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The Protector (2005)
10/10
a spectacle of martial arts greatness
4 January 2006
Ong Bak was a fantastic achievement by the young Thai fighter America has come to embrace as Tony Jaa. Fantastic stunts, amazing fight choreography, and an overwhelming sense of brutal martial arts action that has been missing in fight films since Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx. However, the overall success of Ong Bak was diminished by the lack of intriguing characters and a fluid story that actually made some sense. Tom Yum Goong starts off on the same foot, but then takes the viewer in an entirely different direction…an example of one of the most explosive and entertaining martial arts movies of ALL TIME.

To go into intricate detail about the plot outlines of TYG will do you no good, it will not make you want to see this movie. What makes me so passionate about Tony Jaa and his visual appeal is his overall dynamic nature in the fight scenes. As told in the plot outline, his elephants get stolen, and he must fight to get them back…and fighting is what he does like no one else I have ever seen. It doesn't matter how many opponents appear before Tony, he takes them all in stride, and excels in dramatic fashion, either by his flying acrobatic kicks or his powerful breathtaking punches. But what truly makes this film unique is Tony's ability to embrace a new type of Muay Thai made especially for the movie: Muay Kotchasan.

Although this may not make much sense to you or interest you, trust me, when you view this film and see Muay Kotchasan put into action, you will witness something never before seen on film. Tony's moves are so brutal at times, you can't help but grimace and wonder how the stunt men could take such punishment. He breaks elbows, rips quadriceps, destroys ligaments, cracks vertebra…I could go on, but the movie pretty much speaks for itself. But, if I had to choose the most exciting part of TYG, it has to be Tony's second bout with Nathan Jones. Learning from his mistakes in the first fight, Tony's adapts his fighting style to his smaller frame, and uses Nathan's size against him in a chilling display of David vs. Goliath…it is quite a sight to behold.

Overall, Tom Yum Goong is an awesome spectacle of Tony Jaa's fighting ability, and if you truly enjoyed Ong Bak, then be ready to be blown away by something far better.
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Hard Boiled (1992)
10/10
An action flick that definitely needs a look...
11 April 2004
This John Woo directed film is one of the best action movies I have seen in a long time. Back in 1997, I saw this movie in bits in pieces on HBO and I longed to get the DVD. A couple of years later and I stumbled across it and since, I have been showing it off to all of my friends in search of an adrenaline rush of a movie. One of Woo's best, a supreme shoot-um-up, and definitely a movie that needs recongniton from action movie fans everywhere! Oh, and in Terminator II, when Arnold walks into the mall with the shotgun in the rose box...James Cameron (director) stole that from this movie, as well as many other scenes. Just site back, relax, tell the kids to go to bed, and get all of your boyz together to take a look at this movie, they will thank you for it!
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