The Protector (2006)

Not for cgi action fans

Let me begin by saying the International version(disc 2) of the Protector is far superior to the US theatrical version.The story is arranged more coherently and it sounds more natural to hear the characters speak their native thai language.The action has to be seen to be believed;flips off walls,battles with 100 or more villains on bikes and the restaurant hidden stairway scene is just classic.Ive never seen a scene like it in a martial arts movie(It rewrites the book in my opinion).Sorry no wires,cgi, or unneccessary explosions here.Therefore the viewer can feel like he/she is watching a real action movie and not a video game.A lot of narrow minded people(brainwashed by Hollywood remakes)bash the plot of this movie having to do with finding a pet elephant.I know they'll be mad at me for my writing,but if they would take time and expand their tiny minds and read a book or learn about other culture besides reality tv and Britney Spears, they would understand the plot.In the country of Thailand,elephants are sacred and frequently kept as pets. So if someone stole your rottweiler you would want rip them a new hole right? Here you get more fight sequences than Ong-Bak with a very brutal(every punch,elbow,or knee in this movie is thrown with intent to kill) and ancient style of Muy-Thai.Besides the action this movie has beautiful cinematography and intriguing set pieces.I believe a person has to really appreciate how dangerous all of the stunts in this movie,at any point someones life could have been tragically ended.Tony Jaa actually hits the villains in this movie,vice-versa and all of this is done to give the viewer the feeling they are watching real fight/chase sequences.I wont spoil the plot,simply put as good as it gets for action movies. May 7, 2008

Stupid Martial Arts Movie - Still love Tony Jaa

This was movie was so ridiculous, I'm not even sure where to start. I was a HUGE fan of the "Thai Warrior" movie, and was really excited to get this. This was bad, and I mean really bad. If you like Tony Jaa, don't bother.

In the first place, he loses his elephant. Now, I don't mean it runs away or anything. I mean, it's STANDING NEXT TO HIM at a martial arts show, and it wanders off on it's own. It's made even more ridiculous by the fact that he JUST BOUGHT a bell for it and had just hung it around it's neck.

Tony Jaa is amazing, I mean just amazing. But this movie just seems like set-ups for his aerial work, and some fighting. My friends and I laughed all the way through this, but it's a wearying effort even then. Pass this one up for sure April 15, 2008

He's a baaaaaaaaaad man

if you like a story about honor and duty where the guy goes around breaking people this movie is for you. it's almost unbelievable what he does in this movie, then you rember that it's Tony Jaa. April 5, 2008

The Protector

It is a pity that Tony Jaa's skill is wasted on such a miserable movie. If at least it was flowing. But it is so boring! Thank God for fast forward. The only reason why I did not give it one star is because of Tony Jaa. April 1, 2008

For Me, It Was Refreshing!

With the exception of Jet Li, Jackie Chan and (maybe) Chuck Norris, I haven't seen any really good martial artists on film that could hold my attention like the late Bruce Lee....that is until this film.

By no means am I saying that Tony Jaa is better than Bruce but he comes damn near close! The plot of this film isn't that complex but I have to say the action is great! Now, I want to see this other film that he did prior to this one called On-Bak: The Thai Warrior that many say was better than this film.

The extras that come with this set is as good as the film itself if not better. My personal recommendation is to watch the original/international version of this film before watching the U.S./theatrical version. Both are good but the original shows how the film was meant to be seen. I think both versions come with this set.

Overall, its an enjoyable ride! March 20, 2008

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