Fantastic Fest 2010

When we last left Thai martial arts superstar Tony Jaa at the end of ONG BAK 2, things looked grim: defeated by the seemingly-invincible Crow Ghost, betrayed by his adopted father, and captured by the evil Lord Rajasena's soldiers, village warrior Tien (Jaa) seemed destined to be horribly tortured to death in a dungeon cell. And when ONG BAK 3 picks up the story immediately after, things aren't much better, with Tien beaten to a pulp by staff-wielding soldiers, then dumped and left for dead. But like the Thai action film industry and director Jaa himself, Tien isn't about to go down that easily. After being more or less resurrected by the devotion and care of his spiritual mentor Master Bua and Pim, the love of his life, Tien grows a beard, finds religion, meditates a bit, and sets himself on the path to the land of ass kicking and revenge, leading to an ultimate confrontation with Lord Rajasena, and eventually the Crow Ghost himself.

With ONG BAK 2 a huge success in its homeland and abroad, a follow-up was inevitable, particularly given the fact of the second entry's troubled production history. Jaa (also serving as director) left part 2 midway through, forcing his mentor and legendary martial arts choreographer Panna Rittikrai to come aboard as co-director and shoot additional scenes featuring fellow martial artist Dan Chupong as the super-powerful Crow Ghost. What was left after the film was finally finished was one-and-a-half movies, putting the filmmakers halfway there for ONG BAK 3, which was quickly completed and released in early 2010. And the relationship between the pair clearly shows: like BACK TO THE FUTURE 2/3, MATRIX RELOADED/REVOLUTIONS, and other films shot back-to-back, the style and look of ONG BAK 2 and 3 are virtually identical.

What's different this time around, however, is the sheer level of rage and anger felt throughout the film. Compared with part 2, the fights in ONG BAK 3 are nastier, bloodier, more violent and just plain personal, ranging over a wide variety of styles and locations throughout the film (more elephants!), and featuring a lot more CGI, ahem, supernatural magic than in the previous entries. The real surprise this time out, though, is Dan Chupong, who steals the show as Crow Ghost and has the best fight of the film, as his superhuman character literally punches an army of enemies through stone temple walls. With Tony Jaa proclaiming that he's left the film business for good in order to devote his life to more spiritual pursuits, it seems clear that a new leading star is needed for the Thai action film industry to survive. And after watching ONG BAK 3, you'll know exactly who to nominate for the job. So put on your elbow and knee pads and get ready for some bone-slamming, spear-chucking, metaphysical whatsit, over-the-top action! (Marc Walkow)

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