Ong-Bak

I haven't really seen a martial arts movie in a while, so this was an enjoyable use of my time. I can't say much for Tony Jaa's acting skills, but his fighting is very impressive. Using the Muay Thai fighting style instead of the more common Chinese stuff gives it a unique and refreshing feel, as does the complete absence of wires or computer effects. It's just Jaa doing his stuff, and some of it is downright amazing. His skill at jumping and flipping out of harm's way is displayed extensively and is a lot of fun. It's not uncommon to see a bit of humor in the action scenes, like in the chase sequence where they're all driving small, three-wheeled cabs. His actual fighting is also interesting, as instead of punches and kicks he makes constant use of elbows and knees. I don't know how many times he leapt in the air and drove an elbow into the top of his opponent's head, but he sure seemed to enjoy it. It's mostly unarmed but as it gets to the end, there's a nice scene with some weapons, and the climax contains a lot of really brutal, over-the-top moments.

The movie itself wasn't terrible but fairly unoriginal. Most of the characters and plot points are obvious. Jaa is the idealistic, innocent youth thrust into a new situation who can kick everyone's ass. His cousin is the bumbling sidekick who kind of sucks most of the time but redeems himself in the end with bravery over actual skill. The main villain doesn't actually fight but wields a lot of power despite his weakness. As a film it's not terribly interesting but gets the job done of setting up the action scenes. It's also oppressively orange. Nearly every scene is lit with an unhealthy orange tint with lots of yellows and reds, which speaks to barrenness in Jaa's native village and seediness in Bangkok's underground. It's not too bad on its own, but when nearly every single scene is lit in this unnatural way it gets irritating to look at and can decrease enjoyment. Despite the annoying lighting and uncreative premise, it's still a fun movie if you like watching guys hit each other.