DVD Review: Ong-Bak - The Thai Warrior
Jump To: Video/Audio/Features/Bottom Line
::Movie review
It's a mistake to try to lump a martial arts movie into the same category with virtually any other type of film. It just doesn't fit. The only comparable genre I can think of is the musical.
You see, musicals exist for the music. Sometimes the story that goes along with it is pretty good, sometimes it's just plain awful, but in the end, the story is just a framework and the music is the real star. Martial arts movies are exactly the same, except instead of music, it's the fight scene. Martial arts movies only really get into trouble when they forget this and try to make the story more important than the fighting (note: there is a difference between a "martial arts" movie and an "action movie" that just happens to have martial arts in it).
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior doesn't, for one second, forget what it is.
The story in Ong-Bak is as threadbare as they come in this genre: a priceless artifact is stolen from a village and one lone warrior is sent to retrieve it. That's it.
The "lone warrior" in question is Ting, played by newcomer Tony Jaa. In interviews, Jaa has cited Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li as his primary influences, and it shows. His on screen style definitely shows elements of all three, blended into one explosive package and if Ong-Bak is any indication, I'd say that the chances are pretty good for him to step into spotlight as the next martial arts superstar -- at least if he can prove to be more than a one-trick pony (and possibly find a way to inject some of Chan's and Li's charisma into his on-screen persona).
One of the unwritten rules of martial arts movies is that they feature one martial arts style, and it rules supreme over all others. Either it is an obscure art that is secretly more powerful than any other style that ever existed, or it's some currently popular martial art that is being exploited (such as the Ninja movies in the 1980's). The style used in Ong-Bak is Muay Thai, which is a form of kickboxing from Thailand . One of the hallmarks of Muay Thai is its brutality. Fighters train to harden their bodies so that every limb becomes a weapon and so they can absorb punishing attacks, and the fight scenes in Ong-Bak showcase this spectacularly.
In addition to great fight scenes, Ong-Bak also provides outstanding stunts. The promotional material for the film is very clear in pointing out that no wires or CGI work was used for any of the stunts or fight scenes. This is an important point to remember as you watch Tony Jaa leap into the air and run across the shoulders of a dozen attackers, dive through a narrow spool of barbed wire, or fight while his legs are set on fire (yes, fire -- real fire, on his legs).
Given the slicked-up, computer enhanced nature of most action movies these days, the stunt work in Ong-Bak will seem fresh and new to younger audiences, but this is really a throwback to the earlier Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung era films, where these outlandish stunts and fight scenes were common. Still, one really begins to appreciate the work of the stuntmen on a film like this, especially after a few of them bounce off of tree limbs as they plummet to the ground, or suffer through full power kicks to the chest. Big budget Hollywood films worry about recovering the cost of the special effects. Ong-Bak must worry about recovering the cost of the medical bills.
I really haven't said much about the story or the acting because they are really kind of irrelevant. Criticizing them would be like criticizing a Hummer because it gets crappy gas mileage. You'd be missing the point. Even so, it isn't really that the plot of Ong-Bak is horrible. It's just uninspired. However, the story does exactly what it needs to do, and that is provide a means to get from one fight scene to the next. If there is any failing, it's perhaps that the film tries to put too much story into it. Ong-Bak slows down in a few places, where it should have just concentrated on maintaining the momentum.
These types of films aren't for everyone in the same way that not everybody loves musicals. But for those who do appreciate this genre, Ong-Bak is a jaw-droppingly amazing film.
::Video
I wasn't very impressed at all with the video on this disc. I realize that Ong-bak was not filmed up to Hollywood standards, but even so, there are moments on this disc that just plain suck. Overall, the picture is dark, grainy and often difficult to watch. Many of the fight scenes -- the film's best moments -- are difficult to see due to the lousy print. The color timing seems off and way over in the yellow/red spectrum. The low quality makes it tough to spot any digital errors.
::Audio
Audio choices are given for both Thai (with English subtitles) and English dubbed. Neither one is very impressive, however, the English dub at least adds the amusement of typically bizarre voice acting. [Side note: are there people who actually aspire to be the English voice dubs for martial arts movies? And if so, that could very well be the most entertaining job in Hollywood.]
::Special Features
The extra features on this disc are an odd, mixed bag of materials.
First up is a Live Demonstration given by Tony Jaa to help promote the film. I'm assuming that the demonstration is impressive, but what we're shown is poorly filmed and even more poorly edited.
Next up is the 8 Movements of Muay Thai, which is meant to demonstrate some of the moves you'll see in the film, but this feature is clunky and poorly thought out, making it useless.
Moving along, there is a rap video featuring Tony Jaa and a French rap group called Tragedie. This is followed by a making of feature about the video, which inexplicably lasts longer than the video.
Next is a clumsily put together selection of alternate "b-roll" footage from the film.
Finally, you'll find a promotional video and trailers.
::Bottom Line
For what it is, Ong-Bak is entertaining. It is a martial arts movie through and through, which means that it won't appeal to all audiences. Fans of the genre will probably not want to pass this one up, but everyone else may just want to look elsewhere for entertainment.
| Movie |  |
3 / 5 |
| Video | |
2 / 5 |
| Audio | |
2 / 5 |
| Extras | |
2.5 / 5 |
| Family Friendly | |
0.5 / 5 |
| This film is rated R mainly for violence, but there is some sexuality and some mild drug use. This isn't by any means appropriate for the whole family, but the older teens can watch it. | ||
| Overall | |
2.5 / 5 |
- Robert Wurth, ©2005
::Technical Specs
Studio:
Fox Home Entertainment
Year of Theatrical Release:
2005 (2003)
Disc Format:
1 single-sided, Dual Layer
Image Format:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Aspect Ratio:
1.85:1
Region Encoding:
1 (North America)
Sound Format:
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 (pro logic)
Running Time:
105 minutes
Director:
Prachya Pinkaew
Stars:
Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol
MPAA Rating:
R
Disc Supplements:
- Tony Jaa Live Demonstration
- The 8 Movements of Muay Thai
- "B-roll" Stunt Footage
- Rap Video With Tony Jaa
- Making of the Video
