Tom-Yum-Goong
Encyclopedia
Tom-Yum-Goong
Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai
: ต้มยำกุ้ง, tôm jam kûŋ is a 2005 Thai Martial arts
Action film
starring Tony Jaa
. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew
, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai
. The film was distributed as The Warrior King in the UK, as The Protector in the US, as Thai Dragon in Spain, and as Revenge of the Warrior in Germany.
s. Traditionally, only the most perfect elephants could successfully defend the throne, and very great care was taken in raising them. Kham grows up forming close relations to his elephant, Por Yai and his calf, Kohrn. During Songkran festival, the elephants are stolen with help from Mr. Suthep, a local MP
and his son who are collaborating with elephant poachers. Kham discovers that they are in the hands of Johnny, a Vietnamese gangster who runs a Thai restaurant named Tom Yum Goong Otob in Sydney, Australia.
Kham arrives in Sydney, and is stalked by the police as soon as he leaves the airport. He is eventually caught by Inspector Vincent and driven away in Mark's car. When the car stops outside Tom Yum Goong Otob, Kham sees Johnny leaving. He escapes and finds Johnny talking to Pla, a prostitute. Kham follows a minion as he jumps off a bridge. He takes that gangster out and manages to coerce another to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interrupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons countless extreme sports enthusiasts, who arrive to fight Kham. Kham defeats them one by one, and finally faces a quad bike
rider, whom he takes down as well.
Exhausted, Kham falls asleep in an alley. Pla brings him to her apartment. In his sleep, he dreams of an epic battle involving war elephants and the Jaturangkabart, the elephant protectors. When Pla leaves, Kham wakes up to the sound of police sirens, and climbs down a pipe to make his escape.
Mark and Rick are taken off the case and re-assigned to provide security for the Police Commissioner's meeting with Mr. Sim. In that meeting, Pla acted as a hostess girl to the two men. During the meeting, Mr. Sim and the Commissioner are murdered. The murder is instigated by Vincent, who kills Rick and puts the blame on Mark. Mark escapes, but is later captured. Pla manages to escape, taking a camera phone that contains evidence of the murder with her. She is saved from the police by Kham. Pla reveals that she used to be a waitress at Tom Yum Goong Otob. Since Johnny and his men took over the management, it has been awful for all those who work there. She reveals a secret VIP area in the back of the restaurant.
With Pla's help, Kham enters Tom Yum Goong Otob. He fights his way into the VIP area and reaches the dining hall at the top. Kham demands, "Where are my elephants?" and is met with the laughter of Johnny and his men. Johnny taunts Kham with Kohrn's bell. This enrages Kham and he fights and defeats his opponents. He enters the storage area, containing various exotic animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Kohrn, escaping minutes before the police arrive. Meanwhile, Madame Rose is made the new leader of the Chinese gang after she murders two other possible successors.
Inspector Vincent initiates a search for Kham and Mark, who are hiding in a Buddhist
monastery. Soon after their departure, the monastery is set on fire. But then Kham returns, and he defeats a fierce Capoeira
fighter and a Wushu
sword fighter. However, his third opponent, a giant wrestler, proves way too much for Kham. When the police arrive, he flees with Mark. By morning, Kham goes on his way. Mark is discovered by several policemen and sent to deal with Inspector Vincent, whom Pla has revealed to be the murderer.
Kham arrives at a conference hall where Madame Rose is having a press conference. Kohrn runs in, scaring off everyone while Kham engages the gangsters. He later finds Kohrn in an elevator lobby, where Vincent threatens to shoot him. Mark suddenly arrives on the floor in an elevator and disarms Vincent, killing his men. He beats Vincent up while insulting him. Suddenly, Johnny enters and kills Vincent, telling Mark that he has come to settle the score before leaving.
