiveness giving the action a visceral feel.
There are several great action sequences in Ong Bak 2. Tony Jaa sprints along the backs of stampeding elephants and wrecks revenge on the men who enslaved him. Making use of drunken kung – fu along with other styles, Tony Jaa produces a superbly choreographed sequence with few equals in current martial arts cinema. His intensity and charisma as an actor lends to the beauty of his movements as he delivers incredible violence to his attackers.
The final thirty minutes of Ong Bak 2 is a series of fight sequences as Tony Jaa returns to the Bandit village only to find it filled with enemies clad in black. He uses stunning acrobatic kicks, weapon disarms, and a three – section staff to disable foes. The martial arts choreography for weapons and empty handed fighting throughout the movie is superb both for the variety of styles employed but the sense of power in the moves as well.
Ong Bak 2 Critique
The movie told through a mix of flashbacks and action sequences can be followed, however as the plot builds, the ending will likely fall flat for non – Thai audiences. Although the actor who plays Tien as a child carries much of the dramatic weight of the movie, Tony Jaa exhibits little emotional growth in his portrayal. A sub – plot involving a childhood friend fizzles and remains extraneous to the plot as well. Tony Jaa, who also directed and conceived of the story, had a very visible break down during filming citing the pressure of expectations giving the ending a clipped feel.
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