Ong-Bak (Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior)

Ong-Bak (Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior) (2005)

  • 86% of critics liked it
    (105 reviews)

  • 83% of users liked it
    (67,772 ratings)

Thai stuntman Tony Jaa makes his starring debut in this martial arts action film directed by Prachya Pinkaew. Ja plays Ting, a young man living in a village in rural Thailand. Discovered as an infant on the steps of the town's temple and raised by monks who taught him the Thai martial art of… More

PG-13,
Directed By
Written By
Suphachai Sithiamphan
Genres
Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International
In Theaters
Feb 11, 2005 Wide
Magnolia Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald

    Ong Bak is not very good -- but Hollywood suits would be nuts not to give Jaa a role in every action flick they make from now on.

  • Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic

    Jaa's moves are impressive, but the choreography ranges from bland to ridiculous (as when one dirty fighter resorts to using major appliances as weapons).

  • Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

    No prizes will be awarded to anyone who guesses that Ting beats all assailants and recovers the artifact. What you might not anticipate is how viscerally exciting director Prachya Pinkaew makes the action scenes.

  • Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    What Jaa does is often mesmerizing.

  • Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

    The artifice-free antidote to such F/X enervation -- a jaw-dropper of a star-making display from lithe fighter-artist Tony Jaa, framed by a plot as bare-bones as a backroom boxing ring.

Read all 14 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Directors C


    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]

  • Phil H


    Tony Jaa burst onto the scene with this high octane Muay Thai fighter which really turned my head, a long time fan of good old JCVD I knew of kickboxing and Muay Thai but this film really displayed it properly. Its a silly film lets be honest, like all fighter action films the plot… More

  • Lewis C


    A young country man travels to Bangkok to recover the stolen stone head of Ong-Bak, the Buddha statue of his village. Though he is an incredibly skilled Muay Thai fighter, his master asks him not to use his dangerous skills, in an effort to keep him from accidentally killing someone… More

  • Idrees K


    One of the best martial arts movies in recent years.

  • Drake T


    From one hopelessly over-the-top stunt to the next strewn together by predictable unimaginative plot typical to Asian cinema. Not doubting Tony's athletic ability but his action sequences have no context and as a result grow redundant from one flip n' kick to the next in… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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