masercot I've been disappointed by sequels, lately. Taken 3 is basically fast-editing with an older actor who just can't do the stunts anymore. Jason Bourne was the same thing. John Wick 2's fight scenes are just sad compared to the original; and, the sequel to Jack Reacher suffers the same thing. So, I turned on Ong Bak 2 expecting to turn it right back off... especially seeing the no-name production companies flit by on the screen.What I got was a martial arts movie CHOCK FULL of great martial arts. Stunts being done by the star of the film. Imagination, decent acting, a good but non-intrusive story and special effects that didn't seem cheap OR excessive.This is a good martial arts flick... right up there with the first Ong Bak or The Protector. Definitely worth a watch, then another one...

Leofwine_draca I came to ONG BAK: THE BEGINNING with mixed feelings, because I'd heard so much contradictory stuff about it. Some say it's a very poor film, a disappointing follow-up; others rave over it and say it surpasses the original. The truth is that it's a very different film in terms of scope and feel, and, while the troubled production history has left it looking a little rough around the edges – especially in terms of the editing, which has the story needlessly jumping backwards and forwards through time when a more chronological approach would have been better – it offers the same level of enjoyment as its predecessor. I may like it less on repeat viewings, but for my first-time encounter I had a ball with this one.If anything, Jaa is more intense, more raw, more brutal than in the first film. There's an extra gloss of professionalism that was missing from that down 'n' dirty martial arts showpiece. For instance, there's a real story here, hints of a romantic sub-plot, even a couple of plot twists along the way – including a biggie at the climax. In the end, though, it's all about the action, and it's still plentiful and beautifully shot. Our hero battles an evil army in this one, thumping his way through slave traders and black-clad assassins and engaging in some gruelling training sequences. Jaa's skill as a fighter has increased and there's weapon-play aplenty here, along with the traditional elbow and knee moves. Inevitably, the best stuff is saved for the extended climax, quite simply one of the best-shot things to ever come out of Thailand; I can't wait to watch it through a second time to catch all the incredible stunts and battles. Things end on a real cliffhanger, paving the way for ONG BAK 3, a film whose trailer makes it out to be just as good – if not better – than this one.

SnoopyStyle Set in 1431, the Ayutthaya Kingdom is expanding east into the Sukhothai kingdom. Young Tien witnesses the massacre of his family by the vile Lord Rajasena. He is taken by slave traders and eventually saved by Chernang, the leader of the Garuda Wing Cliff who teaches him to fight. Tien (Tony Jaa) would grow up to be a powerful fighter. First he takes revenge on the cruel slave traders. Then he infiltrates Lord Rachasana's ranks as he looks for the opportunity to avenge his family.I love that this is going into the muddy jungle. I love the elephants. I love the look of it. What I don't love is the story or the construction of the story. It is hard to figure out sometimes who the characters are. The movie starts off a little confused. It may be that story is not what one looks for in this franchise. I really don't like the flashbacks where the acting is stiff. Without Tony Jaa, the flashbacks just drag on and on. If fighting is what you crave, Tony Jaa gives the audience that and more. The ending is full of fighting but ends with an unsatisfying cliffhanger that is setup for the 3rd movie.

zardoz-13 This exciting, blood-drenched, historical revenge yarn about pugnacious Thai empires set in the 15th century qualifies as an in-name only sequel to Tony Jaa's "Ong Bak" (2003) with the acrobatic Jaa making his directorial debut. Action choreographer Panna Rittikrai of "Chocolate" lends Jaa a hand and the two of stage some incredible jaw-dropping, death-defying, gravity-flouting martial arts combat. In the war-torn kingdom of Ayudhaya, our hero Tien is the son of a slain nobleman Siha Decho, and he rarely has time to do anything but fight for his life during this exhilarating 98-minute epic. Most of this action-packed tale takes place in flashback and the narrative is often difficult to follow, but the action scenes compensate for this shortcoming. Initially, our agile, adolescent hero is captured by dastardly slavers and hurled into a murky mud pit with only his bare hands and his wits to battle a ferocious crocodile. This is a pretty terrifying scene but everything looks fairly realistic. While the young Tien is playing cat-and-mouse with the croc, another man, Chernang (Sorapong Chatree of "The Tsunami Warrior"), admires the urchin's audacity in the face of peril. Chernang is the chieftain of the Garuda Wing Cliff bandits. He intervenes to save Tien's life and slings the kid a sword to slash the croc. Afterward, a blind seer utters some mighty impressive declarations about the kid's future, and Tien finds himself learning how to become a champion. In the process, as he grows up, the long-haired Tien learns all kinds of arcane martial arts combat. Just watching the nimble choreography in the fighting scene will make you work up a sweat. In fact, Jarr created a new kind of fisticuffs that blends dancing with fighting and calls it 'Nataytuh.' Bangkok-born superstar Tony Jarr is truly the successor to Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Bruce Lee. The elephant stampede scene with Jarr dashing across the backs of these lofty beasts as they trample the earth looks spectacular. Later, after our hero asserts himself over them, the entire herd bows down to him.