Ong-Bak 2 (OB2) is one of those rarest of movies: It’s a sequel — Well, prequel — that surpasses its predecessor in just about every respect.

2003’s Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (OB1) is a contemporary action film about Ting (Tony Jaa), a trained fighter from the small village of Ban Nong Pradu, who is sent to Bangkok in search of the stolen head of the village’s Buddha statue (Ong-Bak). In Bangkok Ting meets up with Don (Wannakit Sirioput), who is also from the same village, however Don has become well and truly city-fied and rather than help Ting search out Ong-Bak, he attempts to use Ting’s fighting skills to make a quick buck.

OB1 is an enjoyable enough action film, but its greatest asset is Tony Jaa. Famously, many of the stunts seen in the first film were performed by Jaa, which was not a great stretch for him, given he previously worked as a stunt man. But while the majority of the fight scenes in Ong-Bak were just ok, it was the breathtaking, done without wires, parkour style, street chase scenes that made people sit up and take notice of this first movie.

Sadly, there aren’t too many comparable parkour style scenes in Ong-Bak 2. But that’s the only thing that Ong-Bak has over its prequel.

Tony Jaa returns as lead actor in OB2, takes over as director, and also has a writing credit. Wannakit Sirioput also returns, albeit for a very small, almost cameo appearance. These are the only two connections to the previous film that are readily apparent. There is talk that Ong-Bak 3 makes more of a connection between the two films and ties the trilogy together. But a teaser shot at the very end of OB2 seemed to make enough of a link to keep anyone, desperate for a connection, happy. That said, you certainly don’t need to have seen the first movie to understand what’s going on in OB2.

Set in ancient Thailand, Ong-Bak 2 leaves the viewer questioning the origin of its lead character Tien (Jaa) for a large portion of the film. As a young boy Tien discovers that he is today’s special in a fairly inhospitable slave market… you know, as opposed to those warm and welcoming slave markets! Having no interest in commerce Tien finds himself being used as entertainment after he smacks Asia’s answer to Richard Kiel in the head with a rock. We’re not talking about the good kind of entertainment either! No, Tien ends up up-close and personal with a crocodile. Fortunately for the boy, it is then that a group of bandits decide to raid the market.

Impressed by his ability to withstand attack from prehistoric reptiles and men who look like classic bond villains, Churning (Sorapong Chatree), the bandit’s leader, helps Tien and offers him a place with his people. He also offers to help Tien master all forms of martial art… cue training montage!

Visually, Ong-Bak 2 is beautiful! It looks more like a knife fight broke out during the filming of Baraka than your traditional Asian action movie. When Tony Jaa tires of cleaning people’s dials with nunchucks he certainly has a career ahead of him behind the camera, but who am I kidding, why would he ever tire of that?

Some of the action sequences, like in the first movie — and the plot of this one — are a little hit and miss. Some of the extras/stunt-interns seem all too aware of the fight choreography, but during the film’s climax no-one holds back, and the action sucks you in completely: Even when the elephant joins in! This “no holds barred” approach is documented in the bonus, behind the scenes, footage where you see some of the actors actually injured during the making of the climatic sequence of the film… which I’ve titled “Ninja Dudes Akimbo”.

This film isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of action movies — Asian action movies in particular — then you certainly should be adding Ong-Bak 2 to your collection! [source] [trailer]

One of the reasons I love trawling the Madman catalogue is that it’s full of undiscovered gems. Undiscovered by me that is. But from time to time there’s a movie or a show that I am well aware of and, for whatever reason, have either actively avoided (usually because of some preconceived idea about the show) simply never gotten around to watching. This post isn’t so much a ‘review’ as it is a notice to anyone who hadn’t been watching The Venture Brothers, for either of those two reasons, to start watching it immediately – or sooner!

Yeah, sure, I’ve got a pile of stuff sitting on the shelf waiting to be reviewed. But I’ve become so fond of this show in such a short time that I felt the need to slap some kind of endorsement up here on elroyonline. In the past couple of months, often when I should be watching something for the purposes of reviewage, and more often than not in the company of my better half, TheGLB (Who has also become quite a fan of the show) I’ve worked my way through the first three seasons on DVD.

Former child star Dr Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture begrudgingly lives in the shadow of his late father, the brilliant scientist, inventor, industrialist and adventurer, Dr. Jonas Venture. Rusty too is a *somewhat* brilliant scientist and inventor, however he lacks the physical stature, prowess and confidence of his father. He’s puny, pointy, has very little in the way of business acumen and is a tad creepy. However through his father’s vast fortune and global business Rusty is able to live the life of an adventurer and, for the most part, is seemingly well regarded. Rusty’s own inventions are not unremarkable, although they are often questionable or, at worst, crimes against nature: Rusty creates a type of holo-chamber which creates the perfect virtual-reality for anyone who enters. However the team shuts the machine down when it is discovered to be powered by the heart of a dead orphan boy.

The Venture Brothers: Go Team Venture!

Sharing the Venture compound — and many of the adventures — are Rusty’s sons Hank and Dean. Like Rusty, neither Hank nor Dean is “the whole package”. Dean is the smarter of the two, but something of a “candy ass”. Hank is a little more adventurous, but extremely gullible. Both use 50’s vernacular, like “gosh” and “golly gee!”. Despite their frequent adventures Hank and Dean have lived something of a sheltered life, their view on the world, is… well, cartoon like.

Office of Secret Intelligence (OSI) agent Brock Samson is without doubt the only reason that Rusty, Hank or Dean survive any of what happens around them. Perfectly voiced by Patrick Warburton [The Tick], Brock is the manliest bodyguard to have ever walked the earth… and he has the mullet to prove it. His only weakness is for the Black Widow like foreign agent, Molotov Cocktease. Despite evoking his license to kill at any given opportunity – usually with is bare hands – Brock is seemingly the only character in the show with any real moral compass. He has taken Hank and Dean under his wing and is often more of a father figure to them than Rusty is.

The show’s *adventures* are more often than not provoked by the actions of Rusty’s sworn arch-nemesis (a self assigned title), The Monarch. Monarch’s “arching” of Dr Venture is unlawful, in that it is unsanctioned by the Guild of Calamitous Intent, a shady body created to govern the matching of super-villains with super-scientists for the purposes of arch-nemesising. Monarch’s arching is mostly in conflict with is on-again, off-again partner, the disturbingly hot Dr Girlfriend. The butterfly themed Monarch’s unapproved arching does not go unnoticed by the Guild!

The fourth season of The Venture Brothers is currently airing as part of Adult Swim on The Cartoon Network, but the first three seasons are available for purchase here in Australia. For any fan of the superhero/villain conventions this series is a must own. It’s ongoing story develops all the characters involved far deeper than any other Adult Swim series before. As much as I’m a HUGE fan of the silliness of the vast majority of show’s in the Adult Swim catalogue, The Venture Brothers is without doubt, the driest and the smartest of all the shows I’ve watched… and it’s still pretty silly at times too.

[source] [trailer] [bonus clip]