 I have two questions for you to answer before getting into this film. The first is: Did you see Ong Bak: Thai Warrior?
If you answered “yes” to that question, then my next question is: Did you like it?
If you answered “no, I did not like it” then you need to stop reading this review. Go watch Pride and Prejudice with your five cats and keep quiet until I’m finished here. If you answered “yes”, then read on.
Now, if you haven’t seen Ong Bak: Thai Warrior, then my next question is: Why the fuck not?
Ong Bak single-handedly restored my faith in martial arts films. I’m not talking about Wuxia films set in ancient China. I’m talking about modern day, I’m-coming-to-avenge-the-death-of-my-(insert family member)-and-I’m-going-to-kick-everyone’s-ass-until-I-get-to-the-guy-who-did-it movies. I was a bit worn out on them since they seemed to be treading a lot of the same ground, but then came Ong Bak, a movie about a Thai villager steeped in Muay Thai (a Thailand specific martial art) who goes to retrieve the head of his village’s sacred idol from black market traders.
It had some things that really made it endearing to me: First, there was a lot about it that was Thai specific, which I found very interesting. I’m not just talking about the fighting style, either. The subject matter for the quest was specifically Thai, and the whole movie was set in Thailand.
 More importantly, though, Ong Bak’s star, Tony Jaa, is the real deal. He did all of his own stunts, some of them absolutely amazing, and really blew the doors off the movie. When I say he did his own stunts, I’m not talking about jumping off buildings or doing a choreographed fight scene without a stand-in. He did those things, too, but he also jumped through barbed-wire fences and between plates of glass. He performed flips and jumping kicks that hit targets ten and twelve feet in the air. He was amazing and not one single stunt involved a wire or CGI. It was all done for real.
I was stunned. When Jaa and Director Prachya Pinkaew teamed up again for The Protector I was excited, but I heard some people grumble when it hit theaters. “It was more of the same”, they said, and since they were people whose opinions I trusted, I stayed away.
 In a way I’m glad I did, but not in the way you’re expecting. The Protector is an amazingly fun action film. The martial arts moves are so over the top it’s hard to imagine what they’ll do next. The story is also good if you understand the culture behind the film. The thing is, I would have gone to the theater here in southern California and walked away thinking, “Why the fuck did that guy go to Australia to rescue an elephant?” Having seen the international version, though, now I can say, “Fuck yeah, he went to Australia to rescue an elephant! Who wouldn’t?”
Jaa plays Cam, a man whose village raises and protects elephants in the proud tradition of their forefathers. In the past, Cam’s relatives raised the elephants to be ridden by the king into battle. The American version breezes over this in the opening title sequence, but the additional footage in the international version really brings this concept home. It’s a matter of honor and tradition, but this is also the very purpose of these villagers existence; the protection of the elephants is what they are sworn to do  from birth. When Cam’s father brings his elephant to the royal inspector to be judged worthy, the inspector takes the animal and gives it to what is obviously a black market trader. Cam’s father objects, and in the American release, he is killed. Cam begins his quest to find the elephant and avenge his father’s death.
Again, one of my favorite things about this movie is the pure “Thai-ness” of its subject matter. Cam leaves Thailand for Australia and begins working his way to the source of the black market trading. Much ass-kicking ensues, and brothers and sisters, it is a joy to watch. Jaa is absolutely unbelievable and his stunt crew is just as amazing. He’s been working with many of the same guys for 10 years, and they have the timing down perfectly.
There are some unbelievable sequences in this film, and even though the multiple fights toward the end begin to approach overkill, all of them are worth watching. In particular, there is a fantastic single-shot four-minute sequence that will make your jaw drop.
Overall, The Protector delivers on multiple levels, and where the American version lacks some key plot points, the international version delivers on those points amazingly well. Both cuts compliment each other, and if you like one, you’ll enjoy watching the other.
 Presentation
This film really looks great. The shots are framed well and the scenery is beautiful. Some of the fight sets are particularly impressive, especially the scenes shot in the burning Buddhist temple. The bone crunching audio is also great, and in particular, The RZA’s soundtrack shines in the 5.1 mix.
Extras
This is the second film from Dragon Dynasty that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, and I have to say, when it comes to extras, these guys do it right. First off, as I mentioned above, the international version is included in this set and it’s well worth checking out. There are more than a few instances where the two movies differ, most notably in that Cam’s father is very much still alive in the international cut. He was iced in the American version because they felt audiences wouldn’t understand why Cam would go to Australia for an elephant, but they would understand him going to avenge his father’s death.
The commentary by Asian film expert Bey Logan is very engaging. Bey knows a lot about the culture and also had a hand in the American edit. His explanations go a long way in helping you through why the film was cut the way it was. He also points out that Quentin Tarantino (whose name is attached to this through its American distribution) would only release the film if director Prachya Pinkaen approved of the American cut. This wasn’t just some hack job for American audiences.
The Making of Tony Jaa featurette is a series of interviews with Jaa and his martial arts choreographer/trainer explaining how he got to be as good as he is at Muay Thai. This is interesting viewing, especially when you hear that Jaa had no gym to go to in order to train. His family actually did raise elephants and he practiced all of his skills in the woods and rice paddies around his home.
 The No Wires Attached: Making Of The Protector featurette is the standard “making of” piece, but it does show some great footage of the actors practicing their moves. However, on disc two there’s the Thai version of a “making of” featurette called Making Tom Yum Goong (the original title of the film). This is a subtitled interview with Pinkaew, Jaa and fight choreographer Paana Rittikrai that is very interesting in that they touch on specific Thai subjects again. The very first question is about the Buddhist ceremony prior to the opening day of production and whether these three thought that performing it helped the film earn the 600 million baht in its theatrical run. I wonder if Spielberg does something with a rabbi prior to filming…
Also in this set is a guided tour by Pinkaew of the single-shot four-minute action sequence I mentioned above. This is fun for aspiring filmmakers and fans of the genre both. There is a small featurette with four Tony Jaa martial arts demonstrations. Again, fun to watch but they don’t add much that you won’t see in the film. Finally, there is a music video/cell phone video called “8 Limbs”, a deleted fight scene, a promo for the soundtrack, some home-shot attempts at mimicking Jaa by three contest winners and the theatrical trailers for the film.
I said it once, I’ll say it again: Dragon Dynasty seems to load their films with quality extras, and The Protector is no exception.
The Bottom Line
Tony Jaa is quickly becoming this generation’s Bruce Lee. If he continues on the track he’s on, there will be no denying that fact and he could help usher in a new golden age of martial arts films. Ten years from now, The Protector will likely be looked upon as a classic in the genre, and while it doesn’t pack as solid a punch as Ong Bak, it is well worth your time.
|
