chris_stoddard_78

THE PROTECTOR (the heavily edited U.S. version of TOM YUM GOONG) is another Thai action flick that features the trademark collaboration of director Prachya Pinkaew, stunt/fight choreographer Panna Rittikrai and of course, Tony Jaa in cutting-edge action that took off in ONG-BAK: THE THAI WARRIOR. This time, you get to see more of Jaa's combat specialties that rely on Muay Thai kickboxing, acrobatics, grappling and other martial art forms.

Jaa plays Kham, a young Thailand native and caretaker of elephants who goes to Australia in search of his two elephants that were kidnapped by a crime organization led by an evil sinister named Madame (Xin Jing). He's forced to use his martial arts skills to take out thugs and corrupt cops with the help of Mark (Petchtai Wongkamlao- ONG-BAK), a righteous cop who happens to have more trouble in his hands when a corrupt Australian cop frames him for murder.

Upon Kham's (Jaa) arrival in Australia's Thai town, Sidney, his search leads him to the organization's headquarters where Madam has her operations in the 'Tom Yum Goong' Thai restaurant. He fights his way through a long line of thugs with close-range attacks and arm-bending takedowns while throwing them through balconys, tables, flower vases and other equipment before facing off against Johnny (played by stuntman and Wu Shu martial artist Johnny Tri Ngyuen) in a one-on-one martial arts brawl. Mark and Kham find themselves working together after a senior policeman, linked to the organization, frames him for the murder of another corrupt policeman and a business executive.

Like ONG-BAK, this movie has a simple plot which was made to allow room for non-stop fights. This time, instead of traveling to recover a stolen statue, Jaa sets out to recover his two pet elephants. As a result, director Panna Rittikrai and Jaa determined to overwork the action sequences to please their fans the way Jackie Chan puts his life on the line for his.

Speaking of Jackie Chan, there's one sequence, set in a wherehouse, that comes close to CITY HUNTER and RUMBLE IN THE BRONX where Jaa encounters a gang, equipped with BMX Bikes, Rollerblades, 4-wheelers and foes who wield florescent bulbs at him. This allows Jaa to showcase his stunts, martial arts and acrobatics on furnature, cars, fences and other equipment that will appeal to Chan movie lovers.

Pinkaew also salutes Jackie Chan in a scene where Jaa arrives at the airport and accidentally bumps into a man who turns out to be a direct look-a-like of Chan that will have you thinking twice.

The film is packed with loads of spectacular fights to check out. One fight concerns Jaa being challenged by three skilled fighters in a burning Buddhist temple, flooded with water. The first one is played by Zero Gravity Stunt Team Member and gymnast Lateef Crowder, who puts on an incredible display of Capoeiria. His second foe is played by Jackie Chan Stunt Team member Jonathan Foo, who engages in Wu Shu kung-fu and uses traditional swordsmanship. Jaa's third challenger is played by Australian wrestler Nathan Jones, who out matches Jaa by size, weight and strength. Jones is probably best remembered as the wrestler who fought Jet Li in FEARLESS, he battled Brad Pitt in TROY and even wrestled in the WWE years earlier for a short time. Jones delivers a variety of wrestling moves and leaves the battle unresolved, at least until the finale.

Some of the most notable fights take place in a five-story circular room where Jaa battles countless bad guys from the bottom floor to the top, and the finale where he uses freestyle martial arts against 50 henchmen with some bone-crushing grappling moves, close-range takedowns and a variety of combination attacks.

Some mixed events fall in place during the film as Mark and Kham hide out from the police while Kham continues his one-man martial arts attack on the operators of Tom Yum Goong. Madame takes over the family business by killing off the owners. Kham comfronts her and her army of henchmen as they go out to do battle while Mark goes out to rescue his kidnapped sister who's also a victim of Madam's evil doings.

The overall rating of THE PROTECTOR was a downfall because of the solid story but thankfully, it can be overlooked with the trademark tools of Jaa, fight choreographer Panna Rittikarai and director Prachya Pinkaew who help put the film in the shape of a cutting-edge martial arts piece that can be appreciated without being framed as a bad National Geographic nature program on elephants.

It was good to see ONG-BAK co-star Petchtai Wongkamlao, remembered as the humorous con artist, re-team with Jaa and make people laugh with his comedic humor and jokes. Johnny Tri Ngyuen delivered some of his martial arts skills against Jaa but it should have been a longer fight. He deserved more screen time and his supporting role revealed him as a talented actor that will hopefully give him bigger roles in future projects.

Hopefully, Jaa's next movie will improve on some of the flaws that THE PROTECTOR suffered from and his proteges will create better character development for his acting and a creative plot to go along with it so he won't be looked at as only a martial artist. The results of his screen fighting expertise can possibly put him in the category with his heroes Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li as America's next action star.

The good news about this film is that distributor 'Dragon Dynasty' gave it the ultimate treatment on DVD and included the original uncut TOM YUM GOONG version to unravel all the missing material not shown in the American version along with it's original dialogue that will definitely please the fans (familiar with the original).

Famed martial arts choreographer Cory Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER 1 & 2, X-MEN and ROMEO MUST DIE) directed a Hong Kong film, loaded with bone-crushing stunts and masterful fight scenes with an assembled cast of martial arts masters from the East and West to cross paths.

ABOVE THE LAW (aka RIGHTING WRONGS) obtained a vigilante story with dark toned aspects that relies on police corruption and the righteous bending the law to seek their own justice. The stunning martial arts choreography by Cory Yuen kicks into high gear to help make this underrated cop-fu classic a fan favorite.

