The Protector (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
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DVD Cover Information Actor: Bongkoj Khongmalai, Nathan Jones, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Tony Jaa, Xing Jing Director: Prachya Pinkaew Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Thai (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Vietnamese (Original Language); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled) Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.66:1 Running Time: 194 minutes DVD Release Date: 2007-01-16 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: Weinstein Company |
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Movie Reviews of The Protector (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: This is NOT a new film by Tony Jaa!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just a heads up: for those who can't wait to own Protector on dvd, starring Tony Jaa, you can do so a lot sooner than the scheduled January 2, 2007 U.S. dvd release. This movie's original title is Tom-Yum-Goong, and it's already out on dvd; so, just go purchase Tom-Yum-Goong. Of course, if The Protector dvd has decent special features, I just might get that one too. The special features on Tom-Yum-Goong, as I recall, aren't worth mentioning.
Tom-Yum-Goong (which is a popular Thai dish) comes two years after the success of Ong Bak: Thai Warrior and once more displays Tony Jaa's kinetic and concussive full-contact martial arts. Once again, just like in Ong Bak, the fight scenes do away with stunt doubles, wire-work or CGI. What the audience gets, instead, is a pure, unadulterated, very intense Tony Jaa doing his own eye-popping stunts.
When a bull and baby elephant are stolen from his family by the Asian Mafia and smuggled into Sydney, Australia, young Thai fighter Kham (Tony Jaa) follows to recover the sacred animals and exact [...]-kicking vengeance. In Sydney, he is befriended and aided by Sergeant Mark (Petchthai Wongkamlao), a Thai policeman toiling in Australia and by Pla (Bongkuch Kongmalai), a Thai girl and victim of a modern day slave ring. But, even with their help, can Kham beat the overwhelming odds as represented by syndicate boss Madame Rose and her numerous hencemen? I'm guessing... yeah.
The plot and actors aren't what you'd call top-notch (and the sub-title work is very shaky), although, in the midst of all the explosive fight scenes, you do have a rather sweet love story between a boy and his elephants. But, let's get real here; if you've come to this movie expecting quality exposition and Shakespearean emoting, boy, are you in the wrong part of town. Tom-Yum-Goong is a martial arts flick thru and thru, where a cohesive storyline and professional acting are eschewed for all-out, bone-crushing, head-bashing, nut-cracking Muay Thai mayhem.
Tony Jaa is the fresh face of martial arts and he's coming hard. It's a revelation to see him go up against and dispose of a hard crew of extreme sports thugs, Asian Mafia henchmen, several giants escaped from Wrestlemania, and a few practitioners of various martial arts (wushu, capoeira, etc.). The warehouse fight is typically high energy and shows off Tony Jaa's agile acrobatics. And, an hour into it, there's an extended fight sequence (about 4 minutes) which takes place inside a multi-floored restaurant - where a camera is continuously on Jaa for the whole length - that has to be seen to be believed. Kham rumbles his way up every level of the bordello, facing a host of baddies each time he ascends a floor (Game of Death, anyone?). The culminating fight sequence - where Jaa goes up against about 30 black-clad henchmen and uses various leg holds and arm locks to crackingly snap limbs and break body joints - is mind-boggling! As of right now, he's giving Jackie Chan and Jet Li a run for their money.
Tony Jaa, when not fracturing jaws or pulverizing clavicles with his vicious elbow strikes and knee thrusts, has an innocent, unaffectedly fresh persona he resorts to when he has to act. He made his loyalty and love for his elephants very genuine to the audience and realistically grounded the movie's main plot motivation. To his character Kham, these pachyderms were indeed treasured family members, members who he'll go thru hell and high water for. It's interesting to see if his acting evolves along with his martial arts moves. Petchthai Wongkamlao (also from Ong Bak, as George) as Sergeant Mark is decent as the unorthodox but upright cop. Johnny Nguyen as Johnny, to me, is the standout villain.
So, what more can I say? Check this film out and jump on the Tony Jaa bandwagon, while there's still room.