Kham finds himself with Kohrn in a huge room, and he is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Her men then attack Kham, and he attacks them more brutally than previously seen, by breaking many of the men's arms and legs. The wrestler from the monastery is called in, along with three others. Kohrn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Kham ties them around his arms and uses them as clubs to knock the wrestlers out. The two bones then splinter into two sharp fragments. Remembering something his father told him, Kham uses the splinters to sever the tendons of the wrestlers, who fall quickly. He stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a helicopter
, and the two crash through the roof and land in the room. Madame Rose is knocked unconscious, while Kham's fall is cushioned by the tusks of Por Yai.
Back in the lobby, Mark is shown Pla, and forgiven by his boss, Inspector Lamond. He is given a new partner who speaks Thai. Mark is then interviewed by a reporter about Kham. Finally, a narration from Mark is heard, with scenes of Kham's childhood shown. Mark explains that Thai people
treat elephants like they are their brothers, and they hate people who hurt them. Thais love peace, but dislike people who take liberties. Kham is finally reunited with Kohrn.
, which was noted for its lack of wirework and CGI
, this movie uses CGI in several scenes, from the obvious (helicopter scene, and an entirely computer-animated dream sequence), to the subtle (a glass window shattering in the four-minute steadicam
long take
that follows Jaa up several flights of stairs as he dispatches thug after thug in dramatic fashion).
The largest example of CGI is Tony Jaa's dramatic leap from the top of a building to attack Madame Rose with a double knee attack. While the background was blue screen with the Australian backdrop added in post production, the long fall shown on screen was real as Jaa and a stuntperson pulled the scene off, landing on large mats below. Even in scenes like this with blue screen, a stunt double would be called in for the lead actor, but Jaa once again made sure he did the stunt himself.
into this movie
(มวยคชสาร, "muaykodchasarn", roughly translated as "Elephant Boxing"),
emphasizing grappling moves. "I wanted to show the art of the elephant combined with Muay Thai," Tony told the Associated Press in an interview, adding that the moves imitate how an elephant would defend itself, with the arms acting as the trunk.
However, no one was hospitalized in the making of the film, with injuries limited to "bumps and bruises, muscle tears, a little something like that. Nothing major," Tony said.
The fights include duels with:
, which made suggestions for re-editing to director Prachya Pinkaew
, who then made some cuts that slightly reduce the film's running time from its original 108 minutes.
The UK title is Warrior King, and the theatrical release was on July 28, 2006. In France and Belgium, the title is L'Honneur du dragon, and in the Netherlands and other European it is Honour of the Dragon. In Cambodia, the film is called Neak Prodal Junboth. In India, it was named Haathi Mere Saathi (literally elephant, my partner), from a name of another bollywood film
starring Rajesh Khanna
.
English-language subtitled DVD
s of Tom-Yum-Goong were not made available when the movie was distributed for home video in Asia. One of the pirated
versions of the movie had subtitles that refer to the main character as "Jin" despite it saying "Kham" on the back of the box. Also, the subtitles for the spoken English did not match what was being said. Counterfeit editions of the DVD also marketed the film as "Ong Bak 2", which was the Thai working title of the film and is the Chinese-language name of the movie, but which has been re-applied to the sequel to Ong-Bak, Ong-Bak 2
.
Prachya Pinkaew stated that he trimmed several of the fight scenes due to their length. Some of these include the sequence on the bridge in Sydney, when Kham confronts Johnny and his henchmen for the first time. One can see in certain trailers Kham launching himself off of the shoulders of one henchmen to elbow the other one. Another sequence that he trimmed considerably was the warehouse fight scene.
In the US release of Tom-Yum-Goong, where it was named The Protector, there is a deleted scene of Kham beginning his ambush of the house party by the criminal group who stole his elephants. In all of its releases, the fight sequence begins with Tony Jaa throwing a henchmen down the stairs. But this deleted scene shows where the fight really began.
purchased the US distribution rights for Tom-Yum-Goong and retitled it The Protector (also the name of a 1985 film
starring Jackie Chan
). The film was released theatrically in the US on September 8, 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty
label in a two-disc set that includes both the US edit and the original Thai version of the film.
