It’s an ongoing debate among my friends and I which is the better Tony Jaa film, ONG BAK, THE PROTECTOR or ONG BAK 2. And by “better film” we clearly mean which has the better action, as the plots of any of these movies are worse than most Atari games (which are ironically now all being turned into feature films).
But after the abrupt ending of ONG BAK 2, we knew that Jaa would return in a new installment, which I’m presuming was filmed immediately after 2 as latest reports have said that Jaa has quit acting and is now a monk. This coincides with his previous decision to abandon ONG BAK 2 filming in order to go live in the jungle like a crazy person for a month.
I never did understand what the hell ONG BAK 2 had to do with ONG BAK, as besides the cast being the same race, there is literally nothing to tie to the two together as the films take place centuries apart. But don’t worry, ONG BAK 3 won’t be in space or anything.
Picking up at the cliffhanger ending where Ong Bak 2 leaves off, Jaa ramps up the epic supernatural elements of the previous film, while still maintaining the trademark bone-crunching action that the series is known for. This time he must face his ultimate enemy: a fierce supernatural warrior named “Demon Crow,” played by fellow martial arts sensation Dan Chupong (Dynamite Warrior). Eagerly anticipated by martial arts aficionados for some time, the matchup of Jaa and Chupong is explosive.
Since Tony Jaa was introduced to the US by Magnolia in 2005 in Ong Bak, he has grown to be the most beloved action import since Jackie Chan. Magnet released Ong Bak 2 in 2009, and will release ONG BAK 3 in theaters on Janiuary, 2011.
“The most beloved action import since Jackie Chan” huh? I guess that’s probably true, but we loved Jackie Chan not only for his fighting, but his sense of humor, and I’ll be damned if I can remember anything Jaa has said in three movies other than “WHERE IS MY ELEPHANT?”
That being said, this is going to be awesome, and this dude really is our generation’s Bruce Lee. Here’s my favorite Jaa fight scene ever. This six minutes of destruction is all one continuous shot.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed