ONG BAK 2 Movie Review

A little while back, I was invited to an advance screening of Ong Bak 2 and, being a fan of Ong Bak, I was very excited to see Tony Jaa do his thing again.

Ong Bak 2 is marketed as a prequel to Ong Bak although it really has nothing to do with it. The story revolves around Tien (Tony Jaa) who, as a teen, saw his parents being slain by a political rival. Through some adventures, he ends up in this gang of thieves who teach him the different martial arts that will serve him to prepare for his ultimate revenge.

Needless to say, my expectations were modestly high. The plot had a lot of things going for it but unfortunately, my expectations were not met. Let me tell you why by breaking out the good and bad parts of this movie:

The Good Parts of Ong Bak 2

The fight scenes are certainly dope. In Ong Bak 2,Tony Jaa goes beyond the classic Muy Thai moves and explores different disciplines and fighting techniques. The whole movie is essentially a set up to fight scenes where we see Tony do some crazy stuff. In this movie, you will have the answers to the following questions:

- Can Tony Jaa fight a crocodile?
- Can Tony Jaa fight with weapons?
- Can Tony Jaa fight a gazillion enemies at the same time?
- Can Tony Jaa fight a gazillion enemies at the same time AND use an elephant to do so?

The answer is yes across the board.

During these fight scenes, there is some really cool camera work and editiing that only enhance them. So overall, great scenes.

Now the question is: What else was good in this movie? Well, the answer is not much else.

The Bad Parts of Ong Bak 2

The bad parts of the movie can be summed up in two words: Everything Else.

The story was so badly put together that my 5 year old niece could have done a better job of writing it. There were major plot holes that just were too glaring to ignore and yet they found a way to ignore them. The feeble attempt of introducing some sort of love story was so exceptionally bad that it was better if they didn't try.

The acting was painfully awful. Even the subtitles could not hide how bad the characters were portrayed. Tony Jaa was the worst of them all. The character he portrays spends almost the first 25 mn of the movie saying exactly NOTHING. Jeez.

Now, the end was the worst part. There was none. It litterally ended on a freaking cliffhanger. When the light came on, people were expecting more. One guy was like: "Is that really it?"

Basically, aside from the fight scenes, this is one of the worst movies I have seen all year. I suggest you do the following: Save your money, wait for this to come out on DVD, rent it and fast forward throughout the movie until you see the fight scenes. That will be a much more pleasant experience than sitting through the entire movie.

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Title: ONG BAK 2

Release Date: 23 October 2009

Director: Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai

Producer: Panna Rittikrai

Cast: Tony Jaa, Sorapong Chatree, Sarunyoo Wongkrachang, Santisuk Promsiri, Petchtai Wongkamlao

Synopsis: A young nobleman bears witness to the massacre of his family at the hands of a treacherous and power-crazed warlord. Bent on revenge, he joins a band of guerrilla fighters who school him in a dizzying array of martial arts and weaponry techniques before unleashing him on his unwavering mission to avenge his family's murder.

Watch the trailer of Ong Bak 2 below