For the US theatrical cut, the film's length was reduced by at least 25 minutes, going so far as to trim down some of the fight scenes, even though it was given an "R" rating restricting audiences to people aged 17 and over. Out of all cuts outside of Thailand, it is the shortest cut of the film, even more so than the European cuts. It also features a new score by RZA
. Some parts of the missing footage (including cuts to the "bone breaker" fight and Madame Rose envisioning herself in a red dress as queen) appeared in the US trailer and US TV Spots.
Also, The Protector is partially subtitled and partially dubbed, with all of Jaa's dialogue subtitled. Several changes were made to the plot through editing and subtitles that did not match the spoken Thai and Chinese dialogue.
Changes that were made to the US theatrical release include:
The Weinstein Company
released Tom-Yum-Goong in North America in a heavily-edited version entitled The Protector, which was the third release by their Dragon Dynasty
label. It was also given the "Quentin Tarantino
Presents" brand, which had proven lucrative in the past for films like Hero and Hostel. It opened in 1,541 cinemas on September 8, 2006 and ranked No. 4 in its opening weekend, grossing $5,034,180 ($3,226 per screen). It ended its run with $12,044,087. In the US, it ranks 67th among martial arts films and 14th among foreign films.
The film's total worldwide box office gross is $25,715,096 USD. It is the most successful Thai
film released in the US.
Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
: ต้มยำกุ้ง, tôm jam kûŋ is a 2005 Thai Martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
Action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
starring Tony Jaa
Tony Jaa
Tatchakorn Yeerum , formerly Panom Yeerum , better known in the West as Tony Jaa, in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, choreographer, stuntman, director, and monk...
. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior and Tom-Yum-Goong, both martial arts films starring Tony Jaa.-Biography:...
, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai
Panna Rittikrai
Panna Rittikrai is a Thai martial arts action choreographer, film director, screenwriter and actor...
. The film was distributed as The Warrior King in the UK, as The Protector in the US, as Thai Dragon in Spain, and as Revenge of the Warrior in Germany.
Plot
Kham is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the King of Thailand's war elephantWar elephant
A war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
s. Traditionally, only the most perfect elephants could successfully defend the throne, and very great care was taken in raising them. Kham grows up forming close relations to his elephant, Por Yai and his calf, Kohrn. During Songkran festival, the elephants are stolen with help from Mr. Suthep, a local MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and his son who are collaborating with elephant poachers. Kham discovers that they are in the hands of Johnny, a Vietnamese gangster who runs a Thai restaurant named Tom Yum Goong Otob in Sydney, Australia.
Kham arrives in Sydney, and is stalked by the police as soon as he leaves the airport. He is eventually caught by Inspector Vincent and driven away in Mark's car. When the car stops outside Tom Yum Goong Otob, Kham sees Johnny leaving. He escapes and finds Johnny talking to Pla, a prostitute. Kham follows a minion as he jumps off a bridge. He takes that gangster out and manages to coerce another to lead him to Johnny's hideout, interrupting a drug deal. Outraged, Johnny summons countless extreme sports enthusiasts, who arrive to fight Kham. Kham defeats them one by one, and finally faces a quad bike
Quad bike
A Quad bike is recognised by UK law as a vehicle with four wheels and a mass of less than 550 kg.To drive a quad bike on a public road, in the UK, requires a B1 licence as well as tax, insurance and registration.-19th century:...
rider, whom he takes down as well.
Exhausted, Kham falls asleep in an alley. Pla brings him to her apartment. In his sleep, he dreams of an epic battle involving war elephants and the Jaturangkabart, the elephant protectors. When Pla leaves, Kham wakes up to the sound of police sirens, and climbs down a pipe to make his escape.
