Raging phoenix / deu suay doo - review

[thedirtytiger]

Tried to keep it spoiler free, most of what I mention you know from the trailer anyway :)

TITLE : JEE JA : RAGING PHOENIX
THAI TITLE : DEU SUAY DOO ( FIERCE, BEAUTIFUL, STUBBORN )

Review by James Marshall a.k.a. The Dirty Tiger

Dew ( Jee Ja ) has a miserable life. All she has are her mother, her music and her boyfriend. When she catches the cheating bastard with another girl at her gig and attacks him, she loses both her boyfriend and her band as the other members are fed up with her. She goes off and gets very drunk. Whilst walking round in a stupour, a gang with a van try to kidnap her and she is rescued by Sanim ( Kazu / Trickz ).

The gang sells girls to brothels and harvests human organs. Sanim lost his girlfriend 4 years ago to the same gang. Ever since he has fought a crusade to stop the gang and get his beloved bride Pie back. He is helped in his quest by his 3 friends – kee moo, kee ma and kee kwai ( pig shit, dog shit and bull shit ) who each lost someone dear to them to the same gang.

Since Dew has nothing else to do, she asks them to teach her their fighting style called Meiraiyuth so that she can help them in their quest. Meiraiyuth is all about getting drunk to forget the pain of your miserable life, then you become a great fighter as you can’t feel the pain of fighting too. It’s supposed to be sort of like drunken boxing ( although it doesn’t look anything like we have come to know it from H.K. films ). So Dew learns it then they all set out to bring down the evil gang.

The first half of the film is good and the dancing / fighting from the b boys is good. The third quarter of the film loses it a bit as it concentrates too much on the plot and it all gets really rather absurd. I actually got bored waiting for something interesting to happen. However, whereas Chocolate disappointed me due to its anticlimax, this one delivers with a pretty decent end fight between Dew and some bodybuilder woman.

The action in this one is probably the best that Thailand has ever produced ! I am not kidding, it is quite slick and the most intricate to date and the most impressive in some ways, though I think many fans will still prefer Ong Bak and maybe Tom Yum Goong, I still prefer Ong Bak personally in some ways. Unfortunately due to the way it was filmed with fast cut Hollywood style editing for the most part, it doesn’t look as good as it could have in the hands of more experienced people. I admit there were like 4 moments where I felt a real rush of excitement and the drama part was handled very well too. There are also a few too many wires for my liking, but the action does deliver. The plot was ok at the start until they started trying to get a bit too clever and couldn’t really decide where to go.

Another problem with this film is there was not one single gun in sight, come on guys, it’s 2009, they’re everywhere, even in Thailand. You have to justify why people don’t get shot. In the first half of the film they set up the b boy dancing and drunken stuff well, but they didn’t really capitalize on it in the second half of the film.

The real stand out for me is Trickz / Kazu who during the all too brief Meiraiyuth training sequence has some nice moves and I think given the right training could really bust a move old school style. On a personal note it was also nice to see David Bueno get a decent role as one of the main villains, we had him on Sanctuary as Russell Wong’s stunt double and he was very game, he even cut off his nice long hair for the job, in Deu Suay Doo they died his hair red ! His fight scene is quite short but it was a good job for him. Good luck in the future David 

This is a major step in the right direction for Thai action cinema, however they still have some major problems. Apart from the fact they only make about 2 action films per year right now, and the fact that there are only 4 action choreographers, and they only have 2 real action stars now. They need to find more people in all areas and make more films. They also need to learn how to use music properly in action films and start using proper sound effects, great action needs great sounds too.

They have built up a real head of steam, the eyes of the action movie world are on them waiting with baited breath to see what they will do next. Ong Bak 3 is next on the agenda from Sahamongkol and Film Frame will release Sanctuary eventually, let’s see how they go down. If they can keep going and get some more people like Panna Rittikrai who can actually direct and some decent cameramen ( for goodness sake, give Panna a chance to direct more ! ) and more talented performers and action choreographers to make them look good and up production to at least 2 a month instead of 2 a year….maybe, just maybe Thailand can become the new world force in quality action cinema Wait and see.

[bolofan]

I knew it wasn't going to be perfect. Still, I can't wait to see this. Great review!

[VenomsFan]

They need to find more people in all areas and make more films. They also need to learn how to use music properly in action films and start using proper sound effects, great action needs great sounds too.

Thanks for the review. I wonder what the crew is like for this one. Because Ong Bak 2 had those elements you said they "need" to be better. great scoring, editing and proper sound effects. They had entire teams dedicated to, for example, continuity.

