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The Protector (Tom Yum Goong) (2005)

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Posted on March 18, 2017 by Andrew

After exploding onto the international action scene with Ong Bak, star Tony Jaa and team return in an attempt to top their own bone-crunching hit.

Originally called Tom Yum Goong, the version we get in Australia comes by way of the Weinstein Company, most recently infamous for their stripped-down version of Snowpiercer. This time significant changes were made, beginning with the title. The Protector is actually not too bad — as it references the theme of the … (read more)

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Bang Rajan (2000)

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Posted on March 18, 2006 by Ben Jennings

Bang Rajan is a terrifically entertaining, nice and gory old-timey battle epic, the sheer earnestly reverent seriousness of which almost, almost manages to overcome the innate silliness of its execution. I like this movie a lot, I’m just more excited by the idea of what, with its irresistibly populist story and giddy self-indulgence, it could have been.

My first problem is with its conflicted aesthetics. The movie’s wonderful verdant setting, finely (if anachronistically) chiselled warrior heroes and lovely maidens are … (read more)

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