tony-jaa-ong-bak-2.jpg
There's No Crying In Martial Arts!

The Troubled Journey of Ong Bak 2 / Claude Weaver III

Trade News | July 7, 2009 | Comments (27)

Tony Jaa has returned to inflict massive amounts of pain on himself and others, all for our enjoyment. Only this time, he sits in the big chair as well.

This is the trailer for Ong-Bak 2, Jaa’s directorial debut. Originally intended to be a proper sequel, it instead became a fantasy-tinged historical epic. Jaa plays Tien, a nobleman’s son who witnesses the murder of his parents. He is saved from slave traders by the leader of the Pha Beek Krut, a group of legendary martial artists from all over Asia.

Released in Thailand last year (and bootlegged shortly after that), the reviews for the film have been … not so kind. The general consensus is that the plot is completely nonsensical and the action is just not good enough to make up for it. This may be due to the recut, but more than likely it has something to do with the falling out between Jaa and director Prachya Pinkaew (Ong-Bak, Tom Yun Goong), which led to the action star to take the helm. The production has been plagued with problems, from Jaa suddenly walking off set for two months and CRYING ON THAI NATIONAL TELEVISION, to the production company requesting a new director before they gave any more money (Jaa got action choreographer and mentor Panna Rittikrai to take over). The film still went over budget, forcing it to end on a cliffhanger and the story to continue in a possible Ong-Bak 3.

Then again it was number one at the box office (beating Tom Yun Goong) during a period of political upheaval, so who knows?

So chances are, the trailer is better than the movie for once. Oh, before I forget, the alligator is real. FYI.

Fun fact: Tony Jaa had to turn down in a Jackie Chan picture because of Ong-Bak 2, even though Chan (a hero of Jaa) personally requested him. The movie? Rush Hour 3. Talk about mixed blessings.

The DVD is due out in October.

(By the way, who is going to review Chocolate? Seriously, who?)


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Comments

I love watching this guy kick things. I just... I do.

Posted by: twig at July 7, 2009 6:19 PM

GIVE BACK ONG BAK MOTHERFUCKER!!!

Seriously, wouldn't you just give the damn thing back??

Posted by: Lunchbox20 at July 7, 2009 6:19 PM

The first Ong Bak was mostly a good (martial arts) movie, at least until the stupid fight at the end. As long as there are insane martial arts, I'll watch it ... eventually.

Posted by: Neodiogenes at July 7, 2009 6:23 PM

Mmmmm three directors, a grown man crying like some little girl on national television, funding getting withheld.

This has WIN! written all over it.

I'll wait for the torrent.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at July 7, 2009 6:24 PM

I've watched it. I didn't find it as atrocious as the first one (though the action was right), but it's still a mess that was seemingly edited in Hell, and therefore lost quite a bit of potential. Jaa can't act for his life, and he's not much of a director, either. (Big surprise there.)

The funniest part was that Jaa has about 20 words of dialogue. The rest of his acting consists of staring grimly into the camera/into the landscape and squeezing out a tear once in a while.

Posted by: FabMax at July 7, 2009 6:49 PM

I honestly don't see how you can really fuck up a movie about Tony Jaa kicking things. The flashiest directorial touch in Warrior King was probably the one-take, Jaa-kicking-the-hell-out-of-several-people-across-several-floors bit. The first Ong Bak wasn't massively flashy cinematically either - both films had the good sense to just point the camera somewhere where you could see both Jaa and the person (or persons, or giants, or whatever) that he was beating on and just let him get on with it.

I'll still give this a whirl.

Posted by: Dill The Devil at July 7, 2009 6:50 PM

Keeping in mind that I have not seen Ong Bak the first, so I don't have any "lo how the mighty have fallen" disappointment:

Who CARES about the story and the "acting"? Did you SEE that guy wrasslin' the alligator?

I love even shitballs retarded movies if they have entertaining fights.

Posted by: MM at July 7, 2009 6:50 PM

It’s about time Claude, I see they gave you the important shit to write about. What's next, "The Hootie and the Nottie 2?" I know a brother got to eat, but damn.

Posted by: Guess Who! at July 7, 2009 6:52 PM

Emo-Fu. Weak.

Posted by: TSF at July 7, 2009 6:56 PM

"You killed my father - before he ever got a chance to understand me! Now, I'm going to inflict the death of a thousand cuts - on myself!"