I just hope Tony sticks with his formula from OB2, because as you say, the action is the best they've made so far in this one. They do seem to be improving on each film.

How would you rate it in terms of modern martial arts?

We'll just have to wait and see ourselves...

[Tosh]

I think saying Thailand only has 2 action stars is cutting some people short, Dan Chupong has proven himself for sure and there was some badass people in Bang Rajan that could easly step up given the chance.

Of course you live there so I'm sure you know better then me, it still confuses me how moo means pig:wink:

[KUNG FU BOB]

Thanks for the review. I'm anxious to see this.

[lillippa328]

speaking of Bang Rajahn, did yall like that movie???i couldnt get into it too much


anywho, looking forward to this!good review!

[AbeRudder]

I think saying Thailand only has 2 action stars is cutting some people short, Dan Chupong has proven himself for sure and there was some badass people in Bang Rajan that could easly step up given the chance.

Of course you live there so I'm sure you know better then me, it still confuses me how moo means pig:wink:

Chupong is talented but i don't think he'll make it big, he's too similar to Jaa. Anyway im looking forward to this one. Wasn't expecting much story wise, Thai action is all about the fight :)

[blue_skies]

great review, I look forward to seeing this.

speaking of Bang Rajahn, did yall like that movie???i couldnt get into it too much
!

Yes it was very good, felt epic but worked on a more personal emotional level too. I must rewatch Bang Rajan again.

[Grimmjow]

I think Dan Chupongs great, he is to me the Yuen Biao to Tony Jaa's Jackie Chan if that makes sense. I think given the right film he could break out very big, Born to Fight was great, Dynamite Warrior had it's moments but was a little crazy for international audiences, still haven't seen Queen of Langrisha.

Disappointed to hear there are wires in this movie as I thought Thai action movies were making a point of the whole "no wires" thing.

[HyperDrive]

Could the lack of guns be attributed to a law limiting the use of them in cinema that was passed there last year or the year before?

[fiol]

it's gonna be released on dvd/br in the UK! :smile:
i will buy it when the price drops xD

[Drunken Monk]

I finally saw this over the weekend and I’m surprised it’s received so many negative reviews. Yes, it’s a little haphazard. Sure, the plot if wafer thin. Indeed, the characters are ill-formed. However, the film is certainly enjoyable. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it is VERY enjoyable.
I’m not entirely sure as to why everyone critiqued the wirework so much. It’s evident and obvious but it doesn’t hinder the film in any way and I’m a man who typically dislikes wire work.
The choreography is quality but does get overly gimmicky in places. It doesn’t get tired though. My largest qualm is that Jeeja Yanin still doesn’t look powerful. Watching Tony Jaa elbow someone and watching her elbow someone is like seeing two different worlds. When Jaa elbows I’ve been known to yell, “That guy must be dead from that!” and yet Yanin’s hits just don’t have the same impact.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and recommend it.

[AbeRudder]

My largest qualm is that Jeeja Yanin still doesn’t look powerful. Watching Tony Jaa elbow someone and watching her elbow someone is like seeing two different worlds. When Jaa elbows I’ve been known to yell, “That guy must be dead from that!” and yet Yanin’s hits just don’t have the same impact.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and recommend it.

That was my biggest issue with Chocolate, her kicks didn't look that powerful and the choreography was pretty bland for the most part. With Raging Phoenix the choreography was a bit more inventive and interesting so it made up for the lack of power i thought.

[mirrorman]

Ordered this movie the other day and was hoping it would arrive today but no luck, I suppose I'll have to wait until next week to see it now. :sad:

[VenomsFan]

When Jaa elbows I’ve been known to yell, “That guy must be dead from that!” and yet Yanin’s hits just don’t have the same impact.

True, but she definitely has sequences where you say OUCH! the cool thing here is that the choreography gets impressive with each film. As with Jaa, you can only imagine what will come up next, as they have a nice formula for the ma scenes in the film to get better and better with each film.

