Watch out Jackie and Jet : here comes Panom Yeerum!! And he just might kick your ass......

      Muay thai hits the big screen in an in-your-face, fast paced rollercoaster ride of amazing stunts, martial arts, and good humor. This movie was a big hit in Thailand and I am sure will become a cult classic among Kung-fu/Martial art movie fanatics. Even if you are not a big fan of such movies, I strongly suggest you check out this movie, as it is the first really big Thai action film to really raise eyebrows overseas.

      First off, let me start by saying this is a PYBATD (Park Your Brain At The Door) popcorn movie. Don’t expect a deep story or top notch acting. This is a jam packed action movie meant to dazzle and be enjoyed simply for entertainment value. And entertaining it is.

      While there is a moral story to this movie based on Thai buddhist beliefs, it merely serves as the backdrop to exhibit Panom Yeerum’s incredible muay thai skills as he effectively bashes his opponents into oblivion with the style and panache reserved for veterans like Bruce Lee and Jet Li. The story revolves around a small village out in the sticks who loses the stone head of their village Buddha - named Ong Bak - when it is stolen by petty young thieves who work for a sinister “mafia” boss in Bangkok who collects rare and ancient Buddhist artifacts for money. The village depends on Ong Bak not only for religious reasons, but because they believe the Buddha will bring water and prosperity to their drought stricken village. The loss of Ong Bak’s head to the thieves brings sorrow to the village. They decide to send 1 young man to find Ong Bak’s head in Bangkok.

      Panom Yeerum plays Ting, a muay thai student who has learned the skill from an old monk who was once a muay thai master. Ting happens to be the most honorable and dependable man in the village - of course - as well as knowing how to kick someone’s butt from here to oblivion. Ting travels to Bangkok to find Mum Jokmok’s character, a man who left the village a long time ago to find his fortune in Bangkok only to turn into a con artist and petty thief. It is Mum Jokmok - a famous comedian in Thailand - who provides the humor in the film, as he first tries to connive and cheat Ting for his own personal gain, but eventually, as with all films like this, his character begins to feel guilty for his selfish ways and decides to finally help Ting.

      You can pretty much figure out the story from here. The whole movie is one big muay thai fight scene to the next. This was my first real experience in seeing muay thai displayed in such a prominent way. I was very impressed. The whole movie reminded me of the better days of Jet Li, when he made movies like Once Upon a Time in China and Fist of Legend. Movies that depended less on wire work - although they did have them - and more on the talent and lethality of the main character. Panom Yeerum is assured a promising career after his incredible performance and talent in this movie. Unlike Jackie Chan, he portrays a fierce and focused countenance when he obliterates his opponents, not unlike the great Bruce Lee.

      The director moved flawlessly from one scene to the next and the quality of each action scene was impressive. There is an incredible Tuk-Tuk (3 wheeled motorcycle taxis) chase scene involving numerous vehicles and stuntman collectively crashing and flying through the air while careening around corners through the streets of Bangkok that was just mindblowing.

      Overall the entire movie reminded me strongly of old school Hong Kong fare. If I just closed my ears and couldn’t hear the Thai, I would have sworn I was watching an old Yuen Woo Ping or Tsui Hark action film. While some may complain that the film is “too Hong Kong” in style, all I can say is that Director Prachya learned well and improved on the genre. The quality of the film is very close to Hollywood levels, and unlike some Hong Kong films, could easily appeal to mainstream western audiences. While the acting was not overall that great, the entire movie is an unstoppable whirlwind of delight that will leave you wide-eyed and begging for more. Here’s hoping we see a lot more of Panom Yeerum in the future and that Director Prachya follows up with something equally impressive. The best action/martial arts movie I have seen in a very long time.

Aaron Hoag, 2003