Mark and Rick are taken off the case and re-assigned to provide security for the Police Commissioner's meeting with Mr. Sim. In that meeting, Pla acted as a hostess girl to the two men. During the meeting, Mr. Sim and the Commissioner are murdered. The murder is instigated by Vincent, who kills Rick and puts the blame on Mark. Mark escapes, but is later captured. Pla manages to escape, taking a camera phone that contains evidence of the murder with her. She is saved from the police by Kham. Pla reveals that she used to be a waitress at Tom Yum Goong Otob. Since Johnny and his men took over the management, it has been awful for all those who work there. She reveals a secret VIP area in the back of the restaurant.
With Pla's help, Kham enters Tom Yum Goong Otob. He fights his way into the VIP area and reaches the dining hall at the top. Kham demands, "Where are my elephants?" and is met with the laughter of Johnny and his men. Johnny taunts Kham with Kohrn's bell. This enrages Kham and he fights and defeats his opponents. He enters the storage area, containing various exotic animals ready to be butchered and eaten. Kham finds and frees Mark and Kohrn, escaping minutes before the police arrive. Meanwhile, Madame Rose is made the new leader of the Chinese gang after she murders two other possible successors.
Inspector Vincent initiates a search for Kham and Mark, who are hiding in a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monastery. Soon after their departure, the monastery is set on fire. But then Kham returns, and he defeats a fierce Capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
fighter and a Wushu
Wushu (sport)
The sport of wushu is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was created in the People's Republic of China after 1949, in an attempt to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts...
sword fighter. However, his third opponent, a giant wrestler, proves way too much for Kham. When the police arrive, he flees with Mark. By morning, Kham goes on his way. Mark is discovered by several policemen and sent to deal with Inspector Vincent, whom Pla has revealed to be the murderer.
Kham arrives at a conference hall where Madame Rose is having a press conference. Kohrn runs in, scaring off everyone while Kham engages the gangsters. He later finds Kohrn in an elevator lobby, where Vincent threatens to shoot him. Mark suddenly arrives on the floor in an elevator and disarms Vincent, killing his men. He beats Vincent up while insulting him. Suddenly, Johnny enters and kills Vincent, telling Mark that he has come to settle the score before leaving.
Kham finds himself with Kohrn in a huge room, and he is shown the skeleton of Por Yai, encrusted with jewels as a gift to Madame Rose. Her men then attack Kham, and he attacks them more brutally than previously seen, by breaking many of the men's arms and legs. The wrestler from the monastery is called in, along with three others. Kohrn is thrown through a glass wall, and Kham is knocked into the elephant ornament, causing two leg bones to fall off. Kham ties them around his arms and uses them as clubs to knock the wrestlers out. The two bones then splinter into two sharp fragments. Remembering something his father told him, Kham uses the splinters to sever the tendons of the wrestlers, who fall quickly. He stops Madame Rose before she can escape in a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
, and the two crash through the roof and land in the room. Madame Rose is knocked unconscious, while Kham's fall is cushioned by the tusks of Por Yai.
Back in the lobby, Mark is shown Pla, and forgiven by his boss, Inspector Lamond. He is given a new partner who speaks Thai. Mark is then interviewed by a reporter about Kham. Finally, a narration from Mark is heard, with scenes of Kham's childhood shown. Mark explains that Thai people
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
treat elephants like they are their brothers, and they hate people who hurt them. Thais love peace, but dislike people who take liberties. Kham is finally reunited with Kohrn.
Cast
- Tony JaaTony JaaTatchakorn Yeerum , formerly Panom Yeerum , better known in the West as Tony Jaa, in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial artist, actor, choreographer, stuntman, director, and monk...
as Kham, who is the last of a family line of guards who once watched over the King of Thailand's war elephantWar elephantA war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
s. Kham is characterized by the juxtaposition of his red kramaKramaA krama is a sturdy traditional Cambodian garment with many uses, including as a scarf, bandanna, to carry children, to cover the face, and for decorative purposes. It is worn by men, women and children, and can be fairly ornate, though most typical kramas contain a gingham pattern of some sort,...
scarf and his grey Chuck Taylor All-StarsChuck Taylor All-StarsChuck Taylor All Stars, or Converse All Stars, also referred to as "Chuck Taylors", "Converses", "All Stars", "Chucks" or "Cons", are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All Star," Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market...
