Best of Tony Jaa Films

Muay Thai: "Known as "King of the Ring" in kickboxing circles. These fights feature punches, kicks, elbows, knees, standing grappling and head-butts to wear down and knock out their opponent" (Thai Boxing Association of the USA, 2009, para. 4). This accurately describes the form of martial arts Tony Jaa performs in many of his films. Though he was raised simply imitating moves from legendary artists such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan, he is no doubt considered one of the top action stars today.

I initially experienced my first Tony Jaa film after renting The Protector....primarily because it was endorsed by Quentin Tarantino. This was before I had a taste for mixed marital arts, especially in foreign filmography. I did, however, adopt a craze for it years later and eventually recollected my satisfied acknowledgement of the film. From that moment on, I was hooked on Tony Jaa and all his movies were priority in my Netflix queue.

Some of the director commentaries mention that Tony was raised among rural areas (with elephants, as seen in his films) and that his acrobatic skills enabled him to perform stunts for other actors. His first film, Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, was an instant success among the Thai community. His stunts did not include wired acrobatics or computer generated effects, and especially no stunt doubles. Every move was performed by Tony and his amazing ability to "float" as he moved from one defeated enemy to the next.

Most of Tony Jaa's films depict him as the hero, battling against the odds as he journeys to right evil and corruption. Of course, vengeance is also a considerable factor that motivates him to expel the unrighteous; as his friends and family are unjustly murdered. They neglect to realize how unfortunate they become as justice is served by this one man wrecking machine. Instead, they proceed as primarily intended and eventually come face to face with redemption in the form of death. In addition to the two films above, Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning was released in 2008. For other fans anticipating another sequel, such as myself, I happily announce that the film is in works to comprise a trilogy of the lone warrior.

Thai Boxing Association of the USA (2009). Retrieved Nov 02, 2009 from http://www.thaiboxing.com/