Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior Critic Reviews

An effective martial arts film destined to leave mouths agape.Read the full review

Mr. Jaa, blessed with astonishing muscle definition and a stoical, sensitive face, clearly has the potential to be an international action movie star, and Ong-Bak feels like the start of a scrappy, potent franchise.Read the full review

Strongly recalls Hong Kong kung-fu movies of the late '60s and '70s, with physical grit, over-the-top heroics and inventive fight choreography providing the entertainment.Read the full review

Refreshingly free of the hyperbole of special effects...Ong-Bak will win no scriptwriting awards, but Jaa is definitely the real deal.Read the full review

Thus a tightly edited, 90-minute action flick becomes a bloated, 105-minute exercise on how not to direct an action film.Read the full review

Ting's exploits grow ever more violent and repetitive, but a lot of Ong-Bak is very enjoyable.Read the full review

It's a display of phenomenal dexterity and nimble grace that's a joy to watch. That, friends, is entertainment.Read the full review

Ong-Bak (taken from the name of the sacred statue) is delivered raw, with an on-the-fly compositional approach from director Prachya Pinkaew that includes dim lighting and jumbled editing.Read the full review

Did I enjoy Ong-Bak? As brainless but skillful action choreography, yes. And I would have enjoyed it even more if I'd known going in that the stunts were being performed in the old-fashioned, pre-computer way.Read the full review