. As he grows up, he bonds closely with his elephant Por Yai and its calf, Korn. When they are stolen, Kham journeys to Sydney, Australia to get them back. Actor Nutdanai Kong portrays 9 year old Kham. - Sotorn Rungruaeng as Kham's father, who taught Kham about the fighting styles of the Jaturangkabart, the royal guardians of the Thai war elephants. It has been Kham's father's dream that his elephant Por Yai would be selected as one of the Royal Thai elephants. However, during a fake inspection staged by a local member of parliament, his elephants are stolen, and he is wounded by a gunshot.
- Petchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai WongkamlaoPetchtai Wongkamlao, , is a Thai comedian, actor and film director. He is best known in Thailand by his stage name, Mum Jokmok ; and is a popular Thai television personality...
as Sergeant Mark, a Thai-Australian policeman who patrols an area of Sydney populated by Asians. He is so popular there that the locals often do him favors like giving him free mangoes and haircuts. - Bongkoj KhongmalaiBongkoj KhongmalaiBongkoj Khongmalai , nickname "Tak" , is a Thai film actress. Films she has appeared in include Tom-Yum-Goong. She portrayed a young Thai woman forced into prostitution in Australia who comes to the aid of the film's hero, Tony Jaa. Alternate spellings of her name include Bongkot Kongmalai and...
as Pla, a Thai student in Sydney who is forced to be a call girlCall girlA call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
to repay the debt of her former boyfriend, the late Wittaya who used to own Tom Yum Goong Otob, a Thai restaurant. - Xing JinJin XingJin Xing is a ballerina, modern dancer, choreographer and actress from the People's Republic of China, and owner of the contemporary dance company "Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theatre". Although usually credited as Jing Xing, the proper pinyin spelling is Jin Xing...
as Madame Rose, a transsexual member of a Chinese gang in Sydney, who is in conflict with the leader, her Uncle Mr. Sim. It should be noted that the actress who plays Rose is a transsexual herself. - Damian De MontemasDamian De MontemasDamian De Montemas is an Australian actor who plays Brian Alexander on Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and Jason Kennedy in the first two series of The Secret Life Of Us....
as Inspector Vincent, a corrupt policeman in Sydney who collaborates with Madame Rose. - David Asavanond as Officer Rick, Sergeant Mark's new partner.
- Nathan JonesNathan Jones (wrestler)Nathan Boyce Jones is an Australian actor, powerlifting champion, strongman, and retired professional wrestler...
as T.K. (as Nathan B. Jones), a giant wrestler who proves to be more than a match for Kham. - Johnny Nguyen as Johnny (as Johnny Tri Nguyen), a Vietnamese gangster in Sydney who is a subordinate of Madame Rose. He is responsible for her drug deals and the running of the Tom Yum Goong Otob.
- Lateef CrowderLateef CrowderLateef Crowder Dos Santos is a Brazilian-born American actor, stunt performer, and martial artist. As a member of the ZeroGravity stunt team since 2000, he has been featured in multiple internet short videos and demo reels, such as Inmate 451. He's a 26-year experienced practitioner in the art of...
as a CapoeiraCapoeiraCapoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
fighter who fights Kham in the Buddhist monastery. He has the word Pray carved to his chest. - Jon Foo as a Wushu (as Jonathan Patrick Foo), fighter who is Kham's second opponent in the monastery.
Cameo appearances
- Pumwaree YodkamolPumwaree YodkamolPumwaree Yodkamol is a Thai film and television actress. She co-starred in Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, portraying Muay Lek alongside Tony Jaa...
