I just don’t know how to start this review of Ong-bak, a 2003 martial arts film from Thailand. It is almost everything I could want from a martial arts film; it restores my faith in a genre that is elsewhere being diminished by wires, cgi, and choppy camerawork devised to hide the inadequacy of actors, stunt doubles, and fight choreographers. Thank the gods someone is offering an alternative.
Ong-bak is, I believe, the first film to introduce Tony Jaa (the star of The Protector, which is currently playing in U.S. cinemas, I believe) to a Western audience. There are no stunt doubles, and the director ensures that you can actually see the amazing martial arts rather than merely suggesting them. And the fight scenes are phenomenal. You will probably tire of hearing it, but Tony Jaa appears to be the greatest martial artist in movies since Bruce Lee.
The story behind Ong-bak is a simple one. Ong-bak is the name of the statue of the Buddha that protects our hero’s village. Alas, the head of the statue is stolen, and the rural villagers believe that they will certainly suffer poverty and starvation unless the head of Ong-bak is restored. Our hero selflessly volunteers to single-handedly retrieve the head of Ong-bak whatever the cost, and sets out for its obvious location: the sin capital of the world, Bangkok. Before he leaves, however, the monk who trained him forces him to promise never to use his martial arts in a fight.
Inevitably, our hero unintentionally gains a sidekick, and as a result of the sidekick’s shenanigans gets unwillingly involved in a number of fights (alas) conducted for the sake of gambling and entertainment by some of the most ruthless crimelords in Thailand. There is action, comedy, mystery, and drama, but it has to be said: the moral of the story is a trifle off-kilter. Although, my misgivings about it might be partially attributed to a less-than-complete understanding of the Thai sects of Buddhism. Nevertheless, there is something about it that just doesn’t quite jibe, and it might be the writer’s fault.
If you get a chance to rent the DVD, I implore you to watch it in the original Thai language with the subtitles of your choice. I wouldn’t ordinarily stress the importance of subtitles over dubbing in a martial arts movie, but it really is a pleasure to hear the spoken Thai and the real voices of the actors.
I highly recommend Ong-bak to anyone with even a passing interest in martial arts movies. ‘Tis amazing.
- Writing: Mediocre
- Directing: Good
- Acting: Fair
- Cinematography: Great
- Stunts: Superb
- Martial Arts: Superb
Overall Rating: Good
Martial Arts Rank: Superb