Business rating: 1 star
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Star cast: Tony Jaa, Dan Chupong.
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What’s Bad: The wafer-thin story; the lack of emotional appeal; poor dubbing (it is dubbed in English).
Verdict: Ong Bak 3 fails to impress except in its action sequences.
Loo break: Several.
Watch or Not? Only if you like Kung Fu movies.
Iyara Films’ Ong Bak 3 is an action film about a brave Thai prince who returns to reclaim his kingdom from the clutches of an evil sorcerer.
‘Ong Bak 3’ picks up where Ong Bak 2 had left off. Tien (Tony Jaa) is the ousted prince of Garuda kingdom. His father’s general, Dhalpathi, has taken over the kingdom in a coup in which the king was killed. As a result, Tien, who is a martial arts expert, has to take refuge in the neighbouring kingdom before he is captured and brought back to Dhalpathi, who tortures Tien gruesomely and sentences him to death.
Right before the battered and bruised Tien is about to be executed, the neighbouring kingdom sends a messenger with the diktat of taking Tien across the border for some criminal proceedings that have been commenced against him. Dhalpathi agrees and lets Tien go. However, he also sends soldiers to murder Tien in the neighbouring kingdom itself, so that there is no one left to challenge his crown.
But unbeknownst to Dhalpathi, an evil sorcerer, Aghora (Dan Chupong), is planning to take over his kingdom by means foul or fair.
Tien is saved from Dhalpathi’s attack but is almost on his death bed. A holy Buddhist saint, Master Bua (Nirut Sirichanya) cures Tien. Tien’s long-lost lover, Pim (Primorata Dejudom), also prays for his recovery. After he recuperates, Tien is taught the art of meditation.
In the meantime, Aghora has killed Dhalpathi and taken over the Garuda kingdom with an iron fist. Tien, who is now an even better martial arts warrior, challenges Aghora for a final duel. What happens then? Does good win over evil? The rest of the film reveals the answers.
Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai’s story is wafer-thin. The screenplay is pretty simple and linear and has ample scope for action sequences, which are well-composed. Since there are very few emotional situations in the screenplay, the audience doesn’t connect to Tien’s war against evil. The characterisations are childish. However, the trademark bone-crunching action that the series is known for are aplenty. Only a few in the audience will appreciate all the bloodletting and senseless fighting. Dubbing is bad.
Tony Jaa is superb in the action sequences. So is Dan Chupong. Their fight in the climax is interesting to watch. Nirut Sirichanya, Petchtai Wongkamlao (as the mad man) and Primorata Dejudom are okay.
The directors, Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai, give importance only to the action scenes and their picturisations. Tony Jaa, who is also the action director of the film, does a good job in the many fight scenes.
The Last Word
All in all, Ong Bak 3 will draw in some mass audience in India on account of its action-heavy screenplay. Otherwise, it will go as it has come – without much fanfare.
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