, who co-starred in Ong-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior , also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed...
, is seen briefly, portraying a Thai tourist in a Sydney street scene. She berates a friend of hers about DVD piracy. - Wannakit Sirioput who also co starred in Ong Bak (as Don) cameos at the end of the film as Mark's new partner.
- An impressionistImpressionist (entertainment)An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
portrays Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
, whom Kham briefly encounters at the airport in Sydney. In real life, Chan is one of Jaa's idols and the impressionist is one of Chan's body doubles. - Another impressionist portrays Thai rocker Sek LosoLosoLoso is a Thai rock band fronted by singer–guitarist–composer Seksan Sukpimai . The band was formed in the mid-1990s in Bangkok, Thailand. Its name is derived from a play on hi-so, Thai slang for socialites and the upper class , and is meant to reflect the group's humble origins...
, the pitchman for the M-150 energy drink, which is among the brands with product placementProduct placementProduct placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...
throughout the film. - Actors Dean Alexandrou, Don FergusonDon FergusonDon Ferguson is a Canadian actor and is one of the stars of XPM and Royal Canadian Air Farce. He is also the only Canadian-born original cast member of Air Farce....
, Erik Markus Schuetz, Lex de Groot (uncredited) and Damian Mavis (uncredited) appear as bodyguards.
Technical aspects
Compared to Ong-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior , also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed...
, which was noted for its lack of wirework and CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, this movie uses CGI in several scenes, from the obvious (helicopter scene, and an entirely computer-animated dream sequence), to the subtle (a glass window shattering in the four-minute steadicam
Steadicam
A Steadicam is a stabilizing mount for a motion picture camera that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement, allowing a smooth shot even when moving quickly over an uneven surface...
long take
Long take
A long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...
that follows Jaa up several flights of stairs as he dispatches thug after thug in dramatic fashion).
The largest example of CGI is Tony Jaa's dramatic leap from the top of a building to attack Madame Rose with a double knee attack. While the background was blue screen with the Australian backdrop added in post production, the long fall shown on screen was real as Jaa and a stuntperson pulled the scene off, landing on large mats below. Even in scenes like this with blue screen, a stunt double would be called in for the lead actor, but Jaa once again made sure he did the stunt himself.
Fighting styles
Tony Jaa incorporates a new style of Muay ThaiMuay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
into this movie
(มวยคชสาร, "muaykodchasarn", roughly translated as "Elephant Boxing"),
emphasizing grappling moves. "I wanted to show the art of the elephant combined with Muay Thai," Tony told the Associated Press in an interview, adding that the moves imitate how an elephant would defend itself, with the arms acting as the trunk.
Stuntwork
Many aspiring stuntmen sent demo tapes, hoping to be cast in the film. An American stunt actor was cast but did not properly take the impact and was injured on the first take. "He kicked me, I used my arm to block his kick, and he fell down hard," Tony told the Associated Press.However, no one was hospitalized in the making of the film, with injuries limited to "bumps and bruises, muscle tears, a little something like that. Nothing major," Tony said.
The fights include duels with:
- Wushu martial artist (John FooJohn FooJon Foo is an English actor, martial artist and stuntman of mixed Chinese and Irish descent.-Early life:...
). - A Vietnamese triad captain (portrayed by Spider-manSpider-Man (film)Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
stunt doubleStunt doubleA stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
Johnny Nguyen). - A capoeiraCapoeiraCapoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
fighter (Lateef CrowderLateef CrowderLateef Crowder Dos Santos is a Brazilian-born American actor, stunt performer, and martial artist. As a member of the ZeroGravity stunt team since 2000, he has been featured in multiple internet short videos and demo reels, such as Inmate 451. He's a 26-year experienced practitioner in the art of...
of the ZeroGravityZeroGravity (stunt team)ZeroGravity is a stunt team based in southern California. They were founded in 1998 by Tony Chu and Kerry Wong. Their first performance was in the Specialties Act division of the 1998 Pinnacle Fantasy Productions Talent Spokesmodel Showcase and continued to perform martial arts stage shows for...
stunt team). - A 6' 10", extraordinarily strong bodyguard (former WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestler Nathan JonesNathan Jones (wrestler)Nathan Boyce Jones is an Australian actor, powerlifting champion, strongman, and retired professional wrestler...
