there's something about ..... dvd review: tom yum goong

tom yum

Caught this show in DVDp at my inlaws on Sunday. I must say the DVDp quality is very good. Like real DVD.

This is the second show featuring the Jackie Chan of Thailand since that fairly popular movie ONG BAK. And I must say, this movie not only live up to the last one, but even surpassing it where action is concerned.

This show has no relation to Ong Bak, or I believe. When things are in Thai language and in English Subtitles, sometimes certain things are lost in translation.

The fighting scenes are alot more elaborate this time round and with choreography that resembles the earlier Jackie Chan Movies, you almost forgot you are not watching Jackie Chan but some guy that looks like a Thai Construction Worker.

The fact that he looks like a construction worker only means his characterisation will often remains the same.... that is a thai farmer being sent to another place seeking something that was lost. Both shows goes along the same line. That same anguished look has not changed since Ong Bak.

This time round, this thai farmer is sent to Sydney to look for his "loved ones" that were kidnapped in thailand.

Production value for this show has vastly improved. Trying to add that international feel to it, the show is filmed in Sydney with English, Chinese and of course Thai Language featuring throughout the show. Of course, the elaborate scenes are really a plus here as compared to Ong Bak where most of the scenes were in the underground fighting ring. At one point, few minutes of action was film in one continuous take, probably thru a handheld. That was impressive.

Where storyline goes, as mentioned, it's always that thai farmer being sent to another place looking for something that hold dear to him or his village.

Ong Bak was about finding a Buddha Statute's head that was sacred to his Village and was stolen by a syndicate. And the word ONG BAK was in reference to this statute's head called ONG BAK.

Ultimate!! If a pig was stolen, the show would have been called BAK KUT TEI.

That aside, this show is about him looking for his "loved ones". Towards the end, (spoiler), when he found that his "loved ones" was actually killed, the lead character cried so bad that all those beatings he received at that point was numb to him.

Of course, during such fighting shows, the lead character will always draw strength from the death of their "loved ones", and somehow displayed super duper solid fighting skill that will defeat all enemies that was impossible to beat earlier, very much like those old Kung Fu movies.

Now... why did I quote, unquote the word "loved ones".

For all the trouble, all the drama, all the fighting, all the sacrifice is because his "loved ones" is a pair of......................................................

ELEPHANTS

WAH........ Does that mean Tom Yum Goong is reference to Elephants?

At one point, when he was desperately looking for his loved ones, he called out (in thai) : WHERE IS MY ELEPHANTS?

So how would I rate this show.....

**** for the pure enjoyment of the fighting sequence

* storyline