MovieChat Forums > Ong Bak 2 (2008) Discussion > Give a Tony Jaa movie a bit of a story, ...

Give a Tony Jaa movie a bit of a story, and people don't like it...

posted 14 years ago by ZOMBIE-8
12 replies | jump to latest

First, let me say, I find this film HIGHLY underrated. My expectations were low after the reviews I read, but I couldn't believe the film I saw when it was over.

First of all, it was certainly the most atmospheric and surreal of Jaa's films, having a very Apocalypto look to it.

Second, unlike the simplistic plots of Ong Bak (stolen Buddha head, hero goes after it) and Tom Yum Goong (stolen Elephant, hero goes after it), Ong Bak 2 actually has a somewhat more intricate plot line. It deals with the hero's origins, his murdered family, the "family" that raised him, the only woman he ever had feelings for, and his final weaknesses in the end of it all.

The characters also feel more developed here than the characters in the other two films. Maybe not nearly as much as they should be, but it's a good start.

Now, I think the problem people have is that it's not *FIGHT**FIGHT**FIGHT**talk**FIGHT**FIGHT**FIGHT**talk**FIGHT**FIGHT**FIGHT* like Jaa's other films. I don't find that to be a bad thing that the fights aren't as frequent, as it gives the audience a chance to catch up, learn about the characters, learn WHY they are fighting, and continue.

Overall, I'm looking forward to Ong Bak 3, and hope it wraps up the story nicely. Thoughts?

[–] Onimor 14 years ago

I agree. It's his best film so far. It felt epic and well worth my viewing time. I commend them for breaking free of the rigid plot guidelines inadvertently placed on martial art films.

Someone could have stolen the Buddha head again and taken it to America; and no doubt this film would have been wider received.

[–] randyra88 14 years ago

"give tony jaa movie a bit of a story..." ? are you kidding me? I was just done watching it and I thought it was all about fistfight, I mean there was more than enough fistfight in this movie,if there's more i'd puke

[–] jlbwells 14 years ago

I agree this movie has his best plot out of all his movies but its still bad. I thought it was just slightly south of fair, north of poor; but then the last 5 mins really ruin this. Just have him kill the bad guy, return a hero and end the movie. But no, Jaa or whoever rights this crap is like, let me end with a betrayl, cut to black, so stupid line about karma, and then some random pic of jaa with a beard. Even with my suggested ending it would have still been a sloppy movie, that somehow makes the most simplistic story incoherent, but ugh is all i have to say. I hear jaa actually works on the scripts/stories or at least has influence. He needs to stop that go and hire some 3rd rate writer to make some cheap action fare plot, and just do the martial arts in it.

[–] gaiderdraco 14 years ago

ZOMBIE-8, story-wise, if there's a third film then what's there to wrap up? This movie's storyline takes place hundreds of years before the happenings of the first movie and the only thing these two movies have in common is that they have the same title and main actor playing within.

This movie sucks because Tony Jaa is only a gymnast and even though we alreayd know that he is not proficient in any martial art. Having watched hundreds of martial arts film and having been a martial artist since the age of 8 I am familar with form and stances. Aside from Muai Thai, which Jaa had learned WHILE shooting the first Ong Bak he knows nothing else and it painfully shows when he attempts grappling, ninjitu, jiujitsu, kendo, and kung fu. The storyline was okay, him being an orphan and not knowing of his blood relations and being brought up as a bad person, a pirate if you will, but it wa sonly okay for about half the movie. The third act needs to be thrown in the trash and rewritten and the lack of an actual ending was a huge slap in the face.

I was not a fan of Ong Bak, I absolutely hate Tom Yum Goong (expect for Lateef Crowder's awesome fight sequence), Chocolate is one of the worst movies ever made, simply for being just plain wrong, and this movie was better than Tom Yum Goong but worse than Ong Bak.

I just hope that, like Jet Li, Jaa is picked up by Hollywood and better scripts come his way, with, hopefully much beter fight choreograpies and we can now finally tell that Thai action/martial films only have redeeming qualities in watching people get kicked or punched in the head. The language is ugly and irritating, personally and Jaa is not an actor in any way so he should never speak in any film again.

Again, that's just me and I hope to see the day that Tony Jaa is in an actual good movie.

D.

[–] ianmitchell-45214 8 years ago

People: ignore this muppet.

He rated The Raid, Chocolate and Ong Bak as 1 star. Then he rated the Rush Hour movie high. That is all you need to know with this guys opinion.

[–] lionclaw77 14 years ago

Thats because people whine too much and can never be satisfied. Even when you give them what they want, they still find a way to complain. Ong Bak 2's final fight was definatly one of the most creative and intense fights ever created but people complain. People complained he was to repetive before. He answers that with all these martial arts styles(which he pulled off very well)and people still complain. They complained he had zero storylines. When he actually creates one people complain. Get my point yet?

[–] BrotherZed 14 years ago

Tony Jaa still does the action well. The problem with this movie is that no story is better than a mind numbingly bad one. They give a lot of hooks, but never follow up on it. They show his girl friend (not girlfriend) as a kid and then they do nothing with her when she crosses patchs with Tien again. And WTF was the crow chick?! She shows up, slaps him around for a sec and that's it?

Ong Bak 1 had a better story. It was about more than just "Hero goes off to find stolen head" It was about exploitation of the Thai culture and heritage. The bad guy was pillaging everything and putting it on the black market. It also had Humlae finding the value is his own past. Plus, it actual you actually knew who the bad guys were because they was on screen for more than 2 scenes.

[–] destroyerwod 14 years ago

Honestly i watch Tony Jaa movies because of the fight that are always amazing, but the story.... Ong Bak and Protector where pretty much an excuses for the fights. This one has more story to it, and its not that bad, but it could improve a lot... I was not disapointed by the fights tought so for me that was worth my money.

[–] bruceleroy 14 years ago

I guess you watch porn for the plot too? This a martial arts movie, not an Oscar-contending drama. Plot will ALWAYS take a back seat to action in these films. If you can forge a decent plot, all the better, but Ong Bak 2's plot was by-the-numbers martial arts stuff (Avenge my father!), and worse, it was so drawn out, as if it weren't completely predictable. I preferred the simplicity of the first movie's story; at least it didn't get in the way of the action. And as attractive as Ong Bak 2 is, the action lacked the wow factor of the first.

[–] mentasm 14 years ago

What a load of crap. There are plenty of martial arts films where the plot is the driving force and the action employed merely as a supplement.

[–] the_bamboo_spear 14 years ago

True, but they're never the best ones.

"Randal, I come back here, I cut me a steak"

[–] activista 8 years ago

Not true-----look at Five Deadly Venoms---it actually has a plot that's a little more complicated than the average kung-fu film, and it's considered a classic (which it is,)