Ong Bak 2

Not a sequel but a misguided prequel to Thai martial arts star Tony Jaa's breakthrough hit Ong Bak, this opulent period piece is nowhere near as much fun as the low-budget 2003 original or Jaa's The Protector, both of which were high-flying contemporary fight-fests. And while hardly comic, the two earlier films were downright lighthearted compared with the turgid seriousness of this epic set in 15th-century Siam in which Jaa plays Tien, the son of a general who is murdered, along with his wife, by a rebel nobleman. Tien escapes the carnage, but then falls into the hands of slave traders who toss him into a muddy crocodile pit. Happily, he is rescued by bandits who train him to become one of them, but after proving himself in combat, Tien decides he must take vengeance on those who wronged his family. A chain of action set-pieces ensue, including a single-handed assault on the slave traders, an attack on the warlord, and a final battle at the bandit camp, where Tien must overcome a gauntlet of warriors before facing the man who killed his parents. Jaa's dexterity is still astonishing: he displays an impressive variety of chop-socky techniques, all without wires, and has particular fun with elephants. Unfortunately, the repetition here grows tedious, and at times, despite all the fighting, the story slows to a crawl. Ong Bak 2 is dour and solemn where it should have been cheeky, and the flamboyantly operatic style favored by Jaa and co-director Panna Rittikrai strains for a grandeur that the film never achieves. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include an alternate cut of the film, interviews with the cast and crew (26 min.), three “making-of” featurettes (21 min.), three behind-the-scenes featurettes with extra fight footage (18 min.), an HDNet look at Ong Bak 2 (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)