Wow. More than three months without a post! So much for good intentions.
I just purchased, sight unseen, another Tony Jaa film: The Protector.
Oh, where to begin. I will start by saying, do not expect anything in the way of character development, significant plot points, or great cinematography. Watch this movie to see Jony Jaa do his stuff.
TJ plays the son of the man who raises elephants for a member of Thai royalty. An unscrupulous businessman/transvestite has stolen the prize elephant and a baby elephant and spirited them away to Australia.
But enough about that. Let's talk Tony Jaa.
The first fight doesn't happen until nearly twenty minutes into the film, but this oversight is more than made up for by pretty much the whole rest of the movie, which is basically one gigantic fight punctuated by numberous explosions as the fight changes venues. The explosions, and indeed all of the special effects, are mediocre at best. But Oh! is TJ beautiful to watch.l Two scenes, in particular, stand out for me.'
The first is what appears to be one long shot of TJ fighting his way up a huge circular staircase, beating the bejeezus out of at least twenty thugs in the process. No moves are repeated, none flubbed, and no-one stands a chance. And this isn't even the biggest fight. The fact that it was done in one shot is hugely impressive, when you consider there was no wirework, no digital effects, and no stunt doubles for Mr. Jaa.
The other scene is a one-on-one with a capoeira fighter, in a room with a foot of water on the floor. I had to go back and rewind this one a couple of times. Both men are superb martial artists and stylistically, the fight was a thing of beauty.
I think TJ may develop into a decent actor if given the right direction and opportunities, but until then his movies are worth seeing just for the sheer joy of watching him move.