First there was Bruce Lee, the first
superstar of martial arts. Then Jackie Chan
took its popularity to another level.
After that Jet Li wowed the world with his
kinetic athleticism…and now, it's Tony Jaa.
No matter how much money a producer
spends on computer-generated effects,
they are no substitute for the sheer
athleticism and on-screen charisma of a
true Martial Arts star. ONG-BAK's leading man,
Tony Jaa, is blessed with both. Destined for
international mega-stardom, Jaa plays Ting,
a native of a small Thai village. The victor in a
harrowing ritual "capture the flag" opening
sequence involving a huge tree and his peers
(which foreshadows the gorgeously choreographed fight scenes to come), Ting is chosen to learn the lethal art of Muay Thai, a new kind of acrobatic kick boxing, taught by the town Monk. When a sacred Buddha statuette called Ong-Bak is stolen from the monastery, Ting must track the thief to Bangkok where he is sucked into a seedy underground world of "fight club"-like competitions, rival gangs and drug kingpins. Directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who indulges the audience with sequence after sequence of not just action, but action performed with artful precision, ONG-BAK: The Thai Warrior is not just a cool new Martial Arts movie, it also heralds the birth of a new action star.