There’s a lot of great stuff to read, so be sure to check it all out. Also, let me know about the format of the Fight of the Week and what you prefer.
Short teaser for Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2
Images for Berandal and News on Chinatown
Fight of the Week: The Hunt – Duel (Ep.2)
Trailer for Arena of the Street Fighter
Choose a Weapon with the Stunt People
Background Info
The Kick is a joint-production between Korea and Thailand, making it the first film of its kind. In order to take full advantage of this opportunity, Ong-Bak director Prachya Pinkaew was given control over the film. He teamed up with legendary choreographer Panna Rittikrai and the Korean demo team Korean Tigers. Rittikrai served as the choreography supervisor while the Korean Tigers took advantage of their talents. Did this partnering take action films to the next level, or is it too busy twirling in the air?
Story/Characters
As with any other Thai action film, the story is merely a placeholder for the action. It revolves around the theft of an ancient dagger, and that’s really all we know about it. There is no clear indication as to why the villains want the dagger or why it’s so easy to steal in the first place. It’s pretty evident that story was not a main focus, though I wish a little more effort was put into it because of the fact that is was a joint-production and could have benefited from it more.
On the characters side, there is nothing really bad, but nothing great either. The family is exactly like any other martial arts based family you can think of. The father is a strong leader who only wants results while the mother supports the kids in what they want to do. However, there are a few curious angles that are in the film, mainly with the aspect of dancing and the idea of revenge. The main villain has several opportunities to kill the characters, but always opts out of it for some “higher” reason. After a few of these instances, it’s really hard to accept him as a real villain and not just some static character.
Action/Choreography
Given the title of the film, you know for sure that there are going to be a lot of kicks in this film. I mean, a LOT of them. This becomes a double-edged sword because there are very few punches (or anything else) thrown in the film. The choreography is stylish and inventive at times (like fighting while talking on the phone) but can feel overdone as well. Many of the kicks are impractical and just flashy to look good. One particular sequence comes to mind where a group has encircled a fighter, but only stammer back and forth until they are all sequentially taken out one by one. While most will enjoy the action for what it is, others looking for something more than a demo reel of tricks will likely be disappointed.
Own it, Watch it, Try it, or Skip it?
Elephants…always elephants!
The Kick is a film that showcases style over substance. Like other big Thai martial arts films, it’s all about wowing the audience. In that regard, the Kick is a film that’s good, but not as great as other movies that have come out of Thailand. It feels like more of the same, and some evolution within the genre would have been great. That being said, even the most seasoned movie watcher will be impressed with the talent of the fighters and some of the fights that take place. Even though this movie won’t be knocking Ong-Bak off of the top tier, it’s a fun film that is worth a watch.
Watch it
It’s good to be back home! Be sure to read up and don’t miss a thing!
Posters for The Huntresses and Donnie Yen Creates Super Hero
Fight of the Week: Dragons Forever End Fight Choreo
Stephen Chow to Star in Journey Sequel?
Prachya Pinkaew is a very talented director in Thailand. He’s responsible for making Tony Jaa the big star he is now, and he’s worked on a number of different films to prove he know what he’s doing. For Tom Yum Goong 2, Pinkaew re-teams up with Tony Jaa as well as Panna Rittikrai to ensure the action is as hard hitting as ever. Impact Online had the opportunity to speak with the director, and some great news has come of it.
One of the first things discussed is the “trouble” that has surrounded the film.
I hear a lot of ‘stories’ about our film, often from people who claim to have inside information, but just seem to want to make a lot of noise and get attention for themselves…It’s very easy to say bad things about a production and claim ‘an insider told me’ without saying who it was, and even when the information is false, the damage has already been done.
The shooting of the original Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong took time, we had starts and stops on those shoots too… but at that time we weren’t as well known, so people didn’t hear about those delays or production problems. Now people know who we all are, so they want to hear everything good and bad! (Laughing) I feel very lucky that I work in Thailand, I work with a very good partner, my boss at Sahmongkol Films is very understanding, he understands that we want to make the best movie we can and that might take a little bit more time sometimes than originally planned for.