Posted by: Dill The Devil at July 7, 2009 6:58 PM

I want a movie to combine The Hills and Ong Bak

Posted by: Braski at July 7, 2009 7:07 PM

Oh fuck, enough already. Somebody put Tony Jaa, Jet Li, Jason Statham and the two dudes from District B13 in a movie already. I wan't ass kicking armageddon.

Posted by: admin at July 7, 2009 8:38 PM

Tony Ja rules and this is WAY better than half of the crappy shit out there. I liked it about a million times more than the Dark Knight. Considering what he puts his body through for his movies, it isn't that surprising that it was difficult for him mentally as well. And I am fully down with an ass kicking armegaddon, and because it is such an awesome idea, it will never happen, sigh.......

Posted by: whatever at July 7, 2009 9:04 PM

I saw Chocolate at the Adelaide film festival earlier this year. I would be happy to review it if you would like.

Posted by: returnofthesmith at July 7, 2009 9:17 PM

Posted by: admin at July 7, 2009 8:38 PM

Remember, there is something close...The Expendables
Sylvester Stallone
Jason Statham
Jet Li
Dolph Lundgren
Randy Couture
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Mickey Rourke
Arnold Schwarzenegger

Did I mention Charisma Carpenter?

Posted by: DeistBrawler at July 7, 2009 9:22 PM

You are correct Deist, however, I don't believe that the geriatrics are willing to put their body's through the punishment neccessary to produce the product I'm looking for.

Honestly, what's the average age there? 52?

Posted by: admin at July 8, 2009 12:05 AM

Tony Ja rules and this is WAY better than half of the crappy shit out there. I liked it about a million times more than the Dark Knight...

And you know what! I like martial arts movies like a billion times better than pizza because pizza is like, lame, and martial arts movies are just, y'know, not lame.

And inflatable rafts are so much better than Bush's State of the Union address. Anyone who doesn't think so is gay.

Posted by: Neodiogenes at July 8, 2009 1:12 AM

Oh, and I also like bold. Bold totally kicks the ass of that lame-piss Hegelian Dialectic any day.

Fuck u if you don't agree, 'tard.

Posted by: Neodiogenes at July 8, 2009 1:18 AM

Tony Jaa beats up a fucking elephant in Ong Bak 2. There might have been a plot, but really, he fights alongside, and with, a fucking ELEPHANT. That is all you need to know.

Posted by: insertclevernamehere at July 8, 2009 1:50 AM

That alligator definitely ate a motherfucker or two during filming.

Posted by: Mick J at July 8, 2009 2:01 AM

Honestly, what's the average age there? 52?

Damn you're good, I actually did the math and its 51.

Yes, I'm that lame.

Posted by: DeistBrawler at July 8, 2009 4:15 AM

And in case you were wondering admin the average age of your ideal cast is 37.4

Posted by: DeistBrawler at July 8, 2009 4:19 AM

Listen, I've been in the same room with Tony Jaa. Dude is not only SHORT (even by Thai standards) but has a tiny, squeaky voice -- hence the 20 words of dialogue. His insane gymnastic and general ass-kicking abilities, however, totally make up for it.
Then again, Tom Yam Goong WAS truly horrible...

Posted by: thatangrychick at July 8, 2009 6:42 AM

Neodiogenes, there comes a point at which thinly-veiled sarcasm becomes mastubatory and lame, and you can rest assured that line gets crossed long before you start referencing Hegel

Posted by: OnCallSurgeon at July 8, 2009 7:44 AM

Twitch released a longer/better trailer over a year ago. Despite from what I read above I am still real hyped for this.

Posted by: CoolWhip11 at July 8, 2009 10:37 AM

Neodiogenes, there comes a point at which thinly-veiled sarcasm becomes mastubatory and lame, and you can rest assured that line gets crossed long before you start referencing Hegel.
Posted by: OnCallSurgeon at July 8, 2009 7:44 AM

Agreed, but only if you're relatively sober at the time. I believe drunk posting is allowed, even encouraged, on this site.

Posted by: Neodiogenes at July 8, 2009 11:03 AM

The movie sucked more dick than an average thai hooker! Tony Jaa is a fucking idiot. He ruined the movie by helming it. And who the fuck wrote the script, a 10 year old?
He should have gone with Rush Hour 3, then this disaster wouldn't have happened and RH3 might have actually been good. Too bad never anything goes right in movieland.

Posted by: Jakob at July 8, 2009 12:03 PM