Tom Yum Goong

The Protector
Warrior King / Honour of the Dragon / Ong Bak 2

Thailand 2005
produced by
Prachya Pinkaew, Sukanya Vongsthapat, Somsak Techaratanaprasert (executive) for Sahamongkolfilm, Baa-Ram-Ewe
directed by Prachya Pinkaew
starring Tony Jaa, Petchai Wongkamlao, Bongkoj Khongmalai, Xing Jing, Johnny Nguyen, Damian De Montemas, Nathan Jones, Lateef Crowder, Jon Foo, David Asavanond, Rotorn Rungruaeng, Amonphan Gongtragan, Nutdanai Kong, Dean Alexandrou, Tony Chu, Don Ferguson, John Ladalski, Erik Markus Schuetz, Daniel O'Neill, Ron Smoorenburg, David Ussawanon
story by Prachya Pinkaew, screenplay by Kongdej Jathuranrasamee, Napalee, Piyaros Thongdee, Joe Wannapin, music by Zomkiat Ariyachaipanich, Umpan Charoensukrap, Jadet Chawang, Sasis Milindavanu, Payont Permsith, the RZA

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Thailand: Kham's (Tony Jaa) father (Sotorn Rungruaeng) is killed and his two elephants - father and baby - are stolen by baddie Johnny (Johnny Nguyen) and shipped to Australia. Kham is hell-bent to avenge his father and even more hell-bent to get his elephants back, so he, a naive country bumbkin and excellent martial artist, travels to Australia as well and soon enough tracks his elephants down to the restaurant of Madame Rose (Xing Jing), who is hell-bent to become the crime kingpin of Sidney ... oh, and in her restaurant she feeds rare animals (including elephants) to her customers.

In a seemingly unrelated story, the way-too-slick cop Vincent (Damian De Montemas) shoots the chief of police and still manages to put the blame on friendly Asian neighbourhood cop Mark (Petchai Wongkamlao) ... and not only that, he even shoots Mark's partner (David Asavanond). Mark however manages to escape and gather evidence against Vincent.

... many a fight later, Kham has made his way into Madame Rose's place, and finds his elephant friend (the father of the two) made into a statue, and after crashing the statue he fights Madame Rose's hunky bodyguards off with elephant bones. Oh and wouldn't you know it, ultimately Madame Rose turns out to be behind the shooting of the chief of police and Kham and Mark find themselves fighting on the same side (after Mark almost arrested Kham earlier on). In the end, Mark is promoted for his good work on the case, while Kham and the baby elephant return to Thailand ...

Oh boy, what a bad story. I mean, there are probably not many people who watch a Tony Jaa-film because of its story, but the story about a guy in search of his elephants, that is a bit too much, it's in fact penultimate kitsch, and action flicks and kitsch don't go too well together, especially if the story fails to properly set up the action as in Warrior King. Story aside, the action is ok, and as much could be expected from a Tony Jaa movie, but apart from a few clever setpieces (like the scene where Tony Jaa fights his way up the staircase of the restaurant all done in one single shot) the fighting also gets a bit tiring after a while, with Jaa constantly knocking out opponents with one kick or two and nothing more to it.

So yes, the film has its moments, but overall it's just bad. Of this one and Ong-Bak, Ong-Bak was definitely the better movie ... and that one wasn't too great either.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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