Forget Jackie Chan. Forget Jet Li. Dare I say it? Forget Bruce Lee. Ong Bak Muay Thai Warrior is here, and all martial art film fans shall bend their knee to the best martial arts performer the screen has ever seen. Phanom Yeerum is the real deal folks. Not only does he do the most impressive things I ever seen a human being do, but he does it all without wires or camera tricks. Everything he does in the film is actually him doing it. My jaw still hurts from hanging open so much. I also believe a change of underwear was required… twice.
The story of Ong Bak is rather weak. I’m not recommending this film based on it’s plot or character development. It’s the action. My heavens it’s the action. I just can’t overstate this enough, you will not believe your eyes.
Harry over at Ain’t it Cool News puts it this way:
This man does the things you see him do in this film. He exhibits a dexterity that perhaps only Jackie Chan exhibited at the height of his body’s elasticity and prowess. He exhibits a lethal quickness and freshness and charisma that I have not seen since Bruce Lee. This guy is the real deal. The reviews from last year’s Toronto Film Festival announced it, then when I saw it, I flipped the hell out. Luc Besson has bought the worldwide rights to the film, and this April it hits in France. God and Fox willing, it will hit the United States later this year. These trailers are cool, but only hint at the sheer exhiliration that this film creates in audiences. Going under the title, ONG BAK – this film will own everyone that sees it.
I couldn’t agree more with him. You can see Ong Bak now on DVD (which is how I saw it). But you’ll have to find it in a specialty Chinese dvd store. Want to see a trailer? Go here.
