The Protector (2006)

For his follow-up to Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior, Thai action star Tony Jaa steps it up to the next level with Tom-Yum-Goong, a rip-roaring fight fiesta that features some of the most stellar martial arts set pieces ever committed to celluloid. It's not surprising that the Asian market created a videogame based off of the film simply because the movie might as well be a live-action game in and of itself. Full of stages and bosses that are simply there for the hero to pummel, the flick's highlights include a five-story circular room fight that begins on the bottom floor and ends at the top, with Jaa brawling his way through each and every opponent that gets thrown at him. The scene is as classic as they come, with a one-shot steady cam following his every move in super smooth efficiency. Then there are the multiple helicopter stunts and the end fight featuring the man of the hour as he straps elephant bones to his arms for maximum brutality. Tony Jaa effectively takes the mantle with this one, making him the most exciting martial arts actor of his time. Released in America as The Protector with a shocking 81-minute running time, the film takes on a more best-of quality that skips past numerous subplots and straight to the action -- all to a rather ineffectual RZA score. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide