Old School is back!!!!!

[falkor]

Tony Jaa and Panna must sure watch the Old School classics! Ong Bak 2 is the most pure martial arts film since Old School died in the mid 1980s. Ip Man was very realistic and a step back in the right direction, though I didn't really like the atmosphere. Ong Bak 2, on the other hand, is PERFECT! :D I was blown away by how stylish and artistic it is... from the edge-of-your-seat Thai style dances (brand new to my eyes) to a variety of weapons and styles unmatched since LKL's golden years. Old School really has RETURNED!!

HOW MANY STYLES DID YOU SPOT IN ONG BAK 2???
Snake & Crane!!!!!!!!
Drunken!!
Tiger or Dragon!!!!
Thai Kickboxing!
Capoeira!!!!

He could have been using Hung Gar for all I know!? XD I'm not even good at spotting styles...

HOW MANY WEAPONS DID YOU NOTICE???
3-Sectional Staff
Not Chinese Steel Whip something similar with a rope?
Samurai Sword
....untold others.....

I can't even name 5% of the weapons featured.

Oh mate... I hope this comes to UK cinemas/theatres! That backflip kick off the Elephant was the best move in the film not to mention the many other excellent shapes being pulled out. There was definitely a samurai element... I get the impression there was an MMA element, too. One fight is purely about reversals. I predict us fans will be analysing this masterpiece for many years to come!

Honestly, this film is like a dream come true! DID I MENTION SNAKE AND CRANE!?!?!?! Jacky Chan, eat your heart out! You should have continued pulling shapes, but you chose the wrong path... Tony Jaa has not only paid tribute but even surpassed Jackie IMO! :p The Thais are now runnin' tingz as far as I'm concerned...

[Tosh]

I'll be veiwing this one asap!!!!(thanks KFB), I'm surprised some people were saying they didn't like it, or there wasn't enough fighting??? Hell the trailer had more fighting in it than any movie I can remember over the last 10 years. The Thai dance is probably Khon, I think it very cool to put traditional dances like this in there, reminds me of the Samurai classics when they put the Kabuki scenes in, it adds an elagance of tradition in there with the brutal fighting and killing.

[falkor]

I'll be veiwing this one asap!!!!(thanks KFB), I'm surprised some people were saying they didn't like it, or there wasn't enough fighting???
It's a period piece and I think its too Old School for a lot of people, you know? Modern Day fans aren't used to this kind of shape shifting; you get me? :) More fighting? Its too action-packed already... the end fight against the samurai/ninjas with its King Of The Kickboxers style wooden platforms set is as powerhouse and overwhelming with shapes as Superior Youngster is as a basher.

Hell the trailer had more fighting in it than any movie I can remember over the last 10 years. The Thai dance is probably Khon, I think it very cool to put traditional dances like this in there, reminds me of the Samurai classics when they put the Kabuki scenes in, it adds an elagance of tradition in there with the brutal fighting and killing.
The connection between martial arts and dance was a real bonus for me. I thoroughly enjoyed these dance scenes and rate them 10/10! Its better than Heroes Shed No Tears. Remember, Old School has always been about art more than anything... Ong Bak 2 is not only a traditional martial arts classic, but you could call it an art house killer! Between fights Ong Bak 1 was as cheesy as hell, and the trendies certainly won't be ready for Ong Bak 2.

[Tosh]

Really? I didn't think the scenes between the fighting in Ong Bak 1 was all that bad, and I didn't think Jaa's acting was all that terrible either, he played his part well, a country bumkin that comes to the big city and shows the stuckup city folk a serious asskicking when provoked, sure it could of been better but for a film coming out of Thailand with such a small budget what more could you ask for(Ong Bak 3 maybe). I laughed my ass off at the dirtyballs part.

There was a Thai dance scene in Tom Yum Goong if I remember correctly.

[falkor]

Ong Bak 1 is OK if you're a big fan of Chinatown Kid or Disciples of Shaolin style, but I think you'll find most of the Old School "classics" centered around 1979 not only had several animal styles featured, but were traditional period pieces. In a modern day age where fashion and designer labels are important in an industrial/city environment, its even more important that martial arts films are made before the period of electricity--countryside, cave, and maybe even part fantasy/wu xia based. Many modern day films have tried to immitate old school classics, including Crouching Tiger, Monkey Kung Fu, Kill Bill, Blade Of Fury, Fist Of Legend, House of the Flying Daggers, but they are all missing something IMO! Ong Bak 2 fulfills the following criteria no problem:
*Traditional (+ wu xia element)
*Animal Styles (+ weapons)
*Training scenes
Its not an action film with martial arts; Ong Bak 2 is a true kung fu film!

[falkor]

Also, I forgot to mention how acrobatic it is--another feature of Old School (Peiking Opera based). Ong Bak 1 is acrobatic, but you'll be very lucky to find any modern day film that has all the Old School elements. I could be wrong, but I think Ong Bak 2 is the only true Old School picture made in the last 2 decades (at least!).

