Tom Yum Goong (2005)

This happens to be the second time I've watched The Protector; the first being several years after its initial release, and I must say, while its action sequences were amazing, I wasn't as encapsulated in its overall being as I was the first time around. I was very drawn to re-watch this movie because I remember that the first time I watched it, I was amazed by Tony Jaa's athletic ability. However at that time, I didn't realize how one dimensional the story was.

While it didn't do anything innovative in terms of plot line, it didn't necessarily do anything bad, so I can't really say it was a huge deal. Additionally, because this film is a martial arts movie, the story is primarily driven through its action sequences. The audience is drawn closer to the protagonist through emotions expressed in skirmishes and his brutality toward his opposition. And in that perspective, this movie excelled, tremendously. On the contrary, because I was overly compelled to attach myself to our protagonist, I felt that it left a gap between myself and the supporting cast.

In other words, I couldn't help but feel that the cast were small in comparison to Tony Jaa. If that was the producer's intention, then they totally nailed it, but if not, it is somewhat of a set back. In addition, Tony Jaa didn't do much acting in this movie. Instead, he acted through his fists and was great in doing so. His natural intensity and charisma in fights helped me to fall in love with his character's drive, especially in the closing scenes.

The music in this movie revolved around BGM, and the selections definitely fit the scenes. The sound helped me to feel what Tony was feeling, but again, nothing really stood out. I couldn't help but think that the sound was just there. Simply put, it was nothing special but nothing bad.

The re-watch value for this movie depends all on the person. If you're a fan of martial arts movies, then this one will not disappoint, even the second time around. Its choreography is where the movie shines and where it draws its re-watch value from. However, if one is depending on the story or even a blend of story and action, then this film might be a one-time sort of film.

Overall, if you're any interested in martial arts flicks, The Protector is a great place to start. While it isn't the best of the best, it'll definitely make eye brows raise, especially during the first watch. A lot of the film was filmed with Mr. Jaa's raw athletic ability, and for that, I commend him and admire him. However, if you're looking for an all-around film, this may or may not hit the mark.

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Tony Jaa delivers a trunk load of Muay Thai fun!

The Protector packed a trunk load of action into a short amount of time. Protector Tony Jaa proved he was up to the tusk when he traveled to Sydney to find his stolen elephants. Ivory few minutes there was a bone crunching action scene with a ton of flipping, twisting and leaping. I promise I'll stop with the elephant puns now.

Tony played Kham one of the Muay Thai trained protectors of the elephants that may serve the king. During a celebration, the bull elephant and his calf were stolen and taken to Australia. Kham arrived in Sydney and ran afoul of the law almost immediately. He was fortunate that one of the police officers was Thai and believed his story. Unfortunately for that cop, he was framed for murders the triad committed.

Most of the story was filled with contrivances that were best not looked at too closely. The main thrust of the story was that Kham was willing to go through anyone to find his elephants. This movie was all about the action scenes, and on action scenes, it delivered. The bad guys had an entire army of fighters. Fighters on skates, bikes, motorcycles, armored four-wheelers, with fluorescent bulbs, knives, guns, statues, whips, and/or swords. Tiny Tony also faced seven-foot giants. There were chase scenes involving speed boats and helicopters. There was an intricate scene filmed in one long shot as Kham fought his way through the bad guys' den up several levels of stairway. Though there were numerous long action scenes, none of them felt repetitive. Each setting had its own fight mood. Whether it was Road Warrior futuristic mayhem or meditative murder in a Buddhist temple, each fight brought its own style and weaponry. It would be hard to overstate how amazing the actions scenes were. Jaa was incredibly athletic and acrobatic, doing stunts others would need obvious wire-work or CGI to accomplish. To quote a character from the television show The Wire, "That was some Spiderman sh*t!"

Aside from the narrative issues, the dubbing for this movie was terrible in places. It strained imagination to believe Kham was in Australia with some of the "Australian" accents. Bad guys and bodies appeared and disappeared along with story cohesiveness. The acting was serviceable, as long as no one had to say too many lines. As I said, best to focus on the action scenes and not pay much attention to the rest or you may become needlessly confused or disheartened.

What I learned from this movie: #1 Elephants are loyal family members. #2 Gravity does not apply to Tony Jaa. #3 When in doubt-aim for an enemy's tendons, preferably with a bone of revenge.

If you are wanting a complex and coherent story with character development, this is not it. If, however, you are in the mood for an exciting martial arts movie that includes elephants and has a likeable star, everything else is irrelephant (couldn't help myself!). This is the one to try.


3/20/23

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