MovieChat Forums > Ong-Bak (2005) Discussion > OVER_RATED (DETAILS INSIDE)

OVER_RATED (DETAILS INSIDE)

posted 19 years ago by t-owens81
258 replies | jump to latest

First I am going to start this off by saying that I am an active competitor and 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and have studied enough to consider myself fairly knowledgeable in the feild of Martial Arts.

This movie is for one, over-rated. Like a psoter in another thread stated, Tony Jaa has no charisma. If you see Jackie Chan or Jet Li fight, they tell a story. They have physcology (sp?) and presence, Jaa has none of that. He does his moves which are ncie indeed, but get repetitive and boring.

On the back of the DVD case this takes a cheap shot on Jackie Chan, I know it is for promototional purposes but please. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are gods of the Martial Arts movie world, and have the experience and charisma to execute well in a film like this. The chase scene was good and Jaa showed amazing agility but hell the barrel scene in SHanghia Knights leaves that in the dust, and that is saying something. Like earlier stated, Li and Chan have physcology, they can make it comedic or show fear etc.

Jaa is skilled at Muy Tae, but his ksills dont overlap into this area. His style is more for real life fighting, not demonstration and coordinated fighting. Three reasons why the fight scenes weren't good...

1)Crappy Partners.
All of the people Jaa fought were bad. Each guy in the bar was horrifically slow and showed no skill, the main henchmen was good but not something better than on a weekly Texas Walker show.

2) Repetition.
Ok we know Jaa can jump and knee someone in the face, or elbow them in head. Ok it is good the first time, but c'mon. He does the same moves over and over and over, showing no diversity in his style. You never see him adapt to knew opponents, he jsut sticks to his basic moves and does them.

3) No storytelling.
They were just fights... that is it.

I will go to admit Jaa has some skill. He can do flips and spin kicks like nothing but he needs to do that rather than his repitive moves. Li and Chan are so great because of there fast hand to hand combat. Do we see any of that? NO.
-

Overall not a bad movie, but shouldn't be regarded as something special.

[–] kress910 18 years ago

I'd rather watch this over most Jet li films. The film is all about the action, the story is terrible but it doesn't mater how many time I watch it I still go "WoW" at some of his stunts. Also when you say "some skill", you make Jaa sound so average and clearly he is way above that, with more films comes more experience and thats where Jaa will get his charisma.

[–] alchoholeintolerent 18 years ago

It said bruce lee not jet li, jet li's films are pretty crappy in comparison to this, and tony jaa does a relly good job acting in his first film, he used to be a stuntman, so for him to do as well as he did is pretty cool, jet li is over rated if u ask me... and do more than just TKD, you dont appreciate martial arts until youve actually done more than one.

[–] T_Josham 18 years ago

I've trained in both Tae Kwon Do and Muay Thai and I can safely say Muay Thai is hard core.
And you're missing the point, TKD is a sport, is not meant to be practical for street fighting and taking on other styles in MMA.

Oh yeah the film's quality.

[–] EQ_Viktir 18 years ago

After reading over some of the posts on this topic, I have come to the conclusion that there are an unmeasurable amount of nerdy armchair warriors with no grasp on facts in this world. To argue with each of these nerds would take hours of my time. Instead, I chose to ignore the ignorance and hope for humanity's sake that some of you learn a special kata in whatever fighting system you adhere to that will enable you to withdraw your cranium from your buttocks.

[–] tazz_dbsk-1 18 years ago

*claps*
that was the best reply ever

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] acu 18 years ago

I didn't find much realism in Ong-Bak. I love the genre, in particular Jackie Chan's earlier Hong Kong movies.

Biggest problem I found with Ong-Bak was that everything was so obvisouly set for the next stunt that you could see it a mile off.

There is one sequence I remember with a hoop of barbed wire on a pole being carried across a road by two men for our hero to jump through.

Not very subtle....although I may be wrong, this may be the industry standard way to transport barbed wire across a road.

Lots of things just seemed to smack you in the face that it was going to happen before it actually did.

