Logo

Cool News

Some Tidbits On ONG BAK 2 And Other Upcoming Thai Films!!

Published at:  Jan 08, 2007 1:10:04 AM CST

Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

One of the great things this time of year is when people start looking forward instead of looking back, and one reader sent us a rundown on what he’s excited about in Thai cinema this year that I thought was worth sharing. Check this out:



Hey Harry!

Love the site, keep up the good work. Just wanted to give you a head's up on a few upcoming Thai movies this year that is bound to garner the interest of those that appreciate Thai cinema. In no particular order:

1. ONG BAK 2 - The sequel to one of the most awesome action movies in a long time is being directed by none other than Tony Jaa himself. Coming in the second half of 2007, here;s how the story goes:"A young man in the Ayutthaya period grows up among villagers who preserve the legacy of the traditional khon masked dance. He becomes an outcast when he finds that his firm limbs weren't made to pursue the specialty of his ancestors, but with the advice of a mysterious guru he's able to develop a new style of fighting which mixes the strength of martial arts with the regal elegance of khon dance. Then he's ready to go out and fight the enemy."

Obviously, the story is just an excuse for Tony Jaa to kick some serious ass and obviously training even harder for this to elevate his status to that of a genuine global action star.

2. CHOCOLATE - This one's being directed by the Prachya Pinkaew, director of Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong. Word is that he wrote the script specifically for Nicharee Wimistanant, a 23-year-old martial arts talent who had received hard-core training from stunt maestro Panna Rittikrai for three full years before the shoot. The film has attracted the interest of European and American distributors since it was announced - and before the production had actually started - in Cannes last May
The Story: A yakuza thug sires a daughter with his Thai wife, herself the ringleader of a mafia clan. After dad returns to Japan, the teenage daughter witnesses her mum being beaten to pulp by a rival gang who refuse to pay off their debts. So the girl - an autistic, chocoholic who possesses formidable kickboxing prowess - sets out to collect the bills from those baddies who owe her poor mother.

3. MUAY THAI CHAIYA - For this time, simply the story will do. Three friends from childhood become arch-rivals when each of them is trained at different boxing schools. The main protagonist is a vigorous prize-fighter who inherits the renowned Chaiya fighting style from his master. It is said to be in the same vein as Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong, obviously. Time will tell how it fares.

4. THE LEGEND OF KING NARESUAN: THE TRILOGY - Following the Hollywood tradition of filming trilogies all at the same time, this is the biggest movie of the year, complete with epic battle scenes and is set to be the film event of the year. Apparently, the impact of this movie has been such that it caused the Bangkok International Film Festival to postpone itself because multiplexes would rather show this movie to full theaters rather than some movies from some film festival. In the first movie, the Burmese demand that Ayutthaya sends the young prince Naresuan to live in the Hongsa court as a royal hostage. The second movie chronicles King Naresuan's military campaigns in his quest to liberate Ayutthaya from Burmese rule. The third movie will feature the historic, photogenic elephant battle between King Naresuan and Phra Maha Uparacha. The question remains: Will this movie be the one to overtake Suriyothai's takings at the box office? ( Suriyothai was released in the US by Francis Ford Coppola who is a good friend of the director of the movie and helped in editing the movie itself.)

Looking forward to another great year of movies. If you decide to use this, call me MackDaddy.



    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 1:14:04 AM CST

    When is GYMKATA 2 coming out?

    by mace tofu

    We want more cheesy- fu sequels !

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 2:29:26 AM CST

    Damn you Michael Bay

    by mcmlxxvi

    Damn you Michael Bay

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 3:09:58 AM CST

    Sweet

    by captain rawbeard

    All those movies sound AWESOME, cant wait for Ong Bak 2.

    Tony Jaa is the Man

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 3:56:35 AM CST

    Those all sound good to me.

    by brokentusk

    I still haven't seen ONG BAK... it's a cryin' shame I tells ya!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 5:15:52 AM CST

    Sword?

    by sit and watch

    Really excited about Ong-Bak 2. The first is not only one of my favorite martial arts films, but one of my all-time favorite action movies. BUT did this push back Sword? I was excited to see Jaa do something with a different style. AND one day I really hope to see a non-Mirimaxed version Tom yum goong/The Protector.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 7:06:32 AM CST

    MAY TONY JAA CONTINUE TO EAT

    by pound sand

  • Jan 08, 2007 8:12:16 AM CST

    Damn You Cocktimus Prime Too Soon

    by bigfo

    Seriously guys these things are funny for one maybe two boards. Is this the new first????

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 8:34:10 AM CST

    Ong Bak 2:Electric Boogaloo etc

    by bigmikeleeder

    I think "Chocolate" has already been shot, the young girl TKD champion is I think the same one who turned up in "Chai Lai" the Thai take on MCG's vision of "Charlies Angels"....

    There's some cool Thai movies on the way, "Dynamite Warrior" which headlines Dan Chupong from "Born to Fight" looks pretty mad and has already been picked up by Magnolia as has Johnnie To's superb "Exiled".....the Thai "Spiderman"homage superhero movie "Mercury Man" has its moments but doesnt deliver as well as hoped..although any movie where a senior fireman gets to deliver the line "with great fire comes great responsibility" has to be tracked down....ah "Gymkata 2" we live in hope..I think the original is finally getting a DVD release this year....Kurt Thomas on a pommel horse in a town full of crazies and Tetchi Agbayani in a skintight cat suit."Yakmula indeed"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 12:14:52 PM CST

    Ong Bak: The Forbidden Dance

    by doctor_sin

    I long to see Thai villagers who are too burly to lithely prance in festivities...viciously turn to martial arts in order to solve problems. Jaa's films rock - bring 'em on!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 12:23:19 PM CST

    The Last Dragon 2: The Glowming....

    by darfurontherocks

    All kidding aside, Tony Jaa is just incredible. He is better than Jackie Chan and Jet Li is their primes! That one near continuous take in Tom Yum Gun, where he kicks ass while moving up the stairs is simply amazing.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 12:36:13 PM CST

    I Dont Care for Solid Story telling....

    by darfurontherocks

    ...In a martial arts movie. I understand that it has to be decent. However, it is the fights that draw me in. When talking about Jaa's movies to friends, I don't comment on the moral dilemma that he had to face when saving his elephant. I just talk about the 730 round house that he delivered on a chap that looks like Eddie Gordo in Tekken.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 12:56:33 PM CST

    Suriyothai is crap

    by leolo

    Really, an incredibly awful film. There´s not one shot that doesn´t have the camera moving (and it isn´t shaky cam) making it always noticeable, as another actor. In comparison to this boring and primitive film, even iranian films are technically and narratively advanced.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jan 08, 2007 10:19:31 PM CST

    an autistic, chocoholic

    by alonzo mosely

    Far better catchphrase than gotta eat...

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback