Growing up imitating actions greats Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa practiced his destiny for countless hours in his father’s rice paddy, using the family’s elephants as launch pads to practice flips into the river. At age 15, his dreams began to materialize when stuntman and action-film director Panna Rittikrai took him on as a protege. In 2003, Jaa’s big break came with the release of Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. Since then, Tony hasn’t disappointed, filming some of the best scenes in the biz—low budgets be damned!
Today, the sequel to his breakout film, Ong-Bak 2: The Beginning, finally hits theatres in the US. Need a good reason to go see it? How ’bout 10 of ’em? Below, we’ve compiled Tony’s best fight scenes for your viewing pleasure. Jaa Rule!
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It should come as no surprise that Race to Witch Mountain, starring The Rock, is the number-one film in America right now. Disney? Check. Little white kids? Check. Steroid-enhanced Hunky action star playing nice for the family? Check. That’s box-office money straight to the bank, word to Curtis.
Your boy Dwayne isn't the first (or last) action star to turn his testosterone level down a notch to cash in on a crowd-pleasing family flick. After all, dumb action movies and inane kiddie films require about the same minimal level of acting ability. With that in mind, we thought there were at least a few Hollywood tough guys who haven’t fully realized their box-office potential as PG-rated stars. Check out our wish list of family movies starring action stars below…
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If you’re a long time fan of martial arts movies, then you probably feel like you’ve seen it all. After all the classics, it’s no surprise that the genre can get a little formulaic sometimes. But when Thai stunt man Tony Jaa broke out in 2003’s Ong-Bank: Muay Thai Warrior, it was clear that this was different. In an era when impossible moves are faked with wires and CGI, Jaa wowed audiences with his 100% real acrobatics and intense combat skills.
Now the phenom is back in Ong Bak 2, his directorial debut. A promo reel for the movie just leaked to the internet, and it shows an emphasis on some new weapons as well as a stunning fight scene on top of a pack of elephants. Looks like it might live up to the reputation of the original when it hits theaters some time later this year. Watch the promo reel below.
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