Every week this May, Houston Chronicle Arts Editor Cary Darling hosts a foreign action film that proves kicking ass is a universal language.
Tony Jaa (born Japanom Yeerum) became an instant star in the world of martial-arts cinema with "Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior," the 2003 film directed by Prachya Pinkaew that is a neck-snapping showcase for his jaw-dropping athleticism. The story of a young villager determined to bring back his town's sacred statue that had been stolen by thieves is a mere pretext for his brand of non-stop, martial-arts mayhem. He introduced the wider world to Muay Thai-style boxing, or "the art of eight limbs" as it's sometimes called. And it often seems as if he has more than eight. Seeing him fly through the air as if gravity is just a suggestion or high-jump over a moving car ("with no wires, CGI or tricks of any kind" blares the trailer) is a thing of brutal beauty. The film, which was nominated for three awards at the Thailand National Film Association Awards, was a huge hit in Thailand but it also found a global audience. "Ong Bak" remains one of the highest-grossing films to ever come out of the country. It even spawned two sequels, predictably named "Ong Bak 2" and "Ong Bak 3," though they couldn't quite replicate the magic of the first film. (Cary Darling)
