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+ Best Martial Arts Movie of the Year + Best Revenge Movie of the Year + Best Thai Movie of the Year
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| Star Tony Jaa is perched incredibly upon the tusks and head of an elephant on this rad poster for Ton Jaa and Panna Rittikra's Ong Bak 2: The Beginning |
Back in 15th century Thailand, a young man is intent on avenging his father's untimely death.
Ong Bak 2: The Beginning is written by Ek Iemchuen (Skin Trade (2014)) and Nontakorn Taweesuk (The Bodyguard (2004)), with debuting co-writer/co-producer/co-director/star Tony Jaa (Singh Siam (1992, star)) and co-writer/co-producer/co-director Panna Rittikrai (2 Nuk Soo Poo Ying Yai (1986)) contributing story elements. It is the sequel to Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003).
It is a visually resplendent, flashy follow-up with handsome scenes with exotic animals and protracted fight scenes. They are impressive, entertaining, - and a bit comical, as they can also seem like one long PR boost for the ever-present Jaa. There's also a very good-looking scene of traditional Thai dance.
The story plays second fiddle and is served with muddled precision in Ong Bak 2: The Beginning.
Related post:
Tony Jaa, star; Panna Rittikrai story contribution: 2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior/องค์บาก (2003) - The acrobatic martial arts breakthrough
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 8 mil. $
Box office: 8.9 mil. $
= Big flop (returned 1.11 times its cost)
[Ong Bak 2: The Beginning was released 4 December (Thailand) and runs 98 minutes. Mystery and scandal enshrouded the production of the film, the first Jaa was set to direct himself: Jaa was said to have disappeared from the set for 2 months, creating a major contract conflict with enormous damages as result; and Rittikrai was apparently involved to help finish the film, which has a budget that is more than 7 times the size of the original Ong-Bak. The film opened #62 to a 26k $ first weekend in 10 theaters in North America, where it expanded to 12 theaters the next week but failed to gain a higher rank, grossing 102k $ (1.1 % of the total gross). The biggest markets were Thailand with 2.9 mil. $ (32.6 % of the total gross), France with 2.1 mil. $ (23.6 %) and Spain with 1 mil. $ (11.2 %). Jaa and Rittikrai returned with Ong-Bak 3 (2010), which was also Jaa's next film as a star. Ong Bak 2: The Beginning is rotten at 49 % with a 5.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Ong Bak 2: The Beginning?
