Ong-bak 2

In case you were wondering how the Muay Thai infused Ong-bak began, which you weren’t (but who cares), this sequel fills all that in. Star Tony Jaa takes the directing helm for part two and delivers a film that, while occasionally distracted by exposition and plot development, is basically a giant, awesome, amazing, brutal, fantastic, insane, bloody, jaw-dropping, mind-bending, laugh inducing, pain inducing, flippin’ sweet fight scene.

We see Jaa as a child whose parents are inevitably killed by a mean ruler and he must avenge their death by training in the combative arts in a remote and impressive village of fighters. The rest of the movie is Jaa killing a bunch of people, and an alligator, and inflicting pain on countless more. If the first film wasn’t simply an excuse to show of the martial skills (District B13 anyone?), then this film makes it rather impossible to be anything but. The visuals are dirty and detailed, beautiful and scary. The fighting is the same.

Like any martial arts movie worth watching, a variety of fighting styles, weapons, and characters come and go and battle one another. Animals manage to get their combative skills in as well. As a whole, though, the film is entirely watchable and admittedly quite exhausting. The fight scenes are diverse enough and complex enough to make them fun. Despite the lack of acting ability, Jaa manages to seem human enough to enjoy watching. This sequel may be superior to its predecessor in both its technical qualities and its fight choreography.

The first Ong-bak tried to take itself a little too seriously for the comedy sprinkled throughout. This film, while laugh inducing because of the sheer incomprehensibility, demands to be taken seriously. Any film with such a staggering body count and savage depiction of ceremony certainly shouldn’t aim to joke. The one exception remains the unexplained and underdeveloped basket-head who makes an ominous appearance towards the end of the film. Check out this sequel for an intense, pleasing, and mindless experience.