[WuxiaFan]

I watched RAGING PHOENIX recently and it was OK. The storyline was just wierd and I thought it was a depressing movie overall. The positive aspect of the movie was the very inventive and innovative fight choreography. It was like drunken kung fu meets hip-hop, and I found it entertaining to watch. I also found Jeeja Yanin's performance to be very good also.
:yociexp111:

__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________





:yociexp107:
SPOILER ALERT

What I didn't get about the storyline was how Jeeja was brought into the hip-hop-martial-arts gang, then she's out because she dissed them, then she's in because she beats the toughest guy and drinks the apparently awful tasting wine (again why does it have to taste bad?), then she's out at the end after the leader dies..WTF?:squigglemouth:

In the finale, I also didn't like how Jeeja kept constantly and relentlessly getting her ass kicked by the female villian almost to the point of death, then somehow musters up the strength to the point of looking completely fresh and beats her. That gets really annoying and I was left thinking "yeah, right...".:confused:


Needless to say, I thought CHOCOLATE was a far superior film to RAGING PHOENIX. I thought Jeeja fight skills were much better showcased in CHOCOLATE, and I thought she just did a much better job overall. But that's just me.
:15_002:

[One Armed Boxer]

Needless to say, I thought CHOCOLATE was a far superior film to RAGING PHOENIX. I thought Jeeja fight skills were much better showcased in CHOCOLATE, and I thought she just did a much better job overall. But that's just me.

WuxiaFan....actually I agree with you, as much as I wanted to love 'Raging Phoenix', I feel that 'Chocolate' was the superior movie....in terms of choreography and story.

I was enjoying 'Raging Phoenix' up until the last third of the movie, it had a gritty feel (well, for a Thai action movie) and as ridiculous (but entertaining!) as the fighting was, it still seemed to be based in reality.

However as soon as the movie shifted to the mysterious underground lair, with it's many caves, bottomless pits a la 'Lord of the Rings', and what looked like the Fortress of Solitude from the 'Superman' movies...I thought the whole thing lost the plot.

The rope bridge scene shouldn't even be there....it had no spectacular moments, and turned out to not even be the finale...even though it had all the signs of being one, so I felt like it was just made to fill out the running time.

Still...I remain a fan of Jeeja Yanin, and look forward to seeing what she'll do next.

[daisho2004]

WuxiaFan: I have to agree with you also, I just watched this movie last night and I wasn't going into it expecting a whole lot from all the negative reviews it had gotten. Yes it was entertaining, but to me this is more of a Teenage Martial Arts movie with all the Be-Bopping & Fighting it had mixed together. When this hits the US Theaters the Teenagers are going to love it that is for sure. But after Chocolate I was expecting so much more. True Jeeja is young so maybe this movie was geared towards a much younger crowd. I just thought the end fight scenes was going on for to long. But I will be looking forward to her next movie.

[AlbertV]

The movie surely had its share of wirework, but I was impressed with what I like to call "breakin' kung fu" plus Kazu Patrick Tang is amazing...this is the first exciting thing I saw him in since the short film HK where he was the villain. On a 1-5 star scale overall, I'd give it a 2 and a half stars.

[blue_skies]

very slight spoiler warning below...

I was extremely disappointed with Raging Phoenix. Way too much wirework, fights lacked power and what the hell were they thinking with the ridiculous and out of the blue collecting pheromones storyline coming out of nowhere? I really, really didn't like Raging Phoenix at all.


My vote for the most disappointing martial-arts film of 2010

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

I tried to finish this movie but the fight scenes were not fights but dance moves.. I wasn't feeling the groove one bit... Chocolate was the better film imo...

[J-Calli]

I was extremely dissapointed with this when i watched it a while back.

I think Chocolate may have set the bar to high for me, but this was just pure garbage in my humble opinion and i have no intention what so ever to watch it again. :tinysmile_angry2_t:

The most dissapointing film last year period.

[blue_skies]

and i have no intention what so ever to watch it again. :tinysmile_angry2_t:

.

Me nietherI'm going trade my copy in next time I go into the city

[Grimmjow]

I'm really shocked at all the negative comments towards this film, finally watched it today and loved it, thought it was hugely enjoyable had some of the best and most innovative fight scenes I've seen in ages. The story? Yes was a little bizarre and had to be taken with a pinch of salt but I've always thought story was a low priority in a martial arts movie, its not like some classics haven't had weak stories.

Jija Yannin really impressed me here, I found her very likeable and of course she looks extremely hot in this film compared to Chocolate, I found her lack of power a problem in Chocolate but not so much here plus it helped that there were so many mulit person fights so she wasn't doing all the work. After this I think she could go very far. The wire work didn't bother me too much, it was more evident then in most Thai action films but come on pretty much every Hong Kong action movie has wire work even for talents like Wu Jing so why this is such a complaint I find a bit strange.

In the last few weeks I've seen Blood and Bone, Merantau, Undisputed 3 and this and I would say this has been my favourite of them all.

[VenomsFan]

Hey All!

There was a HD Master Blu Ray release in April 2010. I suggest any fans of this film catch it. Just received my copy and it has tons bonus footage to boot! Plus an awesome transfer - just google the reviews. It's also Region 0 - all.