[falkor]

Here's a quote from Yakuza954; I think he sums it up better than me:
I think this movie has the best action Tony Jaa has ever done. What I like most about the movie is that the fight scenes have more variety than the old Tony Jaa fare. The old stuff was mainly reliant on stunts and the same repetitive kick/elbow combinations. The baddies were also pretty much useless and would be dispatched easily after only one move. Not the case here. Not only did the choreography feel more Hong-Kong influenced, but it had longer drawn out action sequences and more martial arts styles. Tony Jaa not only does Muay Thai, but mixes it in with grappling (albeit only in one scene), and Chinese martial arts (Hung Gar, and a couple animal styles). In one scene at the end when he's taking on two bad guys, he even has to use various foot and hand combinations in continuous takes. That would never have happened in his old movies, especially n this situation, where it was against two guys who weren't even the main bosses. In the past, Tony would have just have done a knee, elbow, or something really acrobat and been done with it. You never really got that sense of continuity or momentum like in a HK scene where you see someone fight and the takes get continuously longer and more complicated with multiple combinations of punches and kicks being thrown. Even though it wasn't like that in all the action scenes, I'm glad to see that kind of improvement in the choreography. I didn't think anything this year would top the "Ip Man vs 10 Black belts" scene, but the final fight in this may just have done it. Lets just say I spat my pants afterwards.
http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6700&page=12

[ironfistedmonk]

Me wants to see it now! Is there a subbed version out anywhere yet?

[greenfan]

It should be coming out on HK DVD on April 30th, IFM. That release is supposed to have English subs.

I'm getting the Thai version for my birthday. Just another week to wait.....

[falkor]

This is interesting:
Hopefully this will really be the end to the melodrama that ensued last month when Tony disappeared from the set and shooting on the massive, period martial-arts film ground to a halt. Amid stories of Tony's meltdown, there were rumors of black magic, live-chicken sacrifices and Tony retreating to meditate in caves. Tony then went on television and shed tears, denying he was practicing sorcery, and saying he had gone broke trying to direct the movie. He defended his decision to direct the movie himself, saying that his "artistic quality" cannot be compromised.
http://thaifilmjournal.blogspot.com/2008/08/tony-jaa-is-back.html

He's DAMN RIGHT about the "artistic quality" bit! You guys need to do whatever you can to get this film ASAP.

Panna went looking in the actor's favorite meditation caves, but turned up no sign of him.
That's excellent! :)

[lillippa328]

So i guess theyll all shut up and let him do Ong Bak 3 like he wants too...



btw...is this in any connection to Ong Bak 1? Likea super prequal?

[falkor]

Yeah mate, let's have no trendies trying to influence Tony Jaa during Ong Bak 3! I'm praying for another pure martial epic.

The only connection is that 2 and 3 are prequals and involve the same statue or something. I'm off to watch it again in a few minutes...

[crazedjustice888]

From what I have seen he is using Hung Gar, and the teacher that well...teaches him...lol is the guy with the rings in the trailer.

I LOVE THE FIGHT CLIPS!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT WITH SUBS!!!

[Tigerstyles]

bought the Thai dvd its mint..

i agree with you on this.. its a full on tremor!! loved everyminute what about that cat woman in the cave shes rough! and the crow man he was the highlight for me., bring him back for part 3!!!! although if you look at crowman i think he is played by Jaa... whata think? fighting himself.

i downloaded the subbed version (the shame) just because the subs where left of the Thai dvd! its a great story. bring on 3!

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[falkor]

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[Tosh]

Thanks for the screenccaps Falkor, the film looks great, can't frigging wait to see it.

[falkor]

It really is something to be excited about! People may have thought that the reason I prefered Old School films in the last decade or so was because of the nostalgia or something, and anything produced after my DOB I simply ignored. Of course this is not true. What is true is that there's never been anything even remotely like Old School being produced by modernists for the reasons discussed in other topics based around today's audiences and the ability of today's Martial Arts actors (minus Peiking Opera training). That is... until now! Tony Jaa is really something else... I would be interested to hear other Old School fans opinions about Ong Bak 2. Country has never come into it, either. Its no secret that HK were making the best films in 1979, followed closely by Taiwan. The US might one day make a better martial arts film than Ong Bak 2; who knows? Right now, it's all about Ong Bak 2, 3 and the Thais! I will be watching them and re-watching them back-to-back with the hundreds of other Old School classics I have yet to see. I've always ignored the mainstream and instinctively gone with only the best!

[kingofkungfu2002]

the crow man he was the highlight for me., bring him back for part 3!!!! although if you look at crowman i think he is played by Jaa... whata think? fighting himself.

He was actually played by Dan Chupong, and I understand he will be returning in Ong Bak 3 in a larger role :D

[David Rees]

Hey Falkor, which dvd are the screencaps from and where did you get it?..

[falkor]

Dunno; mine is a copy from a friend. It has 3 sets of subs, but no special features.

Anyone know who the actress is? Is there any stills downloadable for this film? What special features are there? Any behind the scenes?

[fabhui]

Hey Falkor, which dvd are the screencaps from and where did you get it?..

It's a custom subbed DVD and is very nicely done with an excellent translation of Thai to English.

[falkor]

Here's the start of the dancing scenes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S_HVNkK57g&feature=PlayList&p=A8C4E0FAC7790C77&index=6&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL#t=5m31