The third in the Thai martial arts trilogy picks up where Ong Bak 2 left off, Tien (martial arts superstar Tony Jaa) is captured and almost beaten to death before he is saved and brought back to the Kana Khone villagers. There he is taught meditation and how to deal with his Karma. Very soon, however, his arch rivals - including the Golden-Armored King’s Guard (Supakorn ‘Tok’ Kijusuwan) - return, challenging Tien for a final duel.
The third installment in this franchise picks up at the cliffhanger ending of Ong Bak 2. Because of this, it’ll help if you’re familiar with the story that has come before. That’s a double-edged sword, though, as number two is far superior and number three seems a weak effort in comparison.
While the aforementioned opening is a brutal, bone-snapping sequence, the body of the film doesn’t follow through. Compared to its predecessors, there is a real sparseness of action and fight scenes. The director (Panna Rittikrai) is better known as a fight choreographer so the storytelling is ropey at best. This approach counters the strengths of its star, Tony Jaa, who, whilst a talented martial artist, is an underwhelming actor. Time that could be better spent showcasing his impressive talents as a fighter is instead devoted to scenes that fall flat because he can’t convincingly express emotion through his voice or actions.
Still, you can often forgive a martial arts movie if it delivers in the climatic fight scene. Unfortunately this one doesn’t, the sequence being too short and far less impressive than previous iterations by Jaa, much like the film itself.
By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz
flick doesnt understand the movie that why is 2 stars
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 19th Aug 2010.
Release date: August 19th 2010.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