– Brad PittBrad PittWilliam Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
's first opponent in the movie TroyTroy (film)Troy is a 2004 epic war film written by David Benioff and directed by Wolfgang Petersen based on the events of the Trojan War. Its cast includes Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector.It was nominated for the Academy Award for Costume Design.-Plot:...
) - A whip-wielding triad boss (world renowned ballerinaBallerinaA ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
Jing Xing). - A deleted two-vs-one Taekwondo scene in the temple with Dean Alexandrou and Daniel Oneill
Alternative versions
International sales rights (outside Asia) were purchased by TF1TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
, which made suggestions for re-editing to director Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew
Prachya Pinkaew is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. His films include Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior and Tom-Yum-Goong, both martial arts films starring Tony Jaa.-Biography:...
, who then made some cuts that slightly reduce the film's running time from its original 108 minutes.
The UK title is Warrior King, and the theatrical release was on July 28, 2006. In France and Belgium, the title is L'Honneur du dragon, and in the Netherlands and other European it is Honour of the Dragon. In Cambodia, the film is called Neak Prodal Junboth. In India, it was named Haathi Mere Saathi (literally elephant, my partner), from a name of another bollywood film
Haathi Mere Saathi
Haathi Mere Saathi is an Indian film and a favourite with children in the early 1970s. The movie has a Disneyesque appeal with an Indian twist...
starring Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna is an Indian actor of from Hindi films, and has been Hindi film producer and an Indian politician....
.
Subtitle issues
As with Ong-Bak: Muay Thai WarriorOng-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior , also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed...
English-language subtitled DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s of Tom-Yum-Goong were not made available when the movie was distributed for home video in Asia. One of the pirated
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
versions of the movie had subtitles that refer to the main character as "Jin" despite it saying "Kham" on the back of the box. Also, the subtitles for the spoken English did not match what was being said. Counterfeit editions of the DVD also marketed the film as "Ong Bak 2", which was the Thai working title of the film and is the Chinese-language name of the movie, but which has been re-applied to the sequel to Ong-Bak, Ong-Bak 2
Ong Bak 2
Ong Bak 2: The Beginning is a 2008 Thai martial arts film co-directed by and starring Tony Jaa. It is a follow-up to Jaa's 2003 breakout film Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. Initially claimed to be a sequel to Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, Ong Bak 2 was then announced to be a prequel to its predecessor...
.
Deleted scenes
A two-vs-one fight scene taking place in the burning temple near the end of the film was deleted from currently released versions of the film. The Taekwondo sequence, featuring Dean Alexandrou and Daniel Oneill is shown in part in nearly all promotional trailers for the film, but was cut due to unknown reasons from the final release. However footage can be seen in the making-of featurettes, and some behind-the-scenes VCDs. The two bodies are seen to mysteriously appear on the temple floor, near the beginning of the Temple fight scene.Prachya Pinkaew stated that he trimmed several of the fight scenes due to their length. Some of these include the sequence on the bridge in Sydney, when Kham confronts Johnny and his henchmen for the first time. One can see in certain trailers Kham launching himself off of the shoulders of one henchmen to elbow the other one. Another sequence that he trimmed considerably was the warehouse fight scene.
In the US release of Tom-Yum-Goong, where it was named The Protector, there is a deleted scene of Kham beginning his ambush of the house party by the criminal group who stole his elephants. In all of its releases, the fight sequence begins with Tony Jaa throwing a henchmen down the stairs. But this deleted scene shows where the fight really began.
