Guerreiro do Fogo

Dynamite Warrior (2006) is a movie in my DVD collection that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a young man whose parents were killed by ruthless outlaws in the 1890's in Thailand. Now as a young adult he has grown up to learn martial arts, became a bombs expert and is also a vigilante. As a vigilante he hopes to avenge the people responsible for the death of his parents.

This movie is written and directed by Chalerm Wongpim (Navy Hero) and stars Dan Chupong (Ong-Bak 3), Panna Rittikrai (Vengeance of an Assassin) and Samart Payukaroon (Go Fight).

This movie has a lot going for it - the settings are beautiful and the props, attire and depiction of the culture is very well done. The background music was a bit dramatic and over the top, which was also funny. The use of rockets and fireworks was original but more entertaining than good. The choreography was a bit inconsistent with some scenes that rely too much on wire work and some that are absolutely magnificent. I will say the final battle, ie the last 15-20 minutes, is outstanding and very well done.

Overall, this movie is a bit inconsistent but entertaining for fans of the martial arts genre. I would score this a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Talented stuntman/fighter Dan Chupong (Born To Fight) is given little to work with in this repetitive, overlong mess from Thailand. Clearly hoping to bask in the financial glory of Ong Bak and The Protector (aka Tom Yum Goong), this film seems rushed and it shows. The plot is terrible and the acting is substandard (even for a Thai film). The action scenes are poorly conceived and filmed. Slow motion is used for shots that don't deserve it and money shots almost always feature a cutaway revealing the choreographer's complete inability to make the action scenes work. If they get any credit, it's that they don't stoop even lower and use the horrible "shaky, camera on a string" crap to further cover the shortcomings! The character's are cardboard and the set's look like, well, sets! The special effects are cheap (as in most modern Thai films).

Just a reminder to those Thai filmmakers who wish to emulate Ong Bak-

1. Get talented martial artists & stuntmen

2. Concentrate on the quality of the fight scenes and don't give in to CGI and cutaways.

3. Keep the plot simple (the best martial arts films usually have minimal plot)

If you are going to ask those talented stuntmen to risk injury or death, at least try to make a film worth them getting injured for!

If you don't like foreign, sub-titled, films don't bother watching it. It did provide me with a few laughs and the ending was interesting.

Honestly now...I read the comments before i watched this feature film, and I must say that I am glad I paid little to no interest in some of the posts i saw prior to my actual viewing. One must wonder what some of the so called "critics" use as the fundamentals for judging when they view different genres of movies.I mean come on now...it's a MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE...what we want to see is martial arts action...if you want a great plot then go and watch a psychological thriller or a drama. However, this is not to say that the plot of the feature film was at all empty, as I would say that the plot was far more fulfilling that our glamorized "Onk Bak". The action in this feature was definitely entertaining, and the special power aspect gave rising to that of "Kung fu Hustle" while still retaining a realistic point of view.

To summarize it all I would say that any martial arts fan or action lover will definitely agree that "Dynamite Warrior" surpasses the expectations beyond that of satisfactory. I rate it a solid 7/10 after all was considered, as it managed to give me a feeling of euphoria after my viewing....something which rarely happens. Do enjoy.

This is one weird movie. I guess the best way to describe this would be sort of a Thai version of Robin Hood in which the hero (Dan Chupong) uses rockets instead of arrows. And boy does this guy have some rockets! He has a ton of little rockets that he shoots at the bad guys and then there's the bad boy that he can ride like a surfboard! I'm definitely going to Thailand for my fireworks this year. And apparently he has flint in his fingertips to light these rockets. That's probably good because you really don't want to be wasting time fumbling around with matches when you are single handedly taking out a large group of cattle rustlers. This is one really weird movie that also features a man who can change from a goofy guy with hair that resembles a tidal wave to an older warrior guy who can fight with the best of them. There is also a wizard, at least I think that's what he was supposed to be, a tractor, talk of menstrual blood, and guys who seem to be possessed by spirits of animals that run like monkeys and can jump about fifty feet. Did I mention the hero rides a rocket? As for the fight scenes, since this is really what it's all about, they are mostly average. Dan Chupong is good, check out the much better "Born To Fight", but he doesn't have very many moves. He can do some Tony Jaa-like kicks and flying knees but they don't have quite the same ring to them as Jaa's. And the director of this movie really loves to show guys getting hit and then spinning in the air about ten times before hitting the ground. That's all good once in awhile but it gets old after about the fifth time. There is a couple of good stunts in the movie as well but unlike Ong Bak, this movie uses CGI and wirework for a lot of stunts. If you think a guy riding a big rocket would look ridiculous, you are absolutely right. And judging by some of the extras I watched, this was apparently supposed to be a comedy as well as an action movie. You will definitely laugh but not at the intended humor which doesn't translate well to the American audience. So in conclusion, the fight scenes were nothing special and this was a very weird movie.