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2010
Dir. by Tony Jaa & Panna Rittikrai
It seems that the purpose behind Ong Bak 3 is to clean up the utter mess that was Ong Bak 2. On that front, it's successful but, when compared to the first Ong Bak film, it's slow and not nearly as entertaining or rewarding.
Tony Jaa returns as Tien, orphaned after his parents were murdered by the evil, scheming Chernung. The film here picks up where the second left off, with Tien in chains at the torturous hands of Chernung's staff. His body is broken and about to be executed when a rival king steps in and takes Tien's body away for healing. A very lengthy rehab/re-training montage ensues for Tien.
Meanwhile, Chernung is plagued by horrifying visions as he's been cursed by the king he murdered to gain his power and wealth. He's soon confronted by the “human crow,†an exceptional fighter embued with just plain blasphemous evil. This “crow†finally kills Chernung and takes his place, calling out Tien for one final battle.
That final fight scene and the few other fight scenes here are entertaining but, in the overall scope of the film, they're overwhelmed by the slow, uneven pacing that plagued the second film. But, at the end, there's at least some closure and some point about karmic balance and evil versus righteousness. Which is a far cry better than the second film but delivered so muddily and missing the frenetic energy of Jaa's earlier films as to become not all that watchable.
Rating: D
