Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior | |
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Theatrical poster
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Directed by | Prachya Pinkaew |
Produced by |
Somsak Techaratanaprasert Prachya Pinkaew |
Written by | Prachya Pinkaew Panna Rittikrai Suphachai Sittiaumponpan |
Starring |
Tony Jaa Petchtai Wongkamlao Pumwaree Yodkamol |
Music by | Atomix Clubbing Studio |
Cinematography | Nattawut Kittikhun |
Edited by | Thanat Sunsin Thanapat Taweesuk |
Production
company |
Baa-ram-ewe
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Distributed by | Sahamongkol Film International |
Release date
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January 21, 2003 |
Running time
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108 minutes (Original Thailand Version) 105 minutes (International Version) |
Country | Thailand |
Language | Thai |
Budget | $1,100,000 |
Box office | $20,112,926 |
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (Thai: องค์บาก, pronounced [ʔōŋ bàːk]), also known in the United States as Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior is a 2003 Thai martial arts action film. It was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, featured stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai and starred Tony Jaa. Ong-Bak proved to be Jaa's breakout film, with the actor hailed internationally as the next major martial arts star. Jaa went on to star in Tom-Yum-Goong (called The Protector in the US and Warrior King in the UK) and directed two prequels to Ong-Bak: Ong-Bak 2 and Ong-Bak 3.
In the rural northeastern Thailand village of Ban Nong Pradu lies an ancient Buddha statue named Ong-Bak. The village falls in despair after thieves from Bangkok decapitate the statue and take the head with them. Ting, a villager extremely skilled in Muay Thai, volunteers to travel to Bangkok to recover the stolen head of Ong-Bak. His only lead is Don, a drug dealer who attempted to buy the statue one day earlier.
Upon arriving in Bangkok with a bagful of money donated by his village, Ting meets up with his cousin Humlae, who has dyed his hair blond and begun calling himself "George". Humlae and his friend Muay Lek are street-bike racing hustlers who make a living out of conning yaba dealers. Reluctant to help Ting, Humlae steals Ting's money and bets all of it in an underground fighting tournament at a bar on Khaosan Road. Ting tracks down Humlae and gets his money back after stunning the crowd by knocking out the champion in the ring with one kick. His extraordinary skill grabs the attention of Komtuan, a gray-haired, wheelchair-bound crime lord who needs an electrolarynx to speak. It is discovered that Don had stolen Ong-Bak's head to sell to Komtuan, who sees no value in it and orders him to dispose of it.