I had been looking forward to this film since seeing the first Ong Bak, though was a bit scared by the production history of the film (Jaa’s much publicized break up with former director Prachya Pinkaew and then Jaa just disapearing from the set of his own film for months). Still I was quite surprised and pleased to see the film released in HD on HDNET before coming out on video, because it got to see it looking excellent and sooner than I thought I would. Once again the story is not important, though here it might be a little overcomplicated, but it is the fighting that matters, and this film has that in spades. A spiritual prequel to the first film, this is about some of the original Thai warriors who fought with elephants, so it is period, and quite enjoyable. You will want to watch the action again and again. A must see for fall all martial arts action fans. I can’t wait to see more from Jaa (I have heard Ong Bak 3 is in the works) and Thai action films in general which seem to have really taken over the mantle that Hong Kong has mostly (though not completely) dropped.

In the 1400′s in Thailand during a period of great feudal unrest, we see Tien (who will grow up to be Tony Jaa) the son of a high official being chased by men bent on killing him, and only through the sacrifice of the warrior protecting him, does Tien escape death. Of course things are not that easy, and Tien is picked up by a slave trader, and taken to a slave market. When he pisses off the slave trader, he is thrown into a water filled pit with a crocodile. Just at that point a band of guerilla warriorsc alled Pha Beek Krut led by Cher Nung (Sorapong Chatree) attack the slave market. Cher Nung sees something in young Tien and gives him a knife, with which he able to kill the crocodile, and ends up joining Cher Nung as his new protege, being groomed to replace the leader.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

Tien trains hard, and becomes one of the best that the Pha Beek Krut have to offer. He learns all forms of martial arts, and takes a series of tests to prove himself their master, of which he of course comes out on top, as the best warrior he could ever be.

Here we learn the back story of his father being a great lord for the king, who was against the wars, and was betrayed. He sent his son to safety to learn dancing from a master. Here he met a young girl who he grows very close too. Tien senaks away to find his father, and saw him and his mother killed by a masked warrior who was working for Lord Rajasena (Sarunyoo Wongkrachang). Tien is saved by one of his father’s men, as we saw in the open.

Tien goes for revenge, first against the slave traders, and then Lord Rajasena. He sees the girl he loved as a child dancing for the lord, and tries to kill him, but is stopped and fails because of the Lord’s hidden armor. Tien flees back to the Pha Beek Krut camp.

Tien fights through endless warriors, before Lord Rajasena shows up, with the masked warrior who killed his parents, who turns out to be Tien’s adopted father, Cher Nung.

Cher Nung and Tien fight, and Cher Nung allows his adopted son to kill him to avenge his father’s murder, though Tien does not want to do it.

Tien is then surrounded by more warriors, and eventually taken, and ordered to be killed, but a voice over makes it sound like he might get away (and I am sure find the girl again in Ong Bak 3 I am sure).

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Worth it to see Jaa in action once again. He is so amazing to watch. I would love to see him do something with Jackie Chan, where Chan can play a mentor, and direct, and Jaa can do the action, because Jaa cannot act as well as Jackie, but his martial arts may surpass him.