Another aspect that surrounds the film is the aspect of 3D
A lot of Hollywood films, they seem to focus on the surroundings, make you feel like you’re in the location, but to me I really like the feeling of 3D breaking out of the screen and affecting the audience! We’re making a martial arts movie, to me that’s something that is perfectly suited to 3D, lets really make use of the 3D element, make it almost interactive with the audience. I want punches and kicks, and weapons coming right at the audience. I want them to feel like they might get hurt watching the movie!
Of course I don’t want to overdo the 3D, I don’t want to give the audience a headache that everything on screen is constantly poking them in the eye etc, but at the right times totally immerse them in the 3D, make them part of the movie!
I’m glad that Pinkaew took the time to clear things up and get everyone excited for what is to come. Impact Online has a lot of great info on their article that covers Tony’s injuries, Jeeja’s pregnancy, and what’s next for him, so be sure to click the link to read the full interview.
Now, I just need a trailer or teaser to get my blood pumping.
Source: Impact Online
What an interesting way to start to week. I’ve come across several different bits of news, so I’ll condense them down into 1 easy article for you guys to check out. First up is the news that Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa are working on a movie together.
Lundgren let the details slip when being interviewed by about the Package, saying that he will be working on an action-comedy with Jaa. It seems like Jaa is teaming up with a lot of old-school guys nowadays. First it was Van Damme, and now Lundgren? While it could be the same film, I’m a little worried about the “comedy” part of this announcement. I’ll keep you guys informed as I learn more.
Staying in Thailand, Magnolia Pictures will be bringing This Girl is Bad-Ass! to the states.
Talk about a literal title, huh? I’ll be honest, I don’t know too much about this movie, except for the fact that it came out in Thailand back in 2011. Maybe that’s why my memory is foggy on this one. I’m sure I’ll check it out when it is released. Here’s a trailer for those that are curious.
Lastly, some more news regarding the Expendables 3 has been revealed.
It seems that Tom Sizemore will be playing the lead villain. It’s pretty much been confirmed that Jackie Chan and Nicholas Cage have joined the crew as well. Nothing has been officially announced yet, but it looks like this movie will be just as explosive and cameo-heavy as the others.
This year is turning out to be strong year for action fans, and I can’t wait to see what’s announced next!
Source: Cityonfire.com
So, I’ve come across some news today. Whether you think it is good or bad is up to you, but Jeeja Yanin is married. The lucky man is Adrient Bowden, the co-director for Tom Yum Goong 2, and she is currently 5 months pregnant with his child.
It has been said that her child’s name will be Ling, which means monkey in Thai.
Now, I’m just going to go ahead and say that I’m happy for her. I think it’s great that she is happily married and is expecting a child. I’m sure that she will be back making movies after a few months, and I don’t really see it as being that bad of a thing. I’m not too sure how far along Tom Yum Goong 2 is, and the shoot may be affected by her pregnancy, but I’m not sure.
Come to think of it, Tony got married recently too. Maybe the TYG2 set is the place for romance? Nah.
Anyways congrats to Jeeja and her husband and best of luck on all future projects, including Tom Yum Goong 2!
Seems like a slow start to the week, and I’m totally fine with that. I’ve got 2 sweet images to get you guys excited for films that are on their way.
Here’s the first one:
This was the teaser poster for Tom Yum Goong 2, aka the Protector 2, from the Cannes Film Festival. While it doesn’t show anything special, I’m curious what that number on Jaa’s chest means. I’m guessing the “goes beyond” part is about the 3D, which I’m not that hyped for. I’m not sure if we’ll be seeing this movie this year or not, but at least it’s still in the process of being made.
Next up is a screengrab more than a still, but I think it’s about time we saw in image of Scott Adkins in action.
So, at least we’ll be able to see Adkins and Statham go at it. I’m hoping for a really good fight between the two, as they are both capable fighters. I can’t wait to see what other greats will be facing off against one another!
Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine’s Day! This week covers everything from classics to a couple new announcements as well. Feel free to sound off!
Happy Birthday Iko Uwais and Footage from the Raid
Giving the Ladies some Attention
Gina Carano is Set to Do Another Film
New Images for New Dragon Inn and Alternate Cut of Hero Fight