In August the US 2:35 : 1 release will come out BluRay/DVD with eng dubb, no special features and a hacked subbed job.

Smart way for the thai production company Somjnsthflm (sp) to get their money's worth. Would spend the same on a similar release for upcoming Ong Bak 3.

Get the cineasia release. The MRP is topping $40-$60 easy right now and climbing...

[hardz]

Very cool and off beat film. Had me shouting :bigsmile: many times at the sheer imaginativeness of the choreography.

Good UK bluray too.

[HAZ]

Hi,

Just so folks know, RAGING PHOENIX plays tomorrow at Fanatsia!

http://www.fantasiafestival.com/2010/en/films/film_detail.php?id=13

[BaronK]

"Had me shouting many times at the sheer imaginativeness of the choreography."

Yes.

[blue_skies]

Very cool and off beat film. Had me shouting :bigsmile: many times at the sheer imaginativeness of the choreography.

Good UK bluray too.

I Love flippy, twisty, gymnastic like movements but those performed in Raging Phoenix really didn't excite me in slightest. I agree it was impressive , imaginative and skilful but was overall pointless. Generally there was no power behind it and if you are going to use wirework, only use it to accentuate the star's natural talent. I felt the use of wires ruined any potential quality fight sequences. While the performances where imaginative I didn't think much of the choreography. I just hoped as I shouted at the screen in despair there would be a great finale, to no avail. After Chocolate this film is awful in my opinion. My biggest disappointment in 2010 by some margin.

[HAZ]

Saw this tonight. WOW! It was amazing. This is some crazniess, and Jeeja Yanin is just unbelieveableI don't know hoe long the DVD is, but the print clocked in at around 2 hours. The print looked great, imo.

[blue_skies]

Saw this tonight. WOW! It was amazing. This is some crazniess, and Jeeja Yanin is just unbelieveableI don't know hoe long the DVD is, but the print clocked in at around 2 hours. The print looked great, imo.

amazing? we saw different films, I think!

[HAZ]

Raging Phoenix surprised me in a couple ways. I was expecting the fighting style to be very gimmicky - which it was at first. There were too many break-dancing moves & dancing happening in the opening fight. It looked like "so you think you can dance" for a minute. After that got out of the way, the fighting lost some of the gimmicks and was just acrobatic. There were some really amazing fight scenes. I think the one with Jeeja squaring off against Bull on the beach was great - the choreography, cinematography, the scenery - that was epic. Jeeja is really something. She's very athletic and takes a serious beating or two. I'm sure there were people getting hurt all over the place in Raging Phoenix. I'm surprised there wasn't an outtake reel of injuries. The film's plot is outlandish, but it didn't throw me off. I'm happy to suspend disbelief. What did shock me was to hear that this isn't the first movie to be about turning women in perfume! That's one of the most bizarre plot elements I've ever encountered; when the fragrance is seen floating through the air, it's pretty ridiculous, but Jeeja & the fights made up for it in spades. The leader of the Jaguar gang is totally crazy & her fights with Jeeja looked grueling. This movie brought me back to some of my favorite KF films - a wild story, broken bones, melodrama, pretty girls, evil transsexuals. It's a hit!

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Very impressed with this! I was hoping it would come close to being as good as Chocolate, but I actually liked it more.

[blue_skies]

Very impressed with this! I was hoping it would come close to being as good as Chocolate, but I actually liked it more.

really? :eek::eek:

I thought without Panna Jijja seemed so ordinary compared to her performance in Chocolate. I was so unimpressed and I had low expectations before I watched RP .:tinysmile_angry2_t:

[ShaOW!linDude]

I liked RP. I, too, found the choreography to be innovative. Loved the mix with the bebop dance moves. And I look forward to seeing the guy who was the male protagonist do more films. He's amazing. Plot? You know, if a MA flick has a really good plot, to me, that's more of a bonus and less of an expectation. My only qualms with this were:

(1) the fight on the bridges ------ it had it's moments but I thought could have been handled differently.

(2) the supposed match-up of drunken styles ------- either it didn't happen or I just keep flat-out missing it whenever I watch this.

(3) her translation of power when fighting ------ like others I feel sometimes it's lacking. In some executions it's there and in some it isn't but I can get past it.

Like I said.....I liked RP.
But I loved Chocolate.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

really? :eek::eek:

I thought without Panna Jijja seemed so ordinary compared to her performance in Chocolate. I was so unimpressed and I had low expectations before I watched RP .:tinysmile_angry2_t:

I liked it because jeeja was great with her acting and fighting. The fighting overall was very creative. And what do you mean "without Panna"? He was a producer and action supervisor on the movie.