US release as The Protector
The Weinstein CompanyThe Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
purchased the US distribution rights for Tom-Yum-Goong and retitled it The Protector (also the name of a 1985 film
The Protector (1985 film)
The Protector is a 1985 Hong Kong / USA action film, directed by James Glickenhaus and starring Jackie Chan. It was Chan's second attempt at breaking into the American film market, after 1980's The Big Brawl, a film which had flopped at the box office...
starring Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
). The film was released theatrically in the US on September 8, 2006. It was released in January 2007 on DVD on The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty
Dragon Dynasty
Dragon Dynasty is a joint venture started by The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. The company was created on May 23, 2006 for the sole purpose of distributing East Asian films on DVD in the US, whose licenses are held by, or will be acquired by The Weinstein Company...
label in a two-disc set that includes both the US edit and the original Thai version of the film.
For the US theatrical cut, the film's length was reduced by at least 25 minutes, going so far as to trim down some of the fight scenes, even though it was given an "R" rating restricting audiences to people aged 17 and over. Out of all cuts outside of Thailand, it is the shortest cut of the film, even more so than the European cuts. It also features a new score by RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
. Some parts of the missing footage (including cuts to the "bone breaker" fight and Madame Rose envisioning herself in a red dress as queen) appeared in the US trailer and US TV Spots.
Also, The Protector is partially subtitled and partially dubbed, with all of Jaa's dialogue subtitled. Several changes were made to the plot through editing and subtitles that did not match the spoken Thai and Chinese dialogue.
Changes that were made to the US theatrical release include:
- The historical role of the Thai warriors is given in more detail in the opening prologue
- Scenes of TV reporters given tour of Sydney by Sgt. Mark are removed.
- Scenes of Sgt. Mark handling robbery and releasing the would-be assassin are removed.
- Kham's father, rather than being injured, died by the gunshot.
- Tony Jaa's lines now include "You killed my father!"
- Madame Rose loses face and is denied a "security" contract over bad turtle soup instead of the Chinese business leader's refusal to deal because of bad terms.
- Madame Rose's transsexuality is never mentioned.
- The ending has been trimmed to imply that Madame Rose is dead rather than just injured after her fall through the roof.
- Johnny does not return to kill Vincent after Vincent was apprehended by Mark.
- Exposition is given to further explain the cutting of tendons to defeat the bruisers at the end.
- The ending epilogue given by Sgt. Mark in the US version is significantly different and nobler than the Thai version, which is whimsical and comic relief in tone and is much less concerned with resolution.
Box office
Tom-Yum-Goong opened in Thailand on August 11, 2005, and grossed US$1,609,720 in its first weekend and was No. 1 at the Thai box office (normally dominated by Hollywood imports) for two weeks in a row. It ended its Thai run with US$4,417,800, blockbuster business by Thai standards.The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company
The Weinstein Company is an American film studio founded by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in 2005 after the brothers left the then-Disney-owned Miramax Films, which they had co-founded in 1979...
released Tom-Yum-Goong in North America in a heavily-edited version entitled The Protector, which was the third release by their Dragon Dynasty
Dragon Dynasty
Dragon Dynasty is a joint venture started by The Weinstein Company and Genius Products. The company was created on May 23, 2006 for the sole purpose of distributing East Asian films on DVD in the US, whose licenses are held by, or will be acquired by The Weinstein Company...
label. It was also given the "Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
Presents" brand, which had proven lucrative in the past for films like Hero and Hostel. It opened in 1,541 cinemas on September 8, 2006 and ranked No. 4 in its opening weekend, grossing $5,034,180 ($3,226 per screen). It ended its run with $12,044,087. In the US, it ranks 67th among martial arts films and 14th among foreign films.
The film's total worldwide box office gross is $25,715,096 USD. It is the most successful Thai
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
film released in the US.