[–] jovos_suck123 18 years ago

fights 12
wins 9
loses 2
draws 1

he was knockedout 2 times all within the 2nd round

he was destroyed by samson isan with a knee (coa) inside the clinch

he had a crap record and a crap chin

concidering the film is hyped on his muay thai and supposed muay coa chen abbbbilities i think the film is very over rated

if you want a great muay then look up samson isan, pepsi, Sakmongkol etc

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] BubbaFish 18 years ago

Man thank you so much! I agree with you hundred percent. He's too overrated and he thinks that he's some kind of a god. I thought the acting was terrible, and the fights was totally brutally. The flying elbow and knee strikes in the air are very deadly and it's very unrealistic to see the opponent still manage to attack all the time back.

But you gotta give the guy all the credits in the world for his own stuntwork and acrobatic martial arts. It was very nice to see someone else then Jackie Chan doing all stuff by himself. But still, it's just like American Idol. When somebody attempts on singing a famous stevie wonder or a michael jackson or a george michael song, randy jackon (the jugde) or the rest gives you very low credit. These people have reached a level, which their fans and millions of audience around the world, can't just deal with the fact that another one (like Tony Jaa) is trying to be as good. He will never be as good.

When it comes to personality and screen charisma I think Jet li is the best, he's very goodlooking and he's very confident in his acting. He has a very good eye contact, which obviously Jackie Chan doesnt have. We all love Jackie because of his fast fighting, stuntwork and acrobatic abilities. Not to forget, Bruce Lee!! Is without doubt the best martial artist in the world. With his fast and deadly blows he take on any guy at any size.

"Overall not a bad movie, but shouldn't be regarded as something special. "

Totally agree. It wasn't special to me. It was overrated JJB (Jackie, Jet, Bruce) wannabe crap.

[–] fireyhope 18 years ago

Jet Li can't do anything this brutal, not to mention, has a writer ever even given Tony Jaa a good script?

all his movies so far are only Pure action, and no story.

Wannabe? hahaha still i find that funny
never saw Jackie Chan jump over a few cars and slide under a truck.

This stuff is brutal Jackie and Jet Nor Bruce has made anything like Ong Bak, in terms of Martial Arts brutalness.

guess what Jackie can't really act either nor was he even really given any good scripts in his first few movies not to mention

This is Tony Jaa's first movie to show Muay Thai.
Not to mention you say wannabe crap, it's funny, since Tony Jaa respects Bruce and Jackie Chan.

Not to mention has Jackie Chan and Bruce ever done Muay Thai??

[–] jovos_suck123 18 years ago

well even when Tony jaa did do muay thaui and delved into muay coa chen

we was crap

he was K.Os too manyh times lol

just look up his fight record

he was desroyed by samson isan

[–] fmt-2 18 years ago

For all the TKD fighters
A video on youtube
Muay Thai VS TKD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk7O8ELJDvU

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] hangman88 18 years ago

Umm has anyone realised that all movie fights are choreographed?

You think they just threw a bunch of people into the set and shouted "Look out Mr. Li he's trying to kill you!"

Oh and buy the way, I'm a Black-belt-ninja-super-saiyan-monk...so I think I know pretty much everything about martial arts.

I'd love to see you go punch out Tony Jaa mate

[–] julan-5 17 years ago

"First I am going to start this off by saying that I am an active competitor and 3rd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and have studied enough to consider myself fairly knowledgeable in the feild of Martial Arts."

I read that much..CLICK.

[–] JankaJaakari 17 years ago

I had no problem with the movie (it was repetative in fighting scenes but I never got bored watching them).

My problem is that when people start talking about Muay Thai or Thai Kickboxing or what not they generally seem not to even understand what they are talking about. Muay Thai is effective kickboxing martial art form but it is not only kickboxing martial arts in world nor is it "Simply the best or greatest MA ever".

Other martial arts that have beaten Muay thai in recorded fights between real and serious competitors as few examples I liked to mention styles like Shansou kick boxing, Savate and Sambo.

All this "manhood measuring" involving "my kung fu is better than your kung fu" is really poitless bechose:
6'4'' and 220 lbs guy with attitude of pittbull and 16 years of training in Muay Thai might be some thoug SOB but has no better resistance to against "tri-brust .556 Nato" technique than Joe average.