[blue_skies]

I liked it because jeeja was great with her acting and fighting. The fighting overall was very creative. And what do you mean "without Panna"? He was a producer and action supervisor on the movie.

he is? I thought he couldn't be I guess I was wrong.I could have sworn someone else was the action choreographer?

[Mugen]

I had a chance to watch this on netflix and i thought it was really horrible, the fighting sucked it's nothing like chocolate and the plot which i expect them to be somewhat crazy in this genre of films but this film's whole perfume plot was really ridciolous and laughable on so many levels.I loved chocolate and jeeja but this film was kind of awful.

[Dragon Ma]

I thought Chocolate was ok, RP really shows what Jeeja is capable of. I wasn't keen on the mugging for the camera's in the first half of the film, although it had deadly pogo sticks, when did you see that in a film?
The fights became more and more interesting as the film went on, that last fight was just brutal, I'm amazed Jeeja survived at all, she went through two henchman and finally the ladyboss who's like some Thai version of Agnes Aurelio. The film should be seen for the last fight alone.

[blue_skies]

I thought Chocolate was ok, RP really shows what Jeeja is capable of. I wasn't keen on the mugging for the camera's in the first half of the film, although it had deadly pogo sticks, when did you see that in a film?
The fights became more and more interesting as the film went on, that last fight was just brutal, I'm amazed Jeeja survived at all, she went through two henchman and finally the ladyboss who's like some Thai version of Agnes Aurelio. The film should be seen for the last fight alone.

You thought Chocolate was OK but Raging Phoenix showed what Jeeja is capable of?

Seriously?:eek:

[Gaijin84]

I had a chance to watch this on netflix and i thought it was really horrible, the fighting sucked it's nothing like chocolate and the plot which i expect them to be somewhat crazy in this genre of films but this film's whole perfume plot was really ridciolous and laughable on so many levels.I loved chocolate and jeeja but this film was kind of awful.

I saw it on netflix too, thankfully the streaming version is subtitled. I thought it was pretty bad as well. Chocolate was pretty good, but this was just trying too hard. I respect trying to introduce the element of b-boying into the fights, but after awhile the moves lacked any feeling of impact. Just felt like over-reaction on the part of the person taking the hit. I felt the same way when watching some parts in High Kick Girl. Also, the use of CGI at the end with the bridge was way too much... it felt so low-budget. The stunt double was also too evident when JeeJa fought the weightlifting woman.
I have to agree with ShaOW!linDude - don't hype up the supposed battle of drunken styles and then give us ~10 seconds of questionable drunken applications.
I understand the need to innovate as these films go forward, but this kind of missed the mark. I think JeeJa has a very bright future ahead of her, but this was a let down. Maybe she and Tony Jaa should team up in their next film and show everyone what they fell in love with in the first place?

[Dragon Ma]

You thought Chocolate was OK but Raging Phoenix showed what Jeeja is capable of?

Seriously?:eek:

You act like I slapped you or something, yeah, I wasn't all that impressed with Chocolate, to be fair, I haven't watched it in awhile so maybe I need to see it again but it didn't leave much of an impression the first time I saw it.

Jeeja's fight against the lady boss was grueling, it felt like a damn fight and clearly showcased Jeeja's flexibility, especially when she teamed with that guy to defeat the Lady Boss.

[blue_skies]

You act like I slapped you or something, yeah, I wasn't all that impressed with Chocolate, to be fair, I haven't watched it in awhile so maybe I need to see it again but it didn't leave much of an impression the first time I saw it.

Jeeja's fight against the lady boss was grueling, it felt like a damn fight and clearly showcased Jeeja's flexibility, especially when she teamed with that guy to defeat the Lady Boss.

just shocked is all. For mr Chocolate showed me what she was capable of and is why I expected so much more from her in Raging Phoenix. Sure she pulled off some nice movesin rP but the film and fights were an utter disappointment. Personally I didn't think the end fights were a great climax in the slightest.

[Dragon Ma]

I won't hold up RP as a great film by any means, Chocolate was definitely a better film overall, it had a better plot at any rate but I just found it lacking, as I said before it felt like Jeeja really was fighting for her life at the end of RP. If you didn't dig it, that's cool.

[Hasimir Fenring]

I finally got round to watching this a couple of weeks back. Story was very silly, but the action was good enough to compensate. Whilst I feel Chocolate was a better film, it looked to me like Jeeja was getting a lot more power behind her strikes, so she didn't resemble a cute female John Liu this time. More a cute female Sammo, judging from some of the close-ups. Cotton wool in mouth...