Review of Ong Bak 2 (2008) by Sinn O — 01 Dec 2009

A Buddhist parable with a heck of a lot of heart.  This beautifully shot film is the second in a trilogy which recounts the story of a holy icon and the karmic journey of the warrior who ultimately redeems it.

  ONG BAK II is the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK of the series, and references that classic either wittingly or unwittingly.  ONG BAK II was reported to have budget and production issues which likely resulted in some of the problems cursory reviewers seem stuck on, but any weaknesses are lost and lost again in the the movie's continuous highlights.

  Not only do we have some of the clearest and most exciting fight sequences ever committed to film (for those who don't know him, Jaa is the Michael Jordan of the genre) they are delivered in a sumptuous setting with costumes and weapons that should make Peter Jackson envious.

  For those with even a limited knowledge of Southeast Asian culture, the "Garuda" sequence in Act Three is worth the price of admission, and for those seeking dangerous stunts there is one involving a herd of elephants that would put the Jackass guys to shame.

  To top it all off, if you know what to look for, there's a lot of depth to the story.  It's just that the story itself, like the character development, takes place across multiple films and more than one lifetime (i.

E. incarnations.)  I've met Tony Jaa and interviewed him and he's about an awful lot more than on screen fighting; there's a deep spirituality at the root of his art and this is a large part of what he's trying to convey.

  While I personally had to watch it a couple of times for it all to sink in, if you're a fan of martial arts films I'm guessing you'll be watching it a couple times a week.  I'm declaring ONG BAK II a classic of the genre alongside such standouts as Bruce Lee's JING WU MEN (CHINESE CONNECTION aka FIST OF FURY) and Jet Li's SHAOLIN TEMPLE.