Ong Bak Trilogy

The folks at Magnet Releasing/Magnolia Pictures have collected Tony Jaa's three 'Ong Bak' films and re-released the Blu-rays together in one set titled the 'Ong Bak Trilogy.' Jaa demonstrates great athleticism and martial arts skills in these films, but when the focus turns to story and acting, they become boring.

'Ong-Bak' tells the story of Ting (Jaa), a young villager who heads to the big city in order to retrieve the stolen head from a sacred Buddha statue. Things grow complicated when his search leads him to cross paths with the local crime boss, who loses a great sum of money betting against Ting's fighting skills. Tom called a the film "a balls-to-the-wall thrill ride where the "plot" merely serves as a guide rail for some of the most insane action sequences ever assembled on screen."

In an outlandish bait-and-switch, 'Ong Bak 2:The Beginning' is set in the 15th century, but calling it a "prequel," is dishonest as it has nothing to do with the story of the previous film other than the country its set. Jaa plays Tien, a young man who is destined to be the great warrior, which is a good thing to be when required to seek vengeance on the slave traders who captured him and those responsibile for killing his father. Aaron stated "the unoriginality of the screenplay holds it back from being a real winner" yet credits the film for its "balls-to-the-wall action."

'Ong Bak 3: The Final Battle' picks up the story right after 'Ong Bak 2' with Tien a prisoner of Lord Rajasena. Although Tien puts up a valiant effort, in an impressive action sequence, he fails to escape, resulting in many of his bones being broken.  Before Rajasena can completely have Tien wiped out, there's a terrible bit of screenwriting where a messenger shows up with a pardon from the king. Tien's body is returned to his village, so it can be rejuvenated. Unfortunately for the viewer, his spirit needs to be rejuvenated as well with the teachings of Buddha making for long sequences with very little of interest happening.

The screenplay falls flat in a number of other areas. Tien is not allowed any redemption against Lord Rajasena as the new villian is Bhuti Sangkha, whose entry into the story isn't clear, even with his magic powers. Tien is shown a more peaceful way of life. Of course, that has to be thrown out the window because he has no choice but to fight/kill the bad guys, which completely undercuts the message.  There is an extended action sequence in the final act that isn't what it appears to be, and all that is accomplished is the filmmakers have tricked the audience for no apparent reason. The film's biggest positive is good interaction between Jaa and elephants during a fight scene, but everything else is forgettable, making for a great disappointment in the trilogy

'Ong Bak' 3 stars

'Ong Bak 2' 3 stars

'Ong Bak 3' 1 star

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Ong Bak' is on a BD-25 Blu-ray disc while 'Ong Bak 2 & 3' are on BD-50 Blu-ray discs. They are each housed inside standard blue keepcases. which are collected in a new slipcase. The Blu-rays are reported to be region-locked and therefore will only be playable in Region A compatible machines. 'Ong Bak 3' plays trailers for 'Monsters', 'All Good Things', 'Night Catches Us', 'Vanishing on 7^th Street', 'Rubber', and an HDNet promo before offering the menu.