More from author
-	Masterpiece Mixtape - Let's Stay Together
-	Masterpiece Mixtape - Midnight Radio
-	Masterpiece Mixtape - Lover, You Should've Come Over
-	Masterpiece Mixtape - (Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night
-	Masterpiece Mixtape - Thrown Away

See news about

activism AKP Al Yamamah Angelina Jolie BAE Systems Bill Murray bizarre news BRIT Awards Buick car crash Celebrity Commonwealth Bank Series Cricket Demi Moore extradition formula one France Gambhir genocide geri Halliwell headlines single Health Care Commission Heather Mills Hutu Hyperinflation Impeachment James Earl Katie Holmes Kylie Minogue Mika military tribunal MRSA Mugabe music Pakistan Pakistan Tour Paris Hilton Politics Ponting Prince Harry and Chelsy Rod Stewart Saudi Arabia SCG Secularists security Serious Fraud Office Sienna Miller Stockholm Syndrome Symonds terrorism The Huff Tim Burton Tutsi usic Victoria Beckham Victoria Beckham nude Yves Leterme00710 Worst Nude Film Scenes2nd amendment50 Cent50-Centa-teamA-Team movieABBAAbbie CornishAbi TitmussAbigail BreslinAcademy AwardsaccidentsAdam SandleraddictionsAdeleAdnan GhalibAfghanistanAfton SmithAgyness DeynAir IndiaAishwarya RaiAl GoreAl Pacinoal QaedaAl-QaedaAlan ArkinAlan RickmanAlanis MorisseteAlanis MorissetteAlbert Einsteinalcoholalcohol addictionAlec BaldwinAlesha DixonAlex TurnerAlexandriaAli CampbellAli LarterAlicia KeysAlicia SilverstoneAllahAlli SimsAmanda HoldenAmanda PeetAmanda SeyfriedAmazonAmelle BerrabahAmerican IdolAmerican PieAmy AdamsAmy RyanAmy WinehouseAmy Winehouse is planning a massive Christmas bingAnatole TaubmannAndhraAndrew MortonAndy HilfigerAndy SerkisAng LeeAngela MerkelAngelina Jolieanimal rightsAnjelica HustonAnna NicoleAnna Nicole SmithAnne HathawayAnnie LennoxAnthony HopkinsAnthony MinghellaAnti-IconAntonio BanderasAppleArctic MonkeysAretha FranklinAri SandelArmaniArnieArnold SchwarzeneggerArpad BussonAshantiAshely TisdaleAshlee SimpsonAshley ColeAshley JuddAshley OlsenAshley TisdaleAshton KutcherAsif Ali ZardariAsley OlsenAssamastronautAtonementAtonement\'Audrey HepburnAustraliaAvril LavigneAyda FieldBabelbabyBackstairs BillyBackstreet Boysbad influencesBaftaBaghdadBalticBangladeshBar RafaeliBar RefaeliBarack ObamaBarry ManilowBasraBattlestar GalacticaBBCBeatlesbeauty pageantBeckhambecome news reporterBeethovenBelgiumBen AffleckBenazirBenazir assassinationBenazir BhuttoBenazir Bhutto assassinationBenazir Bhutto photosBenazir Bhutto stampsBenazir Bhutto willBenezir Bhutto assassinationBeowulfBernardo BertolucciBest ActressBest Dressed in 2007best haircutbest motorcycle movie momentsbest moviesBeth DittoBethlehemBette MidlerBeverly Hills 90210BeyonceBeyoncé KnowlesBeyonc¨¦ KnowlesBilawal ZardarBilawal ZardariBill GatesBillie PiperBillionaireBilly JoelBilly Zanebinge drinkingBipasha Basubird fluBismarckBizarre NewsBjorkBlack CrowesBlack Eyed PeasBlake FielderBlake Fielder CivilBlake Fielder-CivilBlaze Media ProblogbloggerbloggingBlurBMWBo DerekBob DylanBobby BrownBollywoodbombBon JoviBondBond 22Bond girlBond girlsBonoBoratBotoxBoy GeorgeBrad PittBrad RenfroBrainBrandon RouthBrandyBrazilbrazil prisonbread thievesBrendan FraserBrian MayBrian McFaddenBrian WilliamsBridget JonesBridget MoynahanBRIT AwardsBritish royal familyBritish Secret IntelligenceBritney SpearBritney SpearsBritney Spears adoptionBritney Spears body doubleBritney Spears lawyerBritney Spears psychological evaluationBritsBrittany MurphyBrooke ShieldsBruce LeeBruce SpringsteenBruce WillisBruneiBryan AdamsBuckingham Palacebulletproof vestBushBusta RhymesCairoCalista FlockhartCalvin KleinCameron DiazCameron MackintosCamila AlvesCamillaCanadaCanada¡¯s Juno AwardscancercannabisCannesCannes Film FestivalCapri Hollywood Film FestivalCarey HartCarla Bruni-SarkozyCarmen ElectraCarmit BacharCaroline KennedyCarrie UnderwoodCasablancaCasey AffleckCasey AldridgeCash WarrenCasio keyboardCat DeeleyCate Blanchett

 

Ong-Bak



Starring Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao.

Written by Prachya Pinkaew, Panna Rittikrai, Suphachai Sithiamphan.

Directed by Prachya Pinkaew

Genre: Martial Arts

Released: 2003

Running time: 101 mins.

Rated: R (American rating for strong violence, language, some drug use and sexuality)

IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0368909/

Ever since The Matrix was released, Hollywood action films have become increasingly soaked in CG stunts and Hong Kong inspired wirework, to the point where something that originally seemed exciting and different has become stale, trite and unimaginative.

In response to this, actor Tony Jaa and director Prachya Pinkaew resolved to make a film unlike any other, which not only showcased Thailand’s national martial art, Muay Thai, but did so in an exciting, visceral fashion. The result was Ong-Bak, a film where all the stunts are done onset and in-camera. Tony Jaa prepared for this film years in advance, training extensively in order to be able to do all the stunts himself, and it pays off. Not in years has there been a film so stunning to watch simply for the choreography of its action sequences. What makes it even more impressive is the lack of technical assistance used to achieve everything; no wirework, no doubles. What you see is what you get in this example of guerrilla movie-making.

Sure, the storyline is incredibly rudimentary, with Jaa’s character Ting being sent from his small village into the city so that he can find the stolen head of the village’s Buddha statue. The plot, however, isn’t the point here. The story and the characters are kept basic so as not to complicate things, because who wants to focus on stuff like that when you have to film a scene where the lead actor is kicking guys in the face while his legs are on fire?

Muay Thai is a pretty brutal sport. I’ve seen so for myself, having worked as a spotlight operator at a Muay Thai tournament (don’t ask me how that one came about). The fighters who participate in the sport are highly disciplined, and have incredibly high thresholds for pain. For the most part, it’s not as showy a fighting style as kung fu or karate, but many argue that it’s one of the most effective styles there is, and so it’s interesting to finally see it get some real screen time in a film. Jaa’s fighting style is just like his stuntwork; flawless, breathtaking and, quite often, wince-inducing.

So before the sequel comes out, you might want to check out Ong-Bak. You just don’t see films of this nature coming out of Hollywood. At least, not yet you do.

Next time: Stretch your wings, we’re flying to Brazil.