Acrobatic kung-fu genius Yuen Biao (ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, SHANGHAI EXPRESS (aka MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS), THE PRODIGAL SON) plays a court prosecutor whose relentless determination to do away with an untouchable gangster (James Tien- Bruce Lee's THE BIG BOSS, FIST OF FURY) has led him to employ a series of unethical tactics. His investigation becomes complicated by the arrival of a female inspector (played by 5-Time World Karate champion and weapons expert Cynthia Rothrock).

Out of all the '80s era fight flicks I have seen Yuen Biao perform in, ABOVE THE LAW was one of his better efforts as an actor and screen fight performer. He exchanges blows with undefeated kickboxing legend Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham in a (POLICE STORY-style) glass-shattering fight, he also battles Cynthia Rothrock in an engagement of traditional kung-fu, acrobatic fight moves and handcuffs. He has a Jackie Chan stunt moment where he uses his speed and flexibility to dodge speeding cars.

Cory Yuen staged these sequences wonderfully and the legendary fight between Cynthia and Biao shows their similarities in timing and skill, which makes their battle an all-time favorite. Karen Shepard, who is another skilled fighter from America and an expert in the mixed art form of Wun Hop Kuen Do kung fu, faces off against Cynthia with the lethal chain whip. Actor Melvin Wong (EASTERN CONDORS and DESCENDANT OF WING CHUN- the film referred in BULLETPROOF MONK-) also gets screen time to execute some martial arts against Yuen Biao. The results of the screen fights earned the film a nomination for Best Action Choreography at the 1987 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Of course, fans already know that Cynthia Rothrock is kung-fu's queen of action and a master in various forms of combat like Tae Kwon Do, Wushu, Northern Shaolin kung-fu and Tang Soo Do. Her skills made her a celebrated icon in the sport but unfortunately, she remains highly underrated and overshadowed by the mainstream success of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Her roles in countless American movies suffer from bad plots and choreography but her presence in Hong Kong films shine like Jackie Chan, and Jet Li does internationally. Her capabilities give her the advantage over many of today's mainstream martial art stars and it is disappointing that her films in the East do not get the proper recognition.

For a film made in the '80s, ABOVE THE LAW was a great actioner in martial arts cinema, and all the skilled experts did a great job with their performance.

I hope the overshadowing of this classic in the West will end with the new Dragon Dynasty release and capture a wider audience to gain her the type of recognition she deserves as a star.

This film was also one of Cynthia and Biao's best performances in screen combat during that era but the praise goes to Cory Yuen because of his skillful direction and casting of martial arts action figures from both worlds to pull the strings. This film will remain a classic in the cinema of martial arts and an unforgettable clashing of two legends in martial arts that deserve the proper recognition.

French action filmmakers Louis Leterrier (TRANSPORTER 2) and Luc Besson (LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, THE FIFTH ELEMENT) re-teamed with their KISS OF THE DRAGON-hero Jet Li to create a dark crime drama that features lots of brutal violence mixed in with raw fight choreography.

This is an action movie that attempts to balance bone-crunching brutality with some heart and soul. This also marks Jet Li's second teaming with Luc Besson who blends some exciting fight scenes with a refreshing sincerity rarely seen in high-octane Hollywood blockbusters.

The film's theme also borrows from Besson's LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL with the characters being manipulated for evil means rather than an innocent soul corrupted by tragedy.

Jet Li and Morgan Freeman (BATMAN BEGINS, MILLION DOLLAR BABY) play two men, affected from the world in different ways, who meet up and become friends while avoiding the danger that comes their way.

Unlike Jet Li's previous films, UNLEASHED has the kung fu master portraying someone who has the mind of a child which allows him to show off some strong emotions but can still kick someone's 'hind pots. He limits his Wu Shu skills to employ some freestyle fighting with basic kicking, spinning kicks, quick-witted body blows and punches, and close-range attack moves. This was probably one of Li's most challenging performances in his career. It was also a different vehicle for him compared to previous movies.

Legendary Hong Kong choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping (THE MATRIX, FEARLESS, KILL BILL Vols. 1 & 2, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) used his famous fight directing talents to construct realistic combat without the use of extended cables or CGI effects, and help make the battles believable as possible. Wo-Ping incorporates street fighting, kickboxing, aerial Tae Kwon Do, and weaponry. The set pieces allowed Li to fight in a large pool against 4 fighters, armed with weapons (a mallet, axe and a long spear), and exchanges blows with a Tae Kwon Do expert in a tight space that limits their fighting abilities and allow viewers to see what close-range attacks the two fighters pull off on one another.

The film's soundtrack featured techno, rock-n-roll and hip-hop beats, composed by Massive Attack and famed Wu Tang Clan hip-hop headliner The RZA, to help add an adrenaline edge and help viewers get into the flow and excitement of the film.

Some of the things that were unrealistic in the film was the fact that Morgan Freeman's character was too nice to Danny (Jet Li), who is a complete stranger and doesn't know what he is capable of doing. He lets Danny live in his house with his stepdaughter only days after they meet. He shows no suspicion toward this unknown man and the stepdaughter develops an attraction to Danny while Freeman does his Ray Charles thing with the face tilt and smile.

This was probably Freeman's most kind-hearted role to date in any film but it works for him as an A-list actor. Bob Hoskins' role was something taken from GOODFELLAS with his sense of humor, funny lines and a nasty temper to shape himself as a wicked godfather.

The screenplay by Luc Besson combined dark aspects with some humor and a little brutal violence while making room for the fight-action to take it's turn to keep the energy pumping for the fans but I think that Li still has a couple of more kicks and acting gigs to throw out to make a U.S. hit.

UNLEASHED unfolded a different side to Jet Li but he still performed his usual screen fighting expertise. The film itself was targeted toward adult viewers due to it's dark and brutal violence but the martial art brawls by Yuen Wo-Ping provided enough energy for the typical fans to salute to and not be disappointed.