Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Jaa returns in this story of revenge set hundreds of years in the past. An orphan boy raised by bandits is trained to be a killer and prophesized to be the conqueror of an empire. Trained in countless styles of weaponry and martial arts, he is a one-man-army hell bent on avenging the murder of his parents.

Last week we posted the review for Ong-Bak, which is set in modern time and follows a villager who is sent out to find the head of his village’s shrine. The film was an upstart for Tony Jaa’s career and did a good job showcasing his martial art talents. This sequel really has nothing at all to do with the original and I’m actually surprised it is under the same name. The film is set in the past and tells the tale of a boy who is separated from his parents after they are dethroned by a warlord. He is picked up by a band of thieves who teach him a wide variety of martial arts and make him one of their leaders. The film has a pretty thin storyline that serves nothing more than to get from one fighting sequence to another. Depending on how you look at it, this isn’t a bad approach. Jaa is quite amazing to watch and once again his full skill set is on display only this time we see more mixed martial arts than just Muay Thai boxing. Action junkies will probably enjoy this one but from a dramatic standpoint the plot is pretty weak.

The production values on this one are considerably better than the first film, enough so that again it is surprising that they even tied the two together. Jaa obviously had a lot more budget and the photography is far better than the first outing. The picture quality seems to do it justice though some of the weaker special effects can distract at times. Black levels are a bit inconsistent with some minor banding showing from time to time and weak shadow detail. Compression isn’t a problem though. While not a reference quality transfer, it is still considerably better looking than the first film’s Blu-ray transfer. The audio presentation is also a clear step up with solid dynamic range and obvious improvements in sound design. You feel every kick and punch in this one. The film’s music is a bit unbalanced within the mix though and largely sounds like an afterthought that wasn’t mixed in very well.

Extras cover most of the production of the film including storyline, filming and stunts. You also get extensive interviews with the cast and crew and a look at the next installment in the series (which actually looks like a sequel this time!). Some trailers are also included.

Calling this a prequel is a stretch. The only thing remotely similar to the first film is its star, who is in a completely different role. While from a production and action standpoint this is a clear improvement, it is still just a mindless action fest that has a story that serves the action alone. But I still had a good time!