Ong bak 2 is Tony Jaa taking this whole movie thing seriously. He directs himself this time, and a lot of money went into a sequel that everyone called a sure thing. But with his game-face and director’s hat on, Tony has forgotten what people loved about the original – it was fun.
I’m no authority on martial arts films so I won’t pretend to be one here, but I’ve seen enough chop-socky to know when I’m having a good time. Ong bak, and, to a lesser extent, Tom yum goong, both succeeded in spite of ridiculous premises because they refused to take themselves too seriously. Forgetting this is Ong bak 2′s ultimate downfall.
Besides Tony playing a guy who does a lot of martial arts, Ong bak 2 has no relation to the first Ong bak. It is a costumed, (or more frequently, bare-chested,) revenge epic set in the 15th century. The set and costume design is all first-rate and Tony obviously knows a beautiful shot when he sees one, but he doesn’t practice much restraint. I can’t begin to count the number of close-ups and slow-motion shots on display in this film. It’s all very beautiful, but loses any impact when used so often.
Most of the screen-time is devoted to Jaa’s character – it’s his show after all – but Jaa is not the most charismatic star I can think of and resting the entirety of the film on his shoulders may not have been the best idea. He plays his role with a cold seriousness and the garden-variety story does him no favors. But who cares, right? After all it’s just an excuse for Tony Jaa to kick some tail.
A lot of tail is kicked indeed, and the cameras are pulled back to reveal the action and choreography in all its glory – none of those hyperkinetic close-quarter shots here. Jaa varies his fighting style, leaving much of his Muay Thai for Bruce Lee kung-fu and even some Jackie Chan-influenced Drunken Monkey, (or is it Drunken Fist?). There’s also a heavy reliance on weapons, swords especially, and Jaa really shows a lot of range. The final half-hour is pretty much non-stop brawling and if fighting is all you’re interested in, there should be plenty here to enjoy.
The film ends with a voice-over that effectively puts the future of the Ong bak franchise in the viewer’s hands and, judging by the overwhelming success it has already enjoyed in Thailand, I would say a sequel is a no-brainer. Whether or not it will be directed by Jaa, well, I doubt it.
Jaa, reportedly overwhelmed by the stress of acting and directing, went AWOL from the set in the late hours of shooting Ong bak 2, taking all the footage with him to a secret location in the Thai mountains to meditate. His stunt choreographer Panna Rittikrai was brought in to finish up shooting, and Jaa eventually made a tearful apology on Thai television. Whether these events mark the end of Jaa’s career in directing, it is nice to see him back in the saddle and I hope the experience of making Ong bak 2 hasn’t taken him out of the game for too long.
