Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Unlike some other reviewers of this film, Ong-Back: Thai Warrior met and even exceeded my expectations. I acquired this DVD from my nephew, who likes it enough he bought it on blu-ray and gave me his old copy. Though my nephew generally plays video games most nights and has some esoteric tastes, I thought his upgrade to blu-ray boded well for this film, and I was happily not disappointed.

Most martial arts film play to genre plots, and this film is no different. If you're expecting a ground-breaking film that ignores all historical martial arts genre conventions, this film is not for you. Like most martial arts films, Ong-Bak involves a quest for honor to retrieve a cherished object -- in this case, the head of Ong-Bak, an important religious statue in a remote provincial village which has been desecrated by a small time thief and thug, its head taken back to the city. For this task, the young Ting, although he has been taught Muay Thai by the village monks but also forbidden to use it, volunteers to find the stolen head and return it to the grieving villagers. Thus the quest begins.

Martial arts films fans will recognize how the rest of the film plays out. Ting goes to the city, ends up having to use his Muay Thai though it was forbidden by the village monks, battles the local crime boss and his army of thugs and goons, and eventually reclaims the stolen head of the sacred statue. Of course, we have the obligatory stereotypical comic relief in the form of a morality- and financially-challenged plump son of a village elder and his partner in crime/girlfriend. By the end of the film, the son of the village elder has been inspired by the courage and morals of Ting, has thrown his fortune and lot in with Ting's quest to find and return the missing head, and has begun to turn over a new stone, even contemplating returning to his father and the village, before he dies at the hands of the local criminals trying to keep the head of Ong-Bak from being returned.

Although the plot is typical for many films in the genre, it is my opinion that the plot and story are as good as similar films of this genre, including my favorites The Big Brawl, Kickboxer, and Blood Sport, to name only three. Though the audience knows how the movie will end, we stay for the fight sequences and applaud the rightful use of martial combat against the big, the bad, and the ugly.

As with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Blood Sport twenty years ago, Ong-Bak: Thai Warrior and Tony Jaa introduce me to spectacular martial arts stunts and choreography which I have not witnessed before and are beautiful to watch. Van Damme introduced the world to limber, aerial taekwondo-style kicks. Tony Jaa introduces the martial arts film world to a different form of combat, but not necessarily that of modern muay thai.

Tony Jaa's techniques in this film use all 8 striking points of muay thai, but he strikes all over the body of his opponents in surprising, unexpected ways -- striking from multiple planes of 360 degrees, not just two or three. These sequences make this film utterly enjoyable and entertaining. Although the plot is typical for a martial arts film, the audience will watch the fight scenes for the awesome surprises in them.

The audience will also likely watch the film a second time, to see what they have missed in these scenes the first time, and wonder how each strike is accomplished. The mystery is that no wires or CGI were used to make this film; the stunts and choreography are all live-action. Martial artist practitioners will leave this film feeling humbled, and wondering whether Tony Jaa's techniques can be used in life off the silver screen.

Before watching this DVD, I had not heard of Tony Jaa. I am glad I have now discovered this superb martial arts film star. I will be looking for other films featuring Tony Jaa and his noteworthy martial arts talents.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8