Vengeance of an Assassin opens with two gangs in a warehouse engaged in a soccer match that borders on war. It's brutal and brilliantly shot, better than the climaxes of most martial arts films. After that scene, I wondered if they'd shot their wad.
Not even close. The fights got ever more insane, with some truly over-the-top action sequences. I actually started laughing near the end, because the older of the two protagonists (brothers) had been wounded in so many fatal ways, yet he keeps mustering more chop-sockey (am I allowed to say that?), and then he's... Well, he's battered in a whole new way, and repeatedly, and I just lost it.
The story is thin, there's some draggy character-building scenes that don't work; but my goodness, this delivers on the fights -- each one more wildly inventive.
Afterwards, I looked up the director, Panna Rittikra. Of course, Tony Jaa's mentor. Sadly, at the end of the credits there's a dedication to him, as he died the year it was released. Who knows if he even saw its release.
Oh, Kessarin Ektawatkul, a former national Taekwondo champion, plays a femme fatale. She's impressive as an actress and a martial artist, and is featured in one of the biggest fights.
Totally worth viewing just for the action.
Not even close. The fights got ever more insane, with some truly over-the-top action sequences. I actually started laughing near the end, because the older of the two protagonists (brothers) had been wounded in so many fatal ways, yet he keeps mustering more chop-sockey (am I allowed to say that?), and then he's... Well, he's battered in a whole new way, and repeatedly, and I just lost it.
The story is thin, there's some draggy character-building scenes that don't work; but my goodness, this delivers on the fights -- each one more wildly inventive.
Afterwards, I looked up the director, Panna Rittikra. Of course, Tony Jaa's mentor. Sadly, at the end of the credits there's a dedication to him, as he died the year it was released. Who knows if he even saw its release.
Oh, Kessarin Ektawatkul, a former national Taekwondo champion, plays a femme fatale. She's impressive as an actress and a martial artist, and is featured in one of the biggest fights.
Totally worth viewing just for the action.
